WELCOME!

If you have been intrigued by the Orthodox christian faith and/or the icons of the tradition and want to learn more about this ancient faith and its presence in the West Kootenays, you are in the right place.

WHAT IS  ORTHODOX CHRISTIANITY? 

The Orthodox Church proclaims the Gospel of Jesus Christ. In the Greek language, the word for Gospel is Evangelion which means literally "the good news." The good news of Orthodox Christianity is a proclamation of God's unbounded and sacrificial love for human kind, as well as the revelation of the true destiny of the human person.

Eastern Orthodoxy, in a lot of ways, is very complex and intellectual. It tends to attract serious biblical scholars, but at the heart of this tradition is a full embrace of Mystery. The veneration of icons is one of the most obvious practices that sets Eastern Christianity apart from Western Christianity and that is what really drew me towards the faith. If you are interested in learning more about the Eastern Church's practice of venerating icons, I recommend an article entitled Venerating Icons - It's So Much Other Than You Think by Fr. Stephen Freeman.

In his words:

At some point, the Church’s use of iconography became distorted and became the Church’s use of art. Art is interesting and serves the end of beauty (when done well). But this development in the Church (primarily in the West, and occasionally in the East as well, as certain styles were copied) represents a turning away from the icon as encounter and the objectification of human beings and nature. It is among the many serious steps that created the notion of a secularized world."

The icon AS encounter...YES! Fr Stephen goes on to say: 

The normal mode of “seeing” in our daily world can be called “objective.” We see things as objects, and nothing more. Indeed, we see most people as objects unless we have reason to do otherwise. Sometimes we see people as objects in order not to see them as otherwise. But this objective viewing is an extremely limited and limiting way of seeing anything. Veneration brings us to a different form of seeing.

This is profound. In my experience, contemplating the meaning of icons was like a bridge that offered me a new orientation and a fresh look at the triune God (the Christ mystery) which so many people in today's world have, understandably, shut out of their lives due to preconceived notions and stereotypes.

If you are interested in learning more about the Orthodox Christian faith, I think Fr Stephen Freeman's podcast Glory to God for All Things is a great place to start. Two of my favourite episodes are My Right Brain and Literalism and the Other Word. There are so many other good ones. You can find the podcast either on Ancient Faith Radio or on Spotify. Have a listen! It's well worth your time.

WHY "BRIDGING TOWARDS EASTERN CHRISTIANITY"?

As someone whose eyes were only opened to the beauty of the tradition fairly recently but who has been and continues to be inspired by other spiritual paths, the main reason I created this website is that I am interested in exploring and relaying how the Orthodox Christian faith is actually very multi-dimensional with room to incorporate the deep truths found at the root of all the spiritual traditions. The Orthodox Christian faith is really not about the tradition itself. It's about learning to see differently. It's about opening our gaze to wonder and reclaiming our everyday lives as the very landscape where we encounter the divine.  I think of it more like a hospital that helps us to re-member what it is to be a true Person. I hope to one day publish a book about the experiences that led me towards the mystical depths that Eastern Orthodoxy holds dear but for now I'm just writing blogs exploring all the ways I am a bridge and all the ways I desire to grow in my bridge-it-ness.

There are many reasons why Orthodoxy is a path worth wandering towards, even if only to look at things from a different perspective for awhile. Our higher calling, as Christians, really is to become a community of bridge builders and peacemakers: a holy collective of saint bridge-it’s aiming to accomplish something in love (in Christ) and in community (in mission together) that individually we would be incapable of; uplifting and inspiring each other as we go; mothering each other’s souls back to health as we go. How amazing is that? 

Another reason for the name Bridging Towards Eastern Christianity is that there are no Eastern Orthodox parishes in Nelson, where I live, so if you are interested in attending an Orthodox Vespers or Liturgy service in the Kootenays, you would currently have to travel either to Birchdale or Cranbrook. However, if you would like to experience an Orthodox Vespers or Divine Liturgy in Nelson BC, St John in the Wilderness Orthodox Sanctuary recently started offering outreach liturgical services the first weekend of each month at the beautiful St Saviour's Anglican Church. See the St John in the Wilderness website for more details.

WHAT DOES BRIDGING TOWARDS EASTERN CHRISTIANITY OFFER?

Well, aside from this being a website that directs anyone who is interested to the local parish for an evening candle lit Vespers or Divine Liturgy service, I am creating regular blog posts to explore the faith with me. I have been writing blogs over the past couple of years, mainly for my own benefit, but I do have a few readers. I love growing in my understanding of God by exploring the feasts and the lives of saints and mystics of the tradition and I also include other possible avenues to truth in my reflections, such as astrology and synchronicity and other jungian-type ideas.

If that’s something you’re interested in and you’d like to hear a more cosmic and feminine-centred perspective than is usually offered, I’d love to have you sign up to my BRIDGE IT BLOG and learn with me and reflect back your perspective so that we can grow together through sharing our wisdom and insights with each other. 

HOW IS EASTERN ORTHODOXY DIFFERENT? 

There are significant differences between Eastern and Western Christianity and I’m not going to be able to get into it all here but it’s worth researching! As I mentioned, one thing that really attracted me is that Eastern Christians are way more accepting of the paradoxical, ineffable mysteries of the Faith. There is an understanding that it is crucially important to have a vibrant, dynamic experience and relationship with the Living God through relationship with the Church in order to better understand the Holy Scriptures and the mysteries of the Faith rather than thinking that the bible alone can lead to an understanding of who Christ is.

In many ways Eastern Orthodoxy is closer to Catholicism than Protestantism in terms of the importance placed on tradition and apostolic succession BUT there are many key differences, notably that unlike in the Catholic tradition, parish priests ideally should be married which just makes a lot of sense in a lot of ways. Marriage is sacred. Marriage is revelatory. Marriage is one of the seven sacraments and being part of a family helps a priest better relate to people seeking advice and support. 

The sacramental view of marriage that Orthodoxy recognizes as being central to Christ’s crucifixion on the cross (Christ as self-sacrificing bridegroom) is something that is especially apparent in Orthodoxy. In the Divine Liturgy, Orthodox priests are acting as icons of Christ who reveal and make manifest the kingdom of God that is mystically present here with us now with the dress of their colourful vestments and the dance in and out of the Holy of Holies behind the iconostasis on Sundays. They literally “put on Christ” in this way and embody for us in the flesh something of what dying to the small self and living a Life of Christ is about. 

There is a lot to consider and reflect on in an Orthodox church and it doesn’t come overnight. It's endless: like the Universe but there is a gradual process called theosis by which we become more and more like Christ over time as we are nourished by the Holy Mysteries and come to recognize ever more deeply our union with God. There is a lot of Wisdom held in the apostolic tradition of Orthodoxy and even the structure of the building in a proper Orthodox Church is meant to reveal and make manifest the divinity held in all creation: the divinity of Our Mother.

It really is beautiful when you slow down long enough to take some of this in.

ORTHODOX CHRISTIANITY IN THE WEST KOOTENAYS:

There is currently really only one place you can go to experience regular Orthodox worship in the West Kootenays. St. John in the Wilderness Orthodox Sanctuary is an off-grid, boat-access community in Birchdale, BC and is not very easy to get to, however, Fr Nilos and M Sheila do travel to Nelson once a month to offer outreach services (the first weekend of every month) at the beautiful St Saviour's Anglican Church! If you want to learn more, St John in the Wilderness has a website . Have a look!

FYI Our sister parish, named Nativity of the Theotokos, was previously located in Kaslo but is temporarily closed as we attempt to relocate closer to Nelson, God willing. 

THE INDIGENOUS WISDOM WITHIN

It has been said that the opposite of evil is not the good: it’s the sacred and I love that perspective. Orthodox Christians (at least the deep mystical thinkers of the bunch) seem to really understand the importance of Interdependence and the Sanctity of Life as being essential to the teachings of Christ. They are souls who are able to embrace all things as having the potential to reveal that heaven and earth are connected and united in Oneness. The word priest is derived from the word elder and have you ever wondered if Christ might be THE ultimate indigenous elder because His teachings are pointing to the sacredness of His Mother/ All Matter?  His teachings remind us that we are made of the Earth and the Earth is very very good. In other words: matter itself is sacred and it’s our birthright to remember our natural wisdom.

FINDING HARMONY THROUGH CHRIST, THROUGH NATURE, IN COMMUNITY.

If you want more information about the local Orthodox community and are interested in exploring Eastern Orthodoxy and its application to the care of God's creation, you are welcome to send us an email at theotokosnativity@gmail.com or stjohninthewildernessbc@gmail.com

The most concise definition of the nature of God found in the Bible is: “God is love” (John 4:8) and, to me, developing eyes that are able to see the sacred in all things, including people that come at Spirit from a different perspective than our own, is at the heart of what Christ (and the adoration and glorification of the Holy Trinity) represents. Again - the word BRIDGE comes to mind:)

At it's depths, Christianity is about unity and it seems to me that the Mother of God, through Her Icon, is trying to show us how interdependent and interconnected and beautiful the world really is when we humble ourselves enough to see it. 

Interested in becoming a Catechumen?

We hope to soon offer a catechism program for locals who want to learn with us in person and are excited about the possibilities! Please do connect with us if you are interested!

If you are in the area and are interested in connecting, or learning more about the faith and/or joining a reading group, we'd love to hear from you!