Many people think that the Church is the
same as a church, i.e., a parish. They believe that the Church is an
organization, a group, a charity, a good ideology, which possesses large wealth
and countless property.
There are many people who
believe that the Church is a huge financial organization, a successful business
startup, which attracts the ignorant and the weak. Others think that the Church
is a great place for networking, a place where you find friends, jobs, satisfy
your metaphysical demands quickly, and settle things with your conscience so as
to have no issues with it.
In fact, the Church is a
motherly embrace, the Body of the Living Christ, the assembly of God’s people
in the upper chamber. The Orthodox Church is not the hard theology for the
elect few; She is more than elegant philosophy, dry ethical doctrine, cruel and
inhumane moralism, full of restrictions and prohibitions. The Orthodoxy is the
truth, freedom, love, redemption, pleasure, salvation, and joy. We usually talk
about things the Church does, not about her real essence.
The Church was established
by God on the foundation of blood of Christ and martyrs. She has a reliable
foundation, and She isn’t afraid of any shock, any headwind, any enemy, war, or
persecution. Elder Tikhon from Mount Athos said that the Holy Spirit is the
Steward of the Church, and he constitutes the whole building of the Church. The
Holy Spirit is constantly vigilant; He teaches the truth properly; He inspires,
guards, cultivates, and empowers the faithful — both the clergy and the laity.
The humble and zealous prayer of the believers connects the earth to the heaven
and keeps one from getting disappointed, depressed, afraid, or demoralized.
“The Church teaching stems
from silence, prayer, preparation, labor, reading, pain, and abundant love to
the fallen and the suffering.”
Prayer is not something
you do individually or in private. No way. A person who prays is united with
Christ and with all members of the Church. It helps him to avoid the
troublesome and tiresome loneliness. One can see it more clearly during the
Divine Liturgy by conscious participation in the sacramental life of the
Church. The Church teaching is not a presentation of ideas and good-sounding
words. It is not verbalism. It does not consist of chasing demons or beating up
the impious and infidels. The Church teaching stems from silence, prayer,
preparation, labor, reading, pain, and abundant love to the fallen and the
suffering.
No one in the Church
commits lawless acts or improvisations. No one pretends or isolates oneself in
order to correct the Church or defend her. Unity, unanimity, discretion, and
proper confession of faith are extremely important. The Church fights for the
salvation of all people. Her mission does not imply gathering fanatical
followers: She aims at gathering her beloved children bound by holy love and
holy humility.
Imitating the Orthodoxy,
we must not hate anyone. Christian love is always selfless and self-sacrificial,
and it is in no way related to disingenuous smiles, tactful civility,
intolerable concessions, superficial hugs, false flattery, and
pseudo-politeness. The Christian love goes hand in hand with the truth.
The authentic church
spirit dwells within a person who infinitely loves God and his neighbor. The
rest are just pious words. It is time for us to see the essence of the Church
in order to acknowledge her liberating grace, dive deep into her unspoken
mystery, and encounter Christ.
Translated from: http://dysha.info/public/duh/5442-pravoslavie-eto-istina-svoboda-i-lyubov-pravoslaviefm.html
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