Glory to Jesus Christ!
Lord, Bless!
As I prepare to move to Sitka, I will be taking the farey boat on the 15th of next month, I praise God I will be going to the Cathedral of St. Michael.
I will take many hearts with me on my journey to Sitka. I will pray before the miraculous ikon of the Theotokos of Sitka for everyone on this forum and for me a sinner.
Satan, or as the ethnic Antiochians call him: the shaytan, worked on me so masterfully well during this hurtful situation. Indeed, I am certain he desires no peace for anyone here. What joy Satan must be having over seeing sincere souls writh in anguish. He must be delighted that Orthodox must run hither and thither to find a Synod that is True. How sad that we must run to find such a thing and that His Church must always be, in these times, placed in the hands of unwise and inexperienced men. Orthodoxy is "dis-organized religion." I suppose in order to preserve the character of the Patristic Church we need to be less organized
I dunno? But, all I know that it is for the lay people to check the Orthodoxy of their teachers and leaders. The laypeople must also know their faith. How many times have I had to do typika; how many times have I had to weep because I could not find a worthy temple or felt worthy. I know Sitka will not be Orthodox paradise as some assert; but neither will anything else. If all I have is my Icon Corner and my tattered prayerbook: than so be it. But, I know that God will make a way so that His people can experience true Religion.
As an Orthodox Christian I can never encourage a person to leave the Church, but there are various reasons people need to find other communities of faith. And I would say that if for pastoral reasons a person needed to attend an Anglican Church to find community, because of previous spiritual abuse: than I would leave that to a person's conscience. Religious and spiritual abuse is very common in traditional groups and conversely in more liberal communities. It is hard to find the Golden Mean: that rule of St. John Chrysostom and of course the Greek lovers of wisdom. I have experienced spiritual abuse before at a small Orthodox community. Spiritual abuse instead of making one penitent rather makes one fall into despair, even to the despair that one can never find hope or salvation. Spiritual abuse also occurs when church leaders abuse the trust they have given in their ordination and consecration. Abusive spiritual leaders will often say that they are the "only" true hierarch or their ecclesial community is "only" way to God; so that if you leave you are damned. Many people here have been abused; I was abused. I know I was abused; because I felt absolute hopelessness and was not only emotionally drained, but also physically sick. It took me over a week to recover spiritually and physically; because remember I was going to be baptized and Chrismated by Vl. Gregory. I had been in correspondence with him since 2001. This was a VERY painful experience for me. My solution, not for everybody, was to move and to go to a secure Orthodox community so that I might more fully participate in Alaskan Orthodoxy. I respect that many consider the OCA graceless; however, I cannot imagine anything more Orthodox than these wonderful little Alaskan Orthodox churches that have kept the faith since St. Herman and St. Innocent.
I will offer an Akathist to the Theotokos for our journey and protection; and I ask your prayers.
Lord, Bless!
In Christ God,
Alexis