Journey Stories

You hear a lot in Orthodoxy about how inquirers have to "come and see”—to experience the Liturgy and the spiritual life first—because it can’t be adequately described or written about. You hear that Orthodoxy is experiential; it’s not a list of doctrinal statements to which you intellectually assent from your armchair in your evening gown. I don’t disagree about the nature of Orthodoxy, but I do have to honestly say that “come and see” isn’t how it happened for me. The first time I attended a ... [Read more]

When I was asked to write about my journey to Orthodoxy, it was a perfect moment to reflect back on what brought me here. In fact I was born and raised as Orthodox Hindu. My journey to Orthodox Christianity began while I was studying at college in Arizona. Prior to my college life, I was just happily lost in illusions and myths (now I can say!). Although the core spiritual teaching of Hinduism seemed similar – about love, prayers, self-denial, overcoming pride, fasting etc. – there were many ... [Read more]

When, as a child of six, my mother was suddenly and unexpectedly taken from our lives as the result of an automobile accident, I distinctly remember wondering why everyone was crying. For I knew from a child's perspective and without a shadow of any doubt that she was in heaven and would be very, very happy there. She had been our compass and anchor in God. Little did I know it would be years before such faith would again fill my heart. Looking back on those intervening years, I can clearly ... [Read more]

My husband, Chris, and I were both raised in the Protestant Faith: he was raised Baptist and I was raised Lutheran. When we were in high school, we started attending a non-denominational church, where we met and were eventually married. The church was very large, and I was involved in youth ministries and had formed many friendships. I could not see myself ever leaving that church and I was completely content. Chris began reading the writings of the Ante-Nicene Fathers (the Church Fathers ... [Read more]

A seminarian from England once spoke at my church in Philadelphia. He had been raised Anglican, become Evangelical, converted to the Roman Catholic Church and eventually found the Orthodox Church, where he stayed and was eventually ordained. He spoke of how grateful he was for each one of those churches, for each had taught him a new way of loving God, until he found the fulfillment in the One True Faith. I was raised Evangelical, and am thankful for the grounding it gave me in the scriptures ... [Read more]

I have been asked many times to describe my journey to Orthodoxy, and every time I answer it seems to come out with a slightly different emphasis. I know many people who have had a “road to Damascus” moment, but I was (and am) too stubborn for that. I’m still working to understand my past and the ways, both great and small, that Christ was calling me through it all. So here is the latest version. I was born into an interfaith household: 50% semipracticing Jewish (my father), 50% ... [Read more]

Over the past five years, I have begun to recognize the grace which God has poured over my life from the very beginning. Becoming Orthodox has been the greatest culmination of so many difficult and beautiful events. At the same time, however, my baby steps in Orthodoxy are the start of a whole new journey which is both brand new and yet, at the same time, intimately familiar. I was raised by two loving parents, both of whom were the first Christians of their families. They became Christians ... [Read more]

When I was first asked to write about my journey into Orthodoxy, it was hard to pin down any one particular prompt that eventually led to my becoming Orthodox. Christianity has always been a crucial part of my life, but each tradition (or “non-tradition”) seemed to go about worshiping God and pursuing a relationship with Him in a different way. Some churches emphasized rules, other churches emphasized grace. Some explored the heart, others the mind. All of them had parts of the truth, but I ... [Read more]

I have gone to church from the time I was born. As a young kid, the first church I remember going to was the Assembly of God Church. We changed over to a Baptist Church when I was about 7 years old. Most of my life I attended various Baptist churches covering 8 different sects of the Baptist denomination. I was for the most part Baptist most of my life. As I relate my journey, it is important to remember I am only speaking for myself; and the problems and inconsistencies I saw in the ... [Read more]

Have you ever had a gourmet chocolate that you couldn’t wait to bite into? You just knew it was going to be amazing. The outside was beautiful, a dark deep color with just the right drizzle, and you could tell the inside was going to be delicious. Only, once you bit into it, you find it’s all wrong and the one you really hate? I think that was my life for a long time. My outside was all pretty and seemed right, but my heart and soul were empty. Let me back up and explain. I was raised in a ... [Read more]