The Lord never commanded us to make converts. He commanded us to make disciples. Those are not the same assignment, and the difference matters more right now than ever!
Good morning, Fr. Barnabas! Thank you for this wonderful meditation. I converted to Orthodoxy in 2020and am now 74 years old. What helps me is constantly dragging my vision back to the goal, which is union with God. I reminded myself last night that reality is reality, no matter how I feel. The Kingdom of God goes on, whether I feel excited about it or not. There is something very comforting about this.
Thanks, Fr. B.! This central fact needs to be emphasized over and over, almost every Liturgy. In Acts 11:26 we read - "The disciples were first called Christians in Antioch." So the question is: what were they before they were called Christians? Simple: they were disciples. The two words mean the same thing. A Christian must be a disciple. You can't first decide to believe in Christ, join the Church, and be "just a Christian because I don't want people to think I'm a weirdo, a religious fanatic," and maybe later (or never) decide to "go whole hog" and become a disciple. No, it's either all-in, or you're out.
Good morning, Fr. Barnabas! Thank you for this wonderful meditation. I converted to Orthodoxy in 2020and am now 74 years old. What helps me is constantly dragging my vision back to the goal, which is union with God. I reminded myself last night that reality is reality, no matter how I feel. The Kingdom of God goes on, whether I feel excited about it or not. There is something very comforting about this.
Thanks, Fr. B.! This central fact needs to be emphasized over and over, almost every Liturgy. In Acts 11:26 we read - "The disciples were first called Christians in Antioch." So the question is: what were they before they were called Christians? Simple: they were disciples. The two words mean the same thing. A Christian must be a disciple. You can't first decide to believe in Christ, join the Church, and be "just a Christian because I don't want people to think I'm a weirdo, a religious fanatic," and maybe later (or never) decide to "go whole hog" and become a disciple. No, it's either all-in, or you're out.