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becoming a convert priest in the Tewahedo church?
I am a convert to miaphysite orthodoxy.I come from a protestant backround.I am half american(of native american and louisiana creole origins)on my mother's side and half dutch.since I was a kid i have been very religious.they used to call be bible man as a kid because I loved the bible and I would give lessons in sunday school and assist the teacher and even correct her.to me God was the greatest thing that was,a Loving father that could do anything!
I switched from protestantism at the age of 12 to irreligiosity a few years up until i was 23 to a religion mixed with a bit of new age belief like the book of urantia and the phoenix journals and walter russell's cosmology,it was actually the urantia book that got me interested in orthodoxy because abundanthope.net(a urantian website) always has articles praising orthodoxy and putin and the russian orthodox,the czar as being the most positive force on earth lol also walter russell would always say Jesus was the greatest man to ever exist etc so I really started praying to jesus of nebadon ...but later I saw that the movement is a demonic deception and that jesus of nebadon is fictitious and that the real jesus is much better anyway
so I started researching christianity with the intention of finding the true sect.I had already erased protestantism only because I knew it was a novel movement that was created entirely by a man's evolving opinions so i looked to orthodoxy and catholicism.at first I didn't know there were two orthodox groups,i came upon a website called trueorthodoxy wich has a false article on miaphysites and shows typical chalcedonian deception so for a while I thought miaphysites were not orthodox....later I went to a local coptic church just for the heck of it and talked to some laymen there.got me interested.I started to watch youtube videos from coptic priests on the chalcedon issue.I also read father peter farrington's works on geocities that were archived on waybackmachine.I started to see the historical and logical case for miaphysite orthodoxy.the book by VC samuel also helped.
I love all miaphysite churches and beleive them to be equal in worth and truth,but I just love ethiopic geez language,the aesthetics of the churches,the icons,the priestly garb,the drums so I opt for this church.access wise theres just as many eritrean or ethiopian churches as coptic churches or armenian churches or syrian churches in this country so I might aswell choose the one i like most for aesthetic reasons.
I basically want to become a priest,because I feel the holy spirit is calling me.I discuss religion with a urantian friend of mine and he says Im a genius and should do something with it.my religious grandmother always said I should be a pastor(bless her baptist heart),I was responsible for my mother's conversion to christ just before her death,she used to say I was born to her to help her evolve spiritually and that I was a blessing from god in her life for that reason.all this adds wheight to my subjective feeling of inspiriation to become a priest.
I think I could do alot of people Good,I already debate muslims 24/7 on facebook lol I want to EVANGELIZE.I want to evangelize the innercity hispanic and african american youths and give them a sound structure in their lives thru orthodoxy,this will give them stability,family values,and be a empowering movement.orthodoxy is the prime tool for reaction.orthodoxy is ultimate reaction.in a world where youths are dissillusioned with the cultural marxist nightmares,feminism,homosupremacism and capitalism I envision orthodoxy as a movement among poor youths to give them solidity and I eventually envision a voluntary commune model where christians can live in communes to live as they desire.
guys,I am feeling so greatful to god for everything he has saved me from.he saved me from darkness many times.lets just say I have been in the pit and snare of satan and I can emphatize with those there.
so Yeah,its basically my dream and I feel my callijng to be a priest-evangilizer to poor african american and hispanic youths,how can I go about this?learning amharic is just out of the question,I learned arabic pretty fast and can speak it fluently with a few more months of practice but amharic is the hardest language Ive ever encountered,would i need to speak fluent amharic to be a tewahedo priest or just english and being able to memorize geez?
Comments
You have done a lot of thinking and sometimes that's good. We want to think things through and that is good.
But there is an age about early twenties when we've come out from the confusion of teenage years and we get a sense of who we are and also identify with things in our environment. And from there we take on causes (sort of like the 60s protest movement agains war).
Please don't get me wrong because it's a part of life that we find identity.
Your identity if you want to become orthodox is to be Christ-like. When someone sees, hears you, it is that you are an example of Christ and you do your best to gain virtues that you are an example.
The hardcore evangelize style protestants do I think is not the way we evangelize. Pray for others and be an example of Christ and unity.
At the moment the church is fasting and one of the reasons we fast is togetherness or unity in Christ.
You also become adopted so you adapt and there is a need to submit and humble yourself and I'm sure you will and that all your knowledge of the bible will enable you to relate the wisdom and symbolizm that the church has been given by inspiration of the Holy Spirit through Jesus Christ and this will inspire others to know where this came from and to know more about you. Then if they know more about you then I pray they know more about Christ.
I don't speak amharic but my children are learning. I pray in the Name of the Father and of the Son and the Holy Spirit One God Amen in amharic then in english when I pray. You are right it's not easy, but like anything the effort you put in you receive.
Speaking of which, that you look for the goodness in others because this is the original goodness God had for us from Him. If you you see those traces of goodness in you african American friends then focus on what is good about them and praise God and let them know they are blessed.
You must first be a good layman, then take the step to become a Deacon, teach Sunday School, become a representative and teacher of the church. You will also have to learn the Liturgical cycle of the church, and learn the nuances of the Liturgy, especially for the Great Fast. I was very similar, but I have learned that you do not want to become a Priest, you are called to the Priesthood. Good luck and God Bless. Try to not put the cart before the horse.
I do sense you are anxious but the speed of being anxious is fast. Put more prayer and comtemplation into it just to slow yourself down. Your knowledge is valuable so find an abouna study him and try to get a sense of imitation.
My prayers that our Lord Jesus Christ whom knows the hearts of all helps you to be of service to Him.