So, this Orthodox thing...

Talking with my wife yesterday and it slowly dawned on me what it is that I (think I) have found within Orthodoxy. From books anyhow...

As a non-denominational, Bible believing, spirit filled Christian, what next? Recruit others to come to church? Save others? Bring in more souls to the Kingdom? Is that the next step?

I ask because I don't know. Could very well be my own fault.

However, when I look around at the non-denominational world (or plethora of denominations throughout the world) I realize that it is very much dependent on the 'human' factor. We flock to various churches and leaders and pastors and are looking for a church that is 'alive' with the Spirit. What this usually means is high energy, like a rock concert. God forbid if during 'worship' you don't shout and throw your arms up in the air as it would appear that you aren't grateful, you aren't worshiping, you really don't love God.

Where does it end? To me, all of this is longing for something, toward something, looking for completion. Heaven isn't it. The Rapture isn't it. Or maybe it is but there is a huge gap between getting 'saved' and the End Times. How are we to live? 

Now it could very well be me but this fussing over doctrine or avoidance of the same for the sake of 'unity' or even proclaiming 'true doctrine' sounds very much like the early origins of the Church.

The first Great Awakening in the US occurred circa 1730 - 288 years ago. And we are still fighting over 'true doctrine'. Just like the early Church which, by and large, found closure in 325 at the Council of Nicaea (with refinements due to the subtleties of language and continued fighting over 'true doctrine' lasting up until the 7th century.

The parallels are striking. The infighting is leading us somewhere and, to me, it is leading us where the church already ended up. The same battles, the same fight over language, the same battle over strong personalities runs parallel to the early church. All roads lead to theology and all roads lead to the same doctrines - though perhaps better documented now - that were resolved and fought through for centuries.

All we need now is a Constantine to pave the way for Christians to reclaim political power and we will have, in many ways, relived the first four centuries of the early Church.

So Orthodoxy...

The end game of Orthodoxy is deification, the never ending quest for divine participation, unification, with our Maker.