Hello and welcome to my site. My name is Richard Shaward and this site reflects part of my Christian journey. 

What I share on this site are things regarding Christianity that have had a personal impact on me, articles that I like, articles that have shaped my theological thinking, and what I would like to share with others.

A little background about me. I was not raised a Christian. I became a Christian at age 20 in a small Dutch Reformed/Calvinistic denomination and those early years were precious, formative, and meaningful. I then had the privilege through the graces of others to attend a Reformed College and receive my B.R.E degree. Later I attended a Baptist Seminary and received my MDiv degree. I became a Baptist Pastor and served in three Baptistic type Churches. During all those years as a Christian (21 of them) my life worldview was mainly shaped within a mindset of the “Anti-Rome” Protestant Reformation. There are many Protestant Christians who, like me, are/were often very ignorant of a broader deposit of Christianity outside of a post 16th century box. In sincere ignorance I never knew that Christianity was broader than that Western historical context.

In preparation for a seminar I was I giving in a large mega church, I stumbled upon the Eastern Orthodox communion of churches. After various circumstances my family entered the Antiochian Orthodox jurisdiction. After five years I find myself somewhat regretting (though not rejecting completely) my decision to enter that Eastern Orthodox communion of churches and turning my back on Western Christianity. There are various reasons specifically why I left the Eastern Orthodox (very serious Pastoral and Theological reasons) that I hope to write about some day but this site is not meant to be seen as an “anti-Byzantine” site. The focus has just changed as I have changed.

After 26 years and as a result of my diverse journey, I now to desire to find that Orthodox consensus of both East and West – of the entire all encompassing Catholic Church. I don’t mind the term “paleo-orthodox” at all !! I no longer believe that “the Church” which is the Body of Christ (which means all believers united to Christ) is found only in one communion of local churches, in “one expression,” or in one “tradition” of Christianity. I frankly am tired of “One True Church” (TM) or “Our Communion of Local Churches are Alone the One True Church and No One Else” (TM) claims of certain communions of churches.

So, my desire with this site is to reflect what is true, good, and right in all traditions. The word “Orthodox” in essence simply means “right glory” or “right belief,”  and Orthodoxy therefore is the fullness of the Catholic (whole) Christian Faith that has once been delivered to God’s people (Jude 1:3). To be Orthodox is not just an exercise of the “head” but is also “right living.” It has been said that the “only heresy is a heresy of life” and it is our life that we will be held accountable for, not for what we may fallibly believe and may even “get wrong” in our continuing journey.

Thanks for visiting. I don’t allow many comments to show publicly with a post as most comments are usually invites to debate and arguing; and this site does not have debating as its purpose. It simply expresses my Christian journey, and that journey is thankfully always being tweaked.

But I DO invite all comments to be left from whoever reads this site, and I assure you I DO READ them all. Again, thanks for visiting.

Lord have mercy upon me a sinner.