The year 2020 was the 50-year anniversary of the
transformation of The Russian Metropolia in North America, into the Orthodox
Church in America. Although the OCA has
been developing a new ethos, and has engaged American society in new ways, there
is still a core of Russian Orthodox people and practices within the OCA that
find their lineage in the Metropolia.
There are also more recent Russian immigrants who joined the parishes of
the older immigration. The OCA follows
the Russian liturgical and musical traditions, and its hierarchy received its
apostolic succession through past hierarchs of the Russian Orthodox
Church. This is our heritage.
Although most older parishes have dropped the “Russian” part of their name off of the church sign since 1970, it is not uncommon to walk into an OCA parish – particularly east of the Mississippi and north of the Mason-Dixon – and to come upon a Litany in Slavonic, high-backed priest vestments, and a high frequency of East Slavic names among parishioners. Most Orthodox Christians from outside of the OCA would immediately recognize that they are following traditions normative for the Church of Russia. There are also a small number of OCA parishes whose practices, language, and demographics could easily pass for a ROCOR parish. Most members of the OCA are aware of these features, but sometimes people are unaware of them inside and outside of this jurisdiction.
For some time, I have thought of writing a blog from a perspective that is rarely heard: from that of a son of the Metropolia; a person who is from that background. Faced with the awesome – and terrifying – possibility of being judged by God for my words, should they be in error, or hurtful, or in any way harmful, I was hesitant to initiate this project. Any publication has the potential for these negative outcomes, but the situation is infinitely more serious when it involves the things of God. But I decided that the time had come to contribute: to discuss the OCA’s church life, Russian Orthodox heritage and identity in the OCA, to speak to current issues, to offer encouragement to kindred spirits, to contribute ideas, and to help develop solutions to problems that we currently face.
There are many “teachers” out there (see 1 Corinthians, 4:15) in cyberspace – and perhaps even print media – who engage in theological discussions, debates, and catechisms without proper preparation, let alone the blessing of a bishop. Given the aforementioned concerns and objectives, I decided to write this blog with a bit of a narrow focus by some standards. This blog is not to serve as a catechism, nor a place for deep theological discussion. It will have more of a practical nature to it.
I did not purposefully choose this time to initiate the blog, but somehow I ended up beginning my writing coinciding with the 50-year anniversary of the OCA’s autocephaly. Maybe, in some providential way, this is not an accident. Neither am I making this first post as a response to current events in Ukraine. I actually set up this blog in 2020 but did not end up posting until now. In the main time, I have been writing for it and preparing for this undertaking. And on a practical note, like many people, for personal reasons I have not had occasion to spend nearly as much time as I desire on this project.
On the name:
The Orthodox Church in America (OCA) was created out of a Russian jurisdiction that was called the “The Russian Orthodox Metropolia in North America.” It was, among other names, often referred to as “The Metropolia.” This blog is being written from the point of view of an OCA parishioner who is deeply rooted in The Metropolia.
Why this blog is being written:
There is a lot of material in mainstream Orthodox media from enthusiastic American converts in the OCA and Antiochian Archdiocese (AOCANA). The Greek Orthodox Archdiocese (GOARCH) is frequently represented at high profile civic functions as well as in the mainstream news media, and is therefore highly visible even to non-Orthodox. Additionally, there are a lot of materials produced by Russians and non-Russians alike in the Russian Orthodox Church Outside of Russia (ROCOR). The other jurisdictions – while not entirely absent from media – receive noticeably less representation. There is also little representation of a certain demographic: people of Russian ethnicity in the OCA, particularly those who were in the Metropolia, and those whose ancestors were. That demographic of people seems to be forgotten, and perhaps this blog will discuss the reasons for that in time. It is my hope that this blog will be a voice – and hopefully one of many – for our people. It will discuss celebrating – and more importantly, living out – our holy Orthodox Christian heritage. But additionally, it is my hope that others who are not of Russian descent, will find the blog useful or in the least, fascinating.
What this blog is about:
This blog aims to discuss topics and issues pertinent to older parishes of the OCA (that were established in the Metropolia) and to those of Russian (and Carpatho Rusyn) heritage in the OCA. But it is also intended to discuss contemporary OCA life, and issues that involve the whole jurisdiction, and not only those of Russian descent or extraction. In short: the people connected with the Russian Metropolia in America. It is my hope that this blog will discuss issues in Church life that receive little attention. The reader will not simply get “more of the same” that can be found on other blogs, forums, or media sources. It is my objective that the majority of topics will be “off the beaten path.” At the same time, it is not intended to be obscurantist, or focused on minutiae, but rather relevant to current issues. This blog will serve as a rallying point and a place where ideas can be shared. It will be a place where we can celebrate our holy heritage, and move forward into the future guided by our traditions. As with every time period in Church history, there are problems resulting from the fallenness of the world that need to be prayerfully handled with faith in God.
What this blog is not about:
This blog is composed of my own opinions, thoughts, and perspective. It is in no way an attempt to engage in serious theology, or to formulate novel concepts that may be in contradiction to the Orthodox Tradition. I do not intend for this blog to become an Orthodox tabloid or a source of division and strife. This blog is not intended to be overtly critical. It is not intended to necessarily function as a periodical news source, responding to news stories and each current event as it arises. There will not be official statements or positions taken on every contemporary issue. If you are a spiritual seeker interested in Orthodoxy, this blog is not a catechism, and I sincerely hope that you seek spiritual guidance from a priest instead of internet forums and blogs.
For those interested in Orthodoxy, I would recommend the following sources of information:
· https://sttikhonsmonastery.org/about_orthodoxy
· https://www.oca.org/questions
· https://journeytoorthodoxy.com/
· http://fatherjohn.blogspot.com/
https://www.patristicfaith.com/
The intended audience:
I wish to put forward ideas for consideration by clergy and laity alike in this blog, so as to contribute to our Orthodox Christian witness and Church life. The people who will probably find this blog to be edifying, or at least interesting, would be people in the OCA and anyone who has a general interest in Russian Orthodoxy in America. Parishioners of older (or legacy) parishes that were founded in the Metropolia will probably also find this interesting, and it is my sincere hope to give them useful information and ideas. This is probably not a good blog for spiritual enquirers to read, since it will discuss issues that may not be very relevant to their journey. I hope to receive comments and messages, and would genuinely like to see how many other people out there have a similar background to mine.
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