my adult children

[nrse]

here is one more troubling thing (my brain is on over drive today i think)

i was raised RC then fell away and came to the Lord in my mid 20"s through an independent pentecostal bible study...my husband followed a year or 2 later...until his death at the age of 38 (children were newborn through 17 at the time) we raised them as devoted Christians and attended Assembly of God Church...we had home bible studies with friends and family bible studies and prayers with the children.... i continued this after his death....by the time i was down to only 2 children in the house, i married   a man i met at an AG bible study...within a year he began to have mental illness issues- we worked thought this all and he is currently under good treatment....he went from being pentecostal to reformed to independent to "whatever"...in the meantime i continued to raise the last 2 children as AG...

here is where we stand now....oldest son attends an independent evangelical church...middle daughter a Missouri Synod Lutheran...the remaining 4 attend Assembly of God- in fact oldest daughter is wed to an AG Pastor and my youngest son is in music and youth ministry...

imagine the gasps when they find out Mom has flipped to Russian Orthodox!! my my....actually my oldest son and Lutheran Daughter are fine with it....my Pastor son in law has been awesome but my daughter speaks very little about it to me...and neither will my youngest son talk much about it.... i feel that i have hurt them and that makes me ache....(my church family from the last AG church i was attending still love and stay connected with me)...

how do i explain? it started out that i attended because i am mildly disabled, live on a peninsula and have few options as far as going to a church...but the more i studied the more it all made sense...

at times i feel that i appear to have betrayed all that i have believed and taught for nearly 40 years....but, as Fr Gilquist said in his book, there is a point in studying Orthodoxy at which you cannot turn back- you l know too much....and i feel like that is where i am....but what of my children and grandchildren?

thank you for your ear....

[FrChris]

My honest suggestion is that, if they ask you about your decision, then you explain to them what you explained to us here. Use pretty much the words you used here...you  convinced me of your sincerity, and I don't know you as well as your family does! 

In the meantime, remember to pray and to love them, which of course I know you will do anyway. They may be uncomfortable asking you, thinking you might be sensitive or they might be concerned it may set off an unpleasant discussion. Prayer and loving others will help them and you when or if this discussion takes place.

[philalethe00]

You are welcome. As Aristotle had said once, after being a pupil/closest friend of Plato's for more than ten years, "Plato is a friend, but the truth is friendlier".

Now, let's remember that a lot of saints or Christians of the age, even had pagan parents who oppressed their personal liberty, and, in St. Barbara's case, became their murderers...

I know that it's painful and I've had similar experience myself(despite my youth   ), but I personally am more in pain for the ones who are being sinful even in the most reckless and open manner, partly because they are products of a hugely distorted society...

Lord, have mercy...  

[Thomas]

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[Thomas]

Dear nrse,

I endorse what Father Chris said . When they ask you about your decision, then you explain to them how you feel and why you entered the Holy Orthodox Church, pray for them and specifically ask the Holy Spirit to touch them and guide them to understanding.

A member of my parish was from a pentecostal church and noted that when he entered Holy Orthodoxy it was really a smooth transitions as the pentecostals believe in  responsibility for their sins, the need to grow in the faith, and have for the most part  left the "once saved always saved" of Calvinism. They seek the Holy Spirit to guide them and help them to grow into salvation. These concepts are not foreign to Orthodox Christians and as a result  some entire Pntecostal congregations (Like one in Texas) are converting.

My prayers are with you as you begin your gentle, prayerful  witnessing of the True Faith to your children.

Thomas

edited for spelling

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