Greek Orthodox Christians Pray With Muslims At Same Service – Russian Prayer Beads

Unity In God - Image Source Pravmir.com 

Perhaps one of the most interesting stories that I recently ran into was that of peace, love, and the true meaning of Christ’s love. Whether you’re in agreement with orthodoxy, pray with Russian Prayer Beads or you’re just a spiritual journeyman, consider how some news doesn’t get into the mainstream. For instance, this story that was posted on pravmir.com about Muslims and Christians praying at the same service.

The article was posted earlier this year, and it was fascinating to see the reaction. Readers of the site had a lot of negativity to throw at the notion that a person of Orthodox faith would in fact pray with Muslims, calling Islam heretical. Is Islam a matter of heresy? That’s something that some will debate, and miss the power of the union of two faiths.

I do not wish to argue about the issue, but rather express reverence in the response that comes from Archpriest Panayiotis Papageorgiou PH.D. in response to the negativity. He cites a love and peace between people. Even going as far as to remind that Jesus spoke about love, and mercy to the “least of these”, and you know what, that makes a lot of sense.

Perhaps instead of arguing, we can gather together and show grace, and mercy to those that are struggling. The context of the joint prayer meeting, with priests clutching Russian Prayer Beads, and Muslims bowing in honor of Allah, showcases a beauty in that God is infinite, and our finite minds try to put the words and ideas into a box.

If ever there was an example of God’s grace, it’s found in this image from pravmir.com (above). It highlights how God is not isolated to just one arena. Why would these two religious groups join for prayer? It was because of thousands of Syrian refugees that drowned trying to escape tyranny. Now, if that’s not a reason to clutch your Russian Prayer Beads and pray a bit for God to give them mercy, I don’t know what is.

Acknowledgement

Papageorgiou, Panayiotis, PH.D. "The Joint Prayer of Muslims and Orthodox Christians: Violation of Canons or Expression of Love?" A Russian Orthodox Church Website RSS. Pravmir.com, 25 Nov. 2015. Web. 19 Dec. 2015.

Further Reading

http://www.pravmir.com/the-joint-prayer-of-muslims-and-orthodox-christians-violation-of-canons-or-expression-of-love/

For the Unity of All: Contributions to the Theological Dialogue between East and West by John Panteleimon Manoussakis (paperback)

Were The 3 Wise Men That Came To Jesus Jewish?

Were The 3 Wise Men Jewish?

During times of meditation and prayer, you may find yourself asking questions about things you may read in the Holy Bible. For instance, since it’s Christmas time, I found myself thinking about the 3 wise men. Some call them kings, but there are several translations that you can pull from to get the right answer or established ideology. I grew up in a Protestant Church, so my idea was that there were 3 wise men. However, some call them Magi, others consider them kings. Whatever the case is, while using my Russian Prayer Beads in the morning, I started to consider who these guys were that would come from so far away to give gifts to Jesus, and what about the whole Christmas narrative. While I can’t answer it all, I was lead to investigate a little.

Were The 3 Wise Men Islamic?

My first thought was that the 3 Wise Men my have been Islamic. They came from the East, the Bible says, so perhaps they were coming through with a faith that would turn into Islam as we know it. However, scholars and historians have isolated that idea and called it false. Suffice to say, the 3 Wise Men were NOT Muslim. However, considering the current global climate, people would lose their collective minds if this turned out to be true, right?

Were The 3 Wise Men Jewish?

My next thought while praying with my beads was that the 3 Wise Men were in fact Jewish. Could they have been Jewish? For this answer, you may want to head back to 1 Kings 10. The queen came to Solomon bearing gifts, and some scholars note that gold and other things were amidst them. With that in mind, it has been written that the kings of Yemen were in fact Jewish. So if there was to be born a “king of the Jews” it’s not too outside of the realm of the possibilities that they would’ve wanted to see whether or not this new born king was in fact something even more grand than Solomon. Matthew denotes that in the gospel 12:42.

The Truth of The 3 Wise Men

All thoughts aside of the religious ideas of the 3 Wise Men, it’s important to understand what the most concise ideologies about them are. What I found is that scholars of the Russian Orthodox Faith as well as those that study monolithic dialogue and things of Christendom will likely state, “Zoroastrian influenced astrologers in the court of the Kingdoms of Nabatea and Sheba who brought rich gifts of diplomatic significance to the newborn King of the Jews” (Longenecker), and that right there is where things get complex. I won’t get into Zoroastrian right now, but it’s a religion that focuses on the astral bodies, and monotheism, but it’s a bit more complex than I want to get into this moment.

Maybe They Were Chinese!

Even after all of this thought and prayer into the topic, you'll find that some even claim that the 3 Wise Men didn't come from too near East, but rather China. That's right Chinese Wise Men! Now that's something to really explore, and it seems to line up with the letter of the scriptures, if in fact they came far from the East. Now that's something to explore deeper.

With that in mind, as you use Russian Prayer Beads, or simply pray, read the Bible and learn more about the Christian faith as a whole, consider that the 3 Wise Men story is a part of the Nativity for a reason. It holds deep meaning around this time of year, so it’s interesting to explore these ideas, and really set our eyes to The Lord.

Acknowledgement

Longenecker Father Dwight Longenecker. "We Three Kings" Who were the Magi?" Our Sunday Visitor Newsweekly (The Catholic Answer) (November 1, 2014).

Further Reading:

“The Origins of Christmas” by Joseph F. Kelly PhD (paperback)

“The Christmas Encyclopedia” by William D. Crump (paperback)

How Russian Orthodox Beads Made Me A Better Person

Russian Orthodox Wooden Beads - Helping With Prayer

I grew up in west Los Angeles. A lot of the things that I studied were from the church school that I was enrolled at. As an adult, I haven’t strayed too much from the path of spirituality, but I am not the same person. Recently, I have been using Russian Orthodox Beads and have seen some changes in my life. Perhaps you too will see such changes if you decide to use them to help you get back on a spiritual path. I am not advocating that this is the “only” way, but rather am sharing with you how I am feeling as a result of trying them out for my own personal growth.

Focusing On Spiritual Things With Russian Orthodox Beads

The first thing that I can tell you about these is simple, I focus on spiritual things. When I have the Russian Orthodox Beads in my hands, I take a moment out of my day to really just focus on things that are not of this world. Things like reading the Bible, praying, and just allowing my thoughts to be a bit more positive. I’m not the most disciplined, but these beads help me get a little push forward.

Praying With Focus

When praying, Russian Orthodox Beads help me pray. When I’m in a quiet place, meditating, or just praying to start my day or end it, these help me focus on the right path. It’s not a ritualistic type of things, but rather a more “spiritual” element. It’s the way that these feel, the reverence placed in the moment, and just my own personal relationship with the spiritual world that comes into light. I think about others more often, I try to become a better person, I am more conscious of my surroundings, and this has truly caused a change for me.

Purchase Russian Orthodox Beads Online 

If you would like to see if Russian Orthodox Beads can help you become a better person, or at least focus on spiritual things. Purchase them by going here. You can get various styles, shapes, crosses and more. I have seen a change in my life, perhaps you will get a change for yours.

Russian Orthodox Priests Pose With Cats For 2016 Calendar

Russian Orthodox Cat Calendar 2016 - NBC News

Russian Orthodox Beads may be one thing, but in the hands of priests, a powerful element may be the mighty house cat. As a lover of cats myself, I am thrilled to see this tidbit of news. The church may be conservative on a lot of things, but you know what? This makes them seem so much softer, right?

The calendar has a dozen of Russian Orthodox priests in place for 2016, posing with their pet cats. The calendar is called “Priest and Cats” translated from the Russian words “Pop and Kot”.

Selling for 990 rubles ($14.30) each, the calendar has become an online hit and has been featured in the country's top newspapers and news site. Its success has caught Loutchenko by surprise. "It was a grassroots initiative, pure creativity," the religious affairs journalist told told NBC News. "We did not expect such a reaction." The cover of 2016 "Priests and Cats" calendar. Since it was published, the calendar's creators received calls from more priests saying they also have cats and would have loved to pose for a shoot. 

- NBC News

This definitely shows off a softer side of the Russian Orthodox Priests. You can read more about this via NBC News above.

Prayers With Russian Orthodox Beads

Russian Orthodox Beads With Crucifix - Available Here

Right now there are millions of people searching for hope, peace, love, and identity. They are seeking that through religious elements, readings, and more. One of the most profound and historic of these is Christianity. Amidst the many denominations, you will find that orthodoxy is taking grip around the world. In the case of Russian Orthodox Beads, you will find that they stem from an Eastern Orthodoxy, or religious movement.

Amidst the rituals and elements that you will find in the church, you will find Russian Orthodox Beads as part of the tradition. You can use these for liturgy response, or you could use them for decorative elements. You can wear them, you can use them as a reminder of prayer, reverence, or simply use them to gift to others. Whatever the case is, you’ll find that there is something unique about the many Russian Orthodox Beads styles that abound.

If you’re looking at the notion of Russian Orthodox Beads, and aren’t sure where to start, don’t worry. Through the course of the posts on this blog, you will become familiar with beads from the Russian Orthodox community, and can purchase them if you’d like. The goal of this site is to educate, explore, and seek out the reasons behind Russian Orthodox Beads, as well as direct people to where they can purchase them for cheap.

If you want to purchase Russian Orthodox Beads, you can doso here, and get free shipping. 

Russian Orthodox Beads - On Sale Now

Welcome to a blog dedicated to Russian Orthodox Beads. Here you will find information about the orthodox church, news, and updates about Russian Orthodoxy, and much more.

If you are searching for Russian Orthodox Beads, we will feature them in posts as we go along.