Cody®🔥

I’m starting to get fed up with being Orthodox. I first came to Orthodoxy for the beautiful Liturgy, the discipline, and the beautiful writings of folks like David Bentley Hart, Met. Kallistos Ware, Fr. Thomas Hopko and other ecumenical and and mercy-focused Orthodox Christian teachers. My experience in my parish has been kind of rough. I initially spent a lot of time talking to my priest, but now that I’m baptized and done with my short catechumenate, he’s too busy helping the newer converts to spend much time with me. My godfather is a deacon, and is so busy between his duties there and raising his family he is also extremely hard to get a hold of. Most of my brethren I actually interact in the church are other young adults, mostly converts. I started running the young adult group out of service, but it’s driving me a bit insane. So many of the other young converts just want to bash Protestants all day, nerd out about Ancient Greek, and opine about the glorious history and righteousness of Orthodoxy. Whenever I bring up a meditation technique, something related to emotions/somatics, or God forbid a Buddhist concept, I am met with at best confused looks, at worst outright derision. Don’t even get me started on what happens if I mention universal salvation. I’ve tried to reach out to some of the older men in the church and get integrated there, but they are all extremely busy too. The groups for older/adult men are all explicitly Greek as well, so as a scotch Irish convert it doesn’t feel particularly welcoming. So I’m a bit at a loss of what to do with all this. Don’t get me wrong, I still love Holy Orthodoxy. I still participate in choir, and feel at home in the Divine Liturgy especially. But I’m running out of patience with the parish community quite quickly. With the glorification of known rigorous Fr. Seraphim Rose coming up soon, I’m worried the narrow minded worldview amongst young converts is only going to accelerate its spread. Keep in mind that I’m at our local Greek parish - the Russian and Antiochian parishes near me are far more intense, judgmental, and rigorous. I suppose I’m in a way asking for help. Do any other Orthodox or even Christians who feel how I do have recommendations, or similar stories? I love our little Orthodoxy and it’s breaking my heart that Mother Church is beginning to feel less like a hospital for my soul, and more like a battleground.

🚨: A second pregnancy transforms the brain, making it sharper and more efficient as it adapts to caring for two children, research finds.

legitimately the single most mind-blowing thing i’ve ever watched live

🇺🇸🇮🇷 U.S. vs Iran talks demands: Why they're not getting long U.S. Wants: -Dismantle major nuclear sites (Natanz, Fordow, etc). -Zero uranium enrichment + permanent no-nukes pledge. -Scrap ballistic missile program: -Cut all funding/arms to proxies (Hezbollah, Houthis, etc). -Fully reopen Strait of Hormuz for free shipping. -Full IAEA access everywhere. Iran Wants: -Ironclad guarantees the war never restarts -Full reparations for every bit of damage -End hostilities on all fronts (including Lebanon/Iraq) -International recognition of Iran's control over Strait of Hormuz (including possible fees). To sum up: U.S.: "Give up your weapons first, then we talk." Iran: "Stop attacking and pay us first, then maybe." Zero common ground = war keeps rolling. Source: AP

❗️Israeli army ‘DELIBERATELY’ targets RT crew despite clearly marked press uniforms — injured Ali Rida reports from southern Lebanon