Perhaps one of the most striking things about Orthodoxy is its empowerment of the laity. The people, like the clergy, are responsible for safeguarding the Orthodox Faith. Through a particularly striking story, Frederica Mathewes-Green explains the power and purpose of laity’s role in the Orthodox Church. It seems to me that the Orthodox tread in the middle of two extreme tendencies. Watch the video and let me know wha you think!
Most Protestants are uncomfortable with the idea that Orthodox (and Roman Catholic) Christians "pray to the saints." Most of the discomfort centers around the word "pray." What does it mean to "pray to the saints?" Frederica Mathewes-Green explains, in the video below, that the word "pray," in English, used to just mean "to make a request." So, when we pray to the saints, we are, in fact, asking for them to pray for us. We are not praying to them like they are Jesus Christ. The Saints who have fallen asleep in the Lord are not dead, they are alive! For our God is the God of the living, not the dead! And they are with Christ, now, worshipping him and praying for us.
Watch the video and let me know what you think!
