Comments on: What To Do If You’re Not Happy With Your Priest https://holisticchristianlife.com/what-to-do-if-you-arent-happy-with-your-priest/ Certified Christian Health Coaching Tue, 04 Dec 2018 19:31:46 +0000 hourly 1 By: Cynthia Damaskos https://holisticchristianlife.com/what-to-do-if-you-arent-happy-with-your-priest/#comment-885 Sat, 26 Aug 2017 01:13:51 +0000 http://holisticchristianlife.com/?p=2317#comment-885 In reply to Martha.

I love the point that you make…yes…we truly are being fed through the Eucharist! Your priest only speaks for 15 minutes? 🙂

]]> By: Martha https://holisticchristianlife.com/what-to-do-if-you-arent-happy-with-your-priest/#comment-863 Thu, 10 Aug 2017 18:42:36 +0000 http://holisticchristianlife.com/?p=2317#comment-863 I grew up hearing all the time about going to church to be “fed”. I used to say, “I go to church to worship. I can feed myself.” By God’s grace I am now Orthodox and I can worship and also be fed through the Eucharist. I have wonderful priests and no complaints but I must admit it is easier to sit through a boring 15 minute homily than a boring 30 or 45 minute sermon!

]]> By: Cynthia Damaskos https://holisticchristianlife.com/what-to-do-if-you-arent-happy-with-your-priest/#comment-862 Tue, 08 Aug 2017 13:22:16 +0000 http://holisticchristianlife.com/?p=2317#comment-862 In reply to Donna.

Oh Donna, Thank you so much for your thoughtful message! This is so encouraging, and I completely understand what you mean. I fell into the trap of church shopping as though I was trying to find one that fit into my vision of what it should be, instead of fitting myself into the church. You said it beautifully! I am blessed to live in an area with about 30 Orthodox churches in the area…but many people don’t have that choice. Your personal story can help so many people.

]]> By: Donna https://holisticchristianlife.com/what-to-do-if-you-arent-happy-with-your-priest/#comment-860 Mon, 07 Aug 2017 20:13:48 +0000 http://holisticchristianlife.com/?p=2317#comment-860 Thank you, Cynthia, for this thoughtful message on a critical topic. It has been 25 years since I relocated to a place with a, shall we say, less established Orthodox presence. It was so different from what I had experienced growing up in the Midwest, and later in the northeast, that I didn’t know how to cope with it. I did everything wrong, thinking that it was the job of the church and priest to live up to my standards. Never did it occur to me that God in his providential mercy had placed me there for a reason. He has been very merciful to me and used my experiences to learn and to increase my humility and sensitivity. Today I attend a large Greek Orthodox parish which I love. A few of the aspects of its parish life would have been unacceptable to me 20 or 25 years ago, but I guess I am a bit less judgmental these days so I barely notice. My purpose there is to worship God, love other people and to find ways of serving. In the end, we need to decide if we are going to be part of the solution or part of the problem. Over the years, I have been fortunate to visit many Orthodox parishes all over the country, and so many of them are struggling. We all need to try to be as loving, supportive and helpful as we can.

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