FROM “INQUIRING” TO CATECHESIS: Becoming Orthodox

One of the first questions that enthusiastic newcomers to the Orthodox Church ask is, “How do I become Orthodox?” followed closely by a second question:”How long will it take?”

DO YOU TRULY WANT TO BECOME ORTHODOX?

To be Orthodox is to be a Christian: one who takes up his cross and follows Jesus Christ, our Savior.

The process of becoming Orthodox is called “conversion”; a radical term. This is because one must truly convert his or her mind and heart and life, allowing these to be transformed and molded by Christ within His Church. One does not shape his or her life and then ask the Church to fit itself within it. This is not an easy process. Not all those who set out on this path follow it to its rewarding end. Because of this, those “inquiring” after the faith and those who decide they want to take the next step of entering the Church must expect that this process will take time.

There is no greater decision that you will make than becoming an Orthodox Christian, because all of your life will be touched by this transforming reality. The Orthodox Christian is one who is “baptized into Christ” and therefore “puts on Christ.” Therefore, one must take the proper time to learn what Christ demands of His followers, as well as learn what this looks like within the Eastern Orthodox Christian tradition.

Today, with the internet and what we sometimes call “internet Orthodoxy,” the possibility of delusion and misinformation and unreliable self-guidance are major dangers to those who are new to the faith. Like the parable of the sower in chapter 13 of St Matthew’s Gospel, we have to become “good soil” for the seed of the Word to grow in, not simply shallow soil or dry soil or weedy soil.

All of this is a guided process, in which the priest of your local parish becomes your main source of teaching and leadership spiritually-speaking. He will probably ask you to set aside whatever Orthodox literature you may be reading for a time in order to spend more time simply reading Holy Scripture. He may advise you strongly to curb your excursions into the world of internet Orthodoxy in order to take more time to live out Orthodoxy in your local parish.

He will instruct you in “doing the thing.” This is a phrase we use at St James Orthodox Church. That is, the priest will show you that the best plan for becoming Orthodox is by regularly and faithfully attending services and classes and fellowship at church, as well as teach you how to do the simple, yet vital acts intrinsic to Orthodox worship (crossing yourself, lighting candles, venerating icons, learning how to sing along in services, as well as serving others, caring for the poor, helping out in the church community and so forth).

You cannot read your way into the Orthodox Church. Too often people come to the Orthodox Church thinking that it is primarily an intellectual exercise, when it really is far from that. You cannot study your way into a relationship with Christ. You can only submit to the Word, following Christ by bearing your cross willingly and faithfully.

WHAT IS EXPECTED OF A CATECHUMEN?


Those desiring to become Orthodox start out as INQUIRERS. Eventually, after some time of faithful, regular attendance at church services as well as at classes and other learning opportunities (typically 3 or 4 months, but sometimes more and sometimes less), the inquirer will become a CATECHUMEN at the priest’s discretion.

The catechumen is expected to live and worship and participate in the Church exactly as the Orthodox do, with the exception of participating in the sacraments. This means that a person must be making the church services and church life a priority in their life.

A catechumen is typically received into the Church by way of EITHER baptism with chrismation or chrismation ALONE, depending on the directive of the Archbishop, who himself instructs us all according to the canons of the Orthodox Church and Her Holy Tradition.

This is only done after he or she has had adequate time to experience a large portion of the life of worship in the Church, which often times takes somewhere between 9 months and a year, but sometimes longer (as needed). The priest will be the one to determine if a person is ready to make this commitment. Because it is an enormous commitment!

At St James, some of the material that we use with inquirers is linked below. Beyond that are some texts that we have used in our catechism classes. Typically we begin with the inquirer’s videos, and then move on to catechetical materials, which further explore what was learned in the inquirers classes.

FOR INQUIRERS: SOMEWHERE TO BEGIN