#diamondsprings

[cherrichiodo]

🔥💨💨 Photos from my back deck and my drive into #diamondsprings this morning. This is Greenstone Rd. to Missouri Flat - Hwy 50, west of the #caldorfire #calfire #california #californiafires #wildfire #smoke #wildfiresmoke (at Placerville, California) https://www.instagram.com/p/CTFrS1XpCuM/?utm_medium=tumblr

[davidreedimages]

Porch #realestate #diamondsprings #views #exteriors #independentbroker #realestatelisting #porch #porchdecor #eldoradocounty (at Diamond Springs, California)

[davidreedimages]

Sunset #dusk #realestatelisting #independentbroker #diamondsprings #comingsoon #exteriors #twilight #realestatephotography #mosquitofood (at Diamond Springs, California)

[existentialwineguy]

Mobile Coffee Bar! - #caffesantoro #diamondsprings #coffee #winelife #sacramento #caffe (at Caffe Santoro)

[outbreaktim-blog]

Tasting #craftbeer #ipa @eldoradobrewing in #diamondsprings near #placerville #beers (at El Dorado Brewing Company)

[50churches]

39. Saint Elias Russian Orthodox Church in Diamond Springs, California [June 1, 2014]

After Saint Anna last week, we weren't planning on visiting another Orthodox Church this Sunday, but while visiting with good friends Saturday evening, they mentioned that they were planning on venturing out to Diamond Springs to visit Saint Elias for the first time and invited us to come along.

Diamond Springs is only about 20 miles east of our house in Folsom, but visiting the small, quaint, gold-mining-era town, feels a little like going back in time.

The liturgy at Saint Elias is, of course, very similar to what we experienced last Sunday at Saint Anna. However, we did notice a few differences that can likely be attributed to Saint Elias being in the Russian Orthodox tradition and Saint Anna being Greek. For example, even though both churches revere icons of the saints, during the liturgy at Saint Elias, time was set aside for people to venerate a few prominently displayed icons of saints by standing and bowing before them, crossing themselves, and kissing each icon. There was also specific prayers offered for believers in Russia and Russian Orthodox Church leaders. And finally, the women in attendance wore headscarves, which we didn't see at Saint Anna.

The differences are small, however. Not only do the churches hold to the same ancient traditions and liturgy, but members at both churches feel a sense of community with the worldwide Orthodox Church and practice fellowship regularly with other local and regional Orthodox churches.

“Religious conversion refers to the adoption, wholesale, of a set of beliefs identified with one particular religious denomination to the exclusion of others. Thus 'religious conversion' would describe the abandoning of adherence to one denomination and affiliating with another.” -- Wikipedia

When churches talk about conversion, we usually think of an individual who decides to adopt a particular set of religious beliefs. But back in 1995, Saint Elias went through its own conversion – as an entire church. Historically an evangelical church in the Vineyard movement, 19 years ago, 23 members of the church converted to Russian Orthodoxy. I didn't have a chance to hear the whole story, but I would like to someday.

FOOD

Que Viva Mexican Restaurant in Cameron Park, CA.