# Relics?



## Artfuldodger (Oct 20, 2016)

We toured the Greek orthodox Church in Augusta last Sunday. The Church member giving the tour did a very good job explaining his Church. It's a beautiful and interesting design. He also explained their history and beliefs.

                                                                                                                                They have relics(bones) of I think a saint and maybe someone killed for being a Christian. Don't quote me on that as I don't exactly remember.
Relics are like God's magnets.

The Church is laid out kinda like a Jewish Temple or they have areas and Icons that represent the parts of a Jewish Temple.

They consider the bread & wine of Holy Communion to be the actual body & blood of Christ as Catholics believe. God turns the bread & wine into the actual body & blood of Christ. Since it is, it is very powerful and not everyone can partake. I think the guide said there were verses in the Bible where people died for taking communion as non-believers and it killed them.

They don't use any musical instruments in their Church. Worldwide the Orthodox Church is second only to the Catholic Church in members. Although it's not that big in the US. Very small in fact.

They also perform infant baptisms. 

The main reason they differ from Catholics is they don't have a Pope. 

The Church in Augusta has been slightly Americanized by adding pews. Traditionally they only have a few chairs on the walls for the elderly and the rest of the congregation stand.

They believe Mary is the Mother of God.  Theotokos; a Greek word that means "God-bearer" or "Birth-giver to God." 

This is described as a mystery. They admit there are many mysteries. The Trinity is one of them. They believe Mary conceived the Son of God who is in fact God. Therefore Mary is the Mother of God. God didn't just randomly pick the girl next door. God didn't choose a girl off the street. 
Mary was born for the role.

They also believe in Theosis. This means that we can slowly over time transform into a type of unity with God. We don't become a god but more in line with becoming a part of God. Another one of those hard to explain mysteries. 

1 John 3:2
Dear friends, now we are children of God, and what we will be has not yet been made known. But we know that when Christ appears, we shall be like him, for we shall see him as he is.

Over all the tour was very interesting although I felt more like I was in a museum instead of a Church. I'm sure if I were to attend an actual service I would feel differently.

Maybe those relics would me acting as God's magnets.


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## gordon 2 (Oct 22, 2016)

Artfuldodger said:


> We toured the Greek orthodox Church in Augusta last Sunday. The Church member giving the tour did a very good job explaining his Church. It's a beautiful and interesting design. He also explained their history and beliefs.
> 
> They have relics(bones) of I think a saint and maybe someone killed for being a Christian. Don't quote me on that as I don't exactly remember.
> Relics are like God's magnets.
> ...



They are also well known for their saintly monks...who have many different roles within the church.


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## Agent (Oct 24, 2016)

That's very interesting.  I would love to visit there as well.  I attended a festival at a Greek Orthodox church somewhere near Atlanta several years ago, but there was no tour of the premises.


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