MOUNT ATHOS - AN AMERICAN PROTESTANT PILGRIMAGE

My January 2019 visit to Mount Athos in Greece, was the genesis of my journey towards Orthodox Christianity.

[aelialicinia]

My husband, while still a protestant, was fortunate enough to stay in Athos for a week. He's now Orthodox Christian, praise be the Lord!

[mdb]

I too was Protestant, at the age of 57, on Theophany I was baptized into the Orthodox Faith. After decades of rambling aimlessly I finally decided to open the door. I am truly blessed.

[OmicronVolk]

Your video was very inspiring! I grew up as a Protestant / Evangelical my whole life, and I was received into the Orthodox Church in the winter of 2016. Living now as an Orthodox, I show no disrespect to Protestants or Catholics; I browbeat and judge no one. But I'll tell you what I see in many Orthodox, especially in the monks and nuns: an astonishing and beautiful humility that is actually Christlike humility. Once you get a sense of this humility, you start to realize what holiness is like: endlessly gracious, always repenting, judging no one, transforming into the new man. This holiness is the quiet perfection, the hidden-away fullness of Orthodoxy. The worldly man proclaims his virtues and hides his sins; the godly man proclaims his sins and hides his virtues. This is Orthodoxy, and this is Christlikeness. I recommend the book Man and the God-Man by St. Justin Popovich. God bless you on your journey.

[slavdefendov]

God bless you my Orthdox Christian brothers and sisters in Christ.
Happy Easter to you all
Love from Serbia

[aborarealty]

I was baptized catholic, but raised atheist. Since my twenties i began to search, I practiced non denominantional protestantism, then did catholicism getting confirmed in the process, then got drawn into spiritism. Desilutioned I reverted to hedonsim and agnosticism, but the demons from spiritism did not let me go in peace. Sensing I needed to come back to Christ I became a Baptist, even baptized into it, but no peace came and I fell into clinical depression, reversing into agnosticism. The Silva Method helped into the healing path, but I realized it was too practical, lacking the sublime. I found Buddhism and it was a step forward, but still not enough. Then, as a student of history, namely studying the history of the Bible and the Septuagint vs the Masoretic Text question, I decided to check out orthodoxy. Within a year I baptized and it has been 20 years already. To my surprise being orthodox has been an incredible journey of spiritual growth and it is probably an unending process, meant to end only when we physically die. You have done the right thing brother, you've come back home. Thank you for this channel. I subscribed.

[TheRealRealOK]

Amazing. As a convert to Orthodoxy from Protestantism, I love seeing Protestants moving toward Eastern Orthodoxy.

[elizabethshaw]

I was baptized and raised Protestant congregationalist which is part of UCC and then in 1994 I converted to Catholicism. Within a year of becoming Catholic I was empty I felt nothing and did not feel like I was in the house of God. Then I discovered Orthodoxy years and years ago I knew about it but I started to study it because we are in the middle of Coronavirus I studied at home I should have a theology degree by now! I need to make contact with my church go to some services become a catechumen and be baptized. I'm not a 20-something so I see great need in getting this done quickly which is why I have studied so much at home. May God bless you on your journey in two different types of theology. The Orthodox Church is the original Church founded in 33 ad by the apostles. It is the oldest church for Christians that we have well.

[damianrobinson]

As an American who became Orthodox 23 years ago, and who has been to Mt. Athos several times, I really enjoyed your sharing of your experience and your perspective. I particularly appreciated your garden analogy, and the idea of the garden as being part of our spiritual DNA. May our Lord continue to bless you on your spiritual journey and open many more doors for you and your family!

[john.f]

Born and raised Reformed Protestant. Was Baptized and Chrismated into Holy Orthodoxy in April 2014.
Thank you for your open minded perspective. God bless.

[jonathanreeve]

Great vid, English recent orthodox convert from Protestantism, who found sheer treasure and came home. This is a place I long to go too, thank you

[jajohnson]

I come from Dutch Reformed and Southern Baptist stock, and have been on this search for truth and the meaning of life since I was a scrawny, awkward preteen. The result, thanks be to God, was me finding the Orthodox Church. I would love to be a monk, but there are immense obstacles in my way. If you feel led, pray for me. May God bless all my Orthodox Christian family throughout the world. We are the richest of all men to have so lovely a faith. Michael ✥ ✥ ✥

[juliansantiago]

What a great and beautiful video. Very inspirational. Greetings from an Syrian Orthodox! God bless you brother.

[wartimemodels]

I grew up Protestant (in the US South) and converted to Orthodoxy. May God bless you wherever your journey takes you, and I preemptively welcome you to the Orthodox Church and congratulate you on your chrismation...it's inevitable now! ;)

[conktr]

At the 22:00 mark you got what orthodoxy is all about.Remembering the struggle and "spiritual battles" all of our saints, martyrs and our brothers and sisters in Christ have gone through.The relics are a reminder we are all a church (church in orthodoxy means not the building but its people).I wish you the best my brother in Christ from a Greek orthodox Christian.May the Lord guide you and protect you.

[damin]

Great video. If can add something....
There are 20 monasteries there - 17 of them are Greek, 1 monastery is Russian: Agiou Panteleiminos, 1 is Serbian : Hilandar and 1 is Bulgarian : Zografou. Romanians have skit.
Greetings from Bulgaria.
Слава Богу за всичко.

[Serros]

Finally, a Protestand who gets it! We Orthodox Christians are not worshiping relics, icons etc, neither we deify Virgin Mary or Saints. We simply showing our respect to the relics, as for Saints, we honor the Holy Spirit who sent by our Lord Jesus Christ to enforce them as He promised.

[MrTadfortitude]

Orthodox Christianity is amazing and true and is all that God wishes for his people. You have been truly blessed to have been given such a blessing to visit the Holy Mountain.

[justtzortz]

orthodox christianity has something magical and mystic that touches the heart even of the wildest beast.

[Kristibiti]

Is blessing to be in Mount Athos. Thank you that you shared with us this experience! God bless all Orthodox Christian!

[Arkoudeides.]

Good for you my brother.All Christians are our brother's.Greetings from Athens.