Bumpkinism

Another stereotype where there do seem to be patterns, but it is still dehumanizing. As if "simple people" don't experience real life as much as sophisticated people do. Or maybe I'm dehumanizing and stereotyping sophisticated people by thinking they all negatively stereotype bumpkins. I consider myself in the middle. As usual I fall through the cracks and don't put myself in anyone's camp. I simultaneously relate and yet don't feel a part all the time. The 19th C British Literature I grew up with was all about misfits, so maybe misfits have been stereotyped too. Uniqueness can be glorified, but the unique always seem to have some sort of people they want to relate to, or that may be an overgeneralization too. Whatever? I've been told that is a bad attitude. Apophatic prayer, petition and thanksgiving are always recommended for everyone regardless of education, literacy, communication skills, beauty, number of friends, race and color. Creed seems important though. If you're going to be apophatic, you can't let the deluding spirits in, and for that you need the Church. Cleaning out evil spirits takes a whole lifetime in the Church, so there's a group I belong in. Deluded Anonymous. Lord have mercy.

So if Orthodoxy is how to be apophatic while guarding us from delusion through proscriptive prayers, teachings and practices, which properly participated in makes us receptive to the grace of God, we come to Jurisdictionalism. Which Jurisdiction has maintained the purist, and thus most beneficial rite? The first Orthodox Church I visited was a western rite Antiochian Church. During that service I had a deeply mystical experience that will keep me Orthodox forever, so they are "Orthodox enough" for me. But we ended up settling in our OCA Russian rooted parish, and I will probably stay Russian rooted forever, maybe even ROCOR or Old Believer if that ever becomes practical, because of a developing aesthetic and ascetic preference, that the Western Rite no longer, and the Greek Church didn't as well, meet(s). I leave room for individual preference. If my bumpkin opinion matters. Please pray for me.

[youtube=http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=1Lm9jIWmksE]