Chrismation/Christian life/fear

[Anastasia1]

Hi,

I'm not sure where is the best place to put this. I want to get chrismated soon. I like the church, and I find things in Orthodoxy that I fundamentally agreed with even before I read that they were Orthodox.  I don't have figured out exactly where I will usually go to church, be it the one farther from me in the jurisdiction I like best or a local one in communion. I'm scared because I think I may get caught up in trying to be a perfect Christian again and lose sight of the God part behind it. That is one thing that really pulled me away from being a serious Christian (more evangelical/Protestant side at the time) before when I actually briefly was questioning the merits and feasibility of a truly Christian life.  I've had a counselor tell me that I put too much responsibility on myself-and while that was a slightly different context, I think that captures something of my personality well. I want to know grace more than responsibility, love more than fear, and forgiveness more than failure.  Please pray that God would keep these close to me.  Any advice is welcome.

[Dominika]

Lord have mercy!

And now some my thoughts Before my chrismation in the Orthodox Church I was also really scared: how I would manage to observe fasting and prayer rules, if I would go the Sacraments with appropriate regularity, if I would confess well to my new confessor etc. Maybe stupid thing, but I was considering myself a bit unworthy to be Orthodox christian because of my sins, that I would behave in a manner that doesn't fit to an Orthodox Christian and my friends would notice it and they would think something bad about Orthodoxy. But, thank God, after more than half year being officially member of the Orthodox Church, I don't have any of these fears. As my priest said (very simple, but so useful) "If we have good intentions, God always helps us, He gives us (and also for the fulfillment of this intention or idea) a blessing". Converting into Orthodoxy for sure is a good intention , so just be calm, pray, talk with your priest and all things will be OK.

[Anastasia1]

Lord have mercy!

And now some my thoughts Before my chrismation in the Orthodox Church I was also really scared: how I would manage to observe fasting and prayer rules, if I would go the Sacraments with appropriate regularity, if I would confess well to my new confessor etc. Maybe stupid thing, but I was considering myself a bit unworthy to be Orthodox christian because of my sins, that I would behave in a manner that doesn't fit to an Orthodox Christian and my friends would notice it and they would think something bad about Orthodoxy. But, thank God, after more than half year being officially member of the Orthodox Church, I don't have any of these fears. As my priest said (very simple, but so useful) "If we have good intentions, God always helps us, He gives us (and also for the fulfillment of this intention or idea) a blessing". Converting into Orthodoxy for sure is a good intention , so just be calm, pray, talk with your priest and all things will be OK.

What if you don't have every good intention that you should have though? Is one or two good intentions really enough?

[Dominika]

What if you don't have every good intention that you should have though? Is one or two good intentions really enough?

I think that's enough and God will "draw" these good intention. Our human nature is not so pure so usually behind good intention or good act there is something bad, but God loves us, knows our weaknesses and due to His grace we receive His blessing. That's just my thinking, I hope without heresies . Really, the best option is to talk with a priest that you can present him all your doubts and fear.

[Anastasia1]

What if you don't have every good intention that you should have though? Is one or two good intentions really enough?

I think that's enough and God will "draw" these good intention. Our human nature is not so pure so usually behind good intention or good act there is something bad, but God loves us, knows our weaknesses and due to His grace we receive His blessing. That's just my thinking, I hope without heresies . Really, the best option is to talk with a priest that you can present him all your doubts and fear.

He is not back in town until the end of the month, and I would have to do that where my co-workers could hear or wait until Sunday.  I have met him 2 or 3 times and do not know if that is the church I will most attend. I had not attended any sort of service very much in months (sometimes valid reasons, but in the end I probably should have just gotten my butt to service a little more often) and really wanted to attend the other Sunday on my way home from a friend's, then I asked about chrismation.

[Maximum Bob]

Lord have mercy.

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