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I have often toyed with the question: “If you travelled back in time, what would you tell your past self?” It is a difficult exercise for me to imagine, especially considering my family and my recent entry into Christ's Church: Holy Orthodoxy.
Until just two years ago, Orthodoxy was a complete unknown. In many ways, I would have to introduce this version of myself to the person I used to be—much as I am privileged to introduce myself to all of you now.
So, speaking both to the man I was and to the brothers and sisters in Christ that I have yet to meet:
To my past self, that last part would sound like a foreign language. But the "Christian" part? That was always front and centre.
Growing up, faith in Christ was the centre of everything, not just a Sunday routine. I remember a childhood spent not as a mere observer, but actively serving alongside my parents as they hosted Bible studies and opened our home to pastors. Even my schooling was centred on the Word; as a homeschooled student, Scripture was my daily reality.
This focus led me to Bible college and years of active ministry. For a decade, my wife and I led a marriage ministry, walking alongside couples in deep struggle and later adding a discipleship program. It is humbling to look back on the people we served; because we truly cared for them, the decision to change our path was one we could not make lightly. My prayer remains that those we served might find the fullness of the faith as God has led us.
You can see, then, that faith was never a label. It wasn’t a mere confession or a Sunday obligation. Christianity was my identity. I mention this because, looking back, the road to Orthodoxy has never been a rejection of what I was taught; rather, it was the natural conclusion of a lifelong desire to find the fullest expression of Christ who I have always loved.
However, the road was not a straight line. Before Christ could introduce us to His Bride, the Church, He prepared our hearts through specific milestones. First, we saw in the book of Acts that "tongues" were real human languages, not "angelic" languages. This was the first domino to fall; as we encountered further doctrinal conflicts, we wondered how we could ever reach "the unity of the faith" (Eph 4:13) amidst so many conflicting interpretations. We began to see the necessity of Holy Tradition: the living, collective memory of the One True Church that has preserved the Truth since the time of the Apostles. Throughout this season, as we dug deep into Scripture, God was cultivating a true humility in us; the more we learnt the more we realized we had left to learn. We were finally ready to sit and learn.
During this season, our friends Brendan and Bryann confided that they were attending the Orthodox Church. Our history with Brendan spanned several years; he was an original member of our discipleship program, and I trusted his discernment enough to eventually make him a teacher of other classes. Because of that mutual trust, when he suggested that Orthodoxy was something I needed to see, I didn't find it hard to accept. If he had found something this profound, I knew I had to look.
We agreed to "come and see." Walking into St. George for the first time, the icons, incense, and ancient prayers were entirely foreign. Yet, I recognized that the Divine Liturgy was saturated with Scripture. Even the Creed felt right to me. Identifying so much Scripture in the prayers compelled me to stay and learn; I found myself wondering how a Church so rooted in the Word could be "wrong" about the things I didn't yet understand, like Mary and the saints.
We attended classes with Father Cristian to address our questions. I’ll never forget the session on the Theotokos; Father didn’t start with opinion, but with the Church’s ancient teaching from Genesis. He showed how Mary was the fulfillment of the promise in the Garden and the New Ark of the Covenant—not merely carrying God’s presence, but God Himself, Incarnate within her.
As he explained the Sacraments, I realized I had read the Bible for decades without fully grappling with it. For instance, I had been taught that being "born of water" (John 3) referred to physical birth, but within the life of the Church, it fell into place: it clearly pointed to Baptism. Verses that were once "poor fits" finally began to snap into place within the new framework we were discovering.
Most importantly, we discovered that salvation was more than a legal penalty paid on a Cross. Moving beyond penal substitution, we found the reality of the Great Pascha: Christ has trampled down death by death. I remember being moved to tears during my first Pascha service; as we sang the Troparion, the reality of those words finally hit home. I wasn't just one voice singing in triumph; I was one voice in a chorus spanning a millennium, standing with every Christian who has ever lived. Hearing St. John Chrysostom’s Homily, the depth of God’s mercy was overwhelming. Despite my years in ministry, I felt like the one arriving at the eleventh hour, yet I was welcomed with extravagant joy. Salvation was no longer a transaction; it was a homecoming. The Father receiving His prodigal son.
Two years later, our family has found the peace we spent a lifetime seeking. If I could meet my past self, I wouldn’t try to explain anything; I would simply say: "Keep following Christ with everything you have. He is faithful, and He is leading you home."
Thank you, Father Cristian, and all of you, for welcoming us into Christ's family. If we haven't met yet, please come say hello—we would love to hear your story as well. - Jamie
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Coming Soon…
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God has blessed me with many talents and gifts.
I love art — whether it’s painting or drawing, I enjoy it all. I like sketching landscapes, animals, and everyday objects, especially focusing on shading and depth. Lately, I’ve even tried sketching icons. I also enjoy painting and blending colors, which is why I tend to prefer watercolor over acrylic. I use my art to bring joy to others, often giving my work as gifts. Once, I painted boxing gloves with my friend’s name on them for his birthday because his family boxes. Seeing his face light up made me so happy. Making others happy through art brings me so much joy.
I love music and singing. My musical journey began with piano—though my mom jokes it really started with singing in the bathtub! When I was eight, I wanted to quit piano after a difficult experience, but my mom encouraged me to try again.
After some resistance, I kept going, and later my teacher introduced me to the ukulele and guitar. It was challenging at first, but I eventually grew to love them.
I love composing song. It began with a poem I wrote for my dad when I was nine, and I started adding a melody to it. After that, I wrote songs for my mom, sister, and grandparents. As I grow older, my love for creating music continues to grow.
I love church. Because I’m homeschooled and don’t meet many people, church has always been my main community. It’s where I learned about the Bible and about God, sang, and spent time with friends. I love greeting people too with a little “hello” or a hug. It felt like home.
Over two years ago, in October of 2023, my parents asked my sister Natalie and me to sit down for a talk. They told us what they were about to share would be hard to hear. My heart began to race.
They explained that we would no longer be attending our previous church - my heart dropped. It was the church I had gone to since I was a baby. I thought of it as the place where my friends were, where I had grown up. It felt like everything familiar was being taken away. Yet, I could see that this decision was even harder for my mom and dad. I knew they weren’t leaving because they wanted to, but because they were trying to follow what they believed God was calling them to do.
Not long after, I wrote a song to encourage them. The chorus said:
“Get up, get up, get on your feet.
You're doing what God wants, that's all you need.
So, get up, get up, get on your feet.
You are praising the Lord.”The song talked about staying strong even when people bring you down and keeping your eyes on God no matter what. Writing that song helped me process my own feelings too and reminded me that obedience to God is more important than comfort. Leaving the church was painful, but it taught me to trust Him even when things are hard and unknown.
We searched, we prayed, and we took our time—and by His grace, we found Orthodoxy. Over time, I have grown to truly love the people here at St. George. Your kindness, friendship, and faith have meant so much to me. You welcomed me when I was shy and unsure, helping me feel that I truly belong. Father Cristian played a special role in our journey, patiently teaching us the true faith and taking the time to come to our home to teach. Being part of this church family has strengthened my faith and encouraged me to draw closer to God each day.
Looking back, I see how God has guided me through change, uncertainty, and growth. I am deeply grateful for where He has brought me and proud to call the Orthodox Church my home. In gratitude, I recently wrote a song called “Orthodox, We Found You,” which tells the story of our journey and celebrates what we believe as Orthodox Christians - Enjoy!
Orthodox, We Found You
Verse 1
One day we were without a home
Lost sheep, looking for a place to go
We were invited to the Orthodox Church
Unsure in the start, we had to analyze first
Verse 2
With candles lit and incense high,
Our whispered prayers began to fly,
This Ancient faith, both tried and true-
Daily dying, and rising too
Chorus
We searched, we prayed,
we took our time,
Found truth, both old and tried
And every step, with time, and grace
We found you faithful in this place.
Not something new, not passing through,
At every turn, still proven true,
—------Orthodox, we fo—und you!
Verse 3
All the people gave us a warm embrace
And always had a welcoming face
When God proved that this was the way
We decided to obey
Verse 4
So when we stepped and said our Yes,
It wasn't blind or born of stress,
But formed by prayer and patient site,
By searching long for Holy Light
Verse 5
Later we were baptized, no longer lost
To die to self is one of the costs
It’s not the end, but just the start,
Orthodox in faith and in heart.- Deanna
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Coming Soon…
