| Last day to Register is March 1st, 2012!!! Do you feel like you've been going astray from God and the Church? Are you confused as to what you should believe? Are you trying to figure out why you're an Orthodox Christian rather than Catholic, Marthoma, Protestant or any other denomination? Do you know what your limits should be or if there are even limits when it comes to college life? Do you avoid coming back to Church when you come back home from college so that you're not bombarded with questions from uncles and aunties? Do you feel a little or completely lost? Do you feel like you have to be a certain way in the college atmosphere and a different person when you go to Church? WARNING: This Will NOT Be Like Any Retreat You Have Attended Before! Be PREPARED! Don't miss out on this opportunity to be a part of the first Orthodox College Retreat!  Here’s why we formed a committee to organize this retreat: After going off to college, I felt as though I was two different people. There was the person that had been so involved in different church events and was a very active member of the MGOCSM before leaving for college. Then, there was the person that went out on weekends, and made up excuses every Sunday to justify not going to church because I was "tired" from the night before. I would make up excuses like, "Church is too far away," "it starts too early in the morning", or "I have early classes so Sunday is my only day to sleep in." It wasn't even that I liked going out, I mainly did it because I was told that I was "too Orthodox" to party or go out. It made me angry because I didn't want to be ostracized because of my faith. I wanted them to see that I could fit in with all of them and still hold on to my faith, but I quickly learned that I couldn't be that person. That life was possible for some people, but it wasn't a true definition of what being an Orthodox Christian is all about. I felt myself drifting further away from the Church and from God. When I would come home for breaks, I felt as though I didn't even recognize myself. Slowly, I realized that I didn't need to care about what others thought about me. It was okay to not want to go out, and to be different from the people I had been friends with. As cliche as it sounds, "Sometimes the hardest thing and the right thing are the same." -Committee member 1 I was the type of person that would make sure to go to church every Sunday, and I would make sure not to go out on Saturday nights so I could prepare for Holy Qurbana the next morning. I didn't drink, but when I would go out, I would dance and dress in a way that my parents would NOT be proud of. I also remember being confused about whether or not I should be in certain relationships. In many things, I would be confused as to what God's will for me was. I mean, how was I supposed to figure this out. Would it just come to me as a revelation? People always use the phrase "just pray about it". I would pray and expect immediate results according to what I wanted. I didn't know "waiting" could mean more than 2 days. Waiting actually means waiting according to His timing which could mean a day to a whole year or even longer. It wasn't until later that I figured out that being an Orthodox Christian is not about having two separate personalities. Orthodoxy is a way of life, in which purity and having a genuine heart are vital for understanding what God wants for us. -Committee member 2 We are all a part of this committee because some of us are going through or some have already gone through the many struggles faced in college whether it be as an Orthodox Christian or as a student. We want to help guide you through your experiences in and after college and build a long lasting fellowship across the nation. Orthodox College Retreat is a national college retreat hosted by MGOCSM of America. It is a four day retreat designed to fullfil the minds of the youth that are in college or post college. It is designed to prepare and help you to aim towards a spiritual growth as you start or continue your college life. Orthodox College Retreat 2012 (OCR 2012) When: March 15th-18th, 2012 Where: Camp Copass in Denton, Texas Speakers: Fr. Stephen Lawrence and Rev. Dn. Daniel Mathai Go register now! Get Your Own Prayer Rope(Explanation Provided) or Donate Check out our facebook fanpage for more updates! |
Wednesday February 22, 2012, 11:11