ARTIST BIO
Jim Giatas is an American Christian singer/songwriter who proclaims the good news of life in Christ. In these perilous end-times, Jim is blessed with a clear sense of vision as a serious artist who writes and performs songs with uncompromising lyrics firmly based in the Holy Scriptures and holy tradition. In this age of confusion, compromise, secularization, and the dulling of our doctrinal acuity, we emphasize apostolic tradition, continuity and conservatism over a 2,000 year history.
“We preserve the doctrine of the Lord uncorrupted, and firmly adhere to the faith he delivered to us, and keep it free from blemish and diminution, as a royal treasure, and a monument of great price, neither adding anything, nor taking anything from it.” (Eastern Patriarchs to the English Non-Jurors, 1718)
Although he holds no office or position in the church, as a layperson, Jim is of the conviction, however unpopular, that the purity of the Gospel message must never be sacrificed for feelings, “spiritual experience” or a desire to become acceptable to the world.
Jim has accepted the Great Commission of the Lord Jesus Christ to forsake all and fully consecrate himself to leading people to God through Orthodox Christianity as his great and only lifework. The life of Christ richly dwells in Jim as he ministers in spiritual songs, singing with grace in his heart for the Lord.
At nineteen, Jim was at Woodstock in August of 1969 and after having explored various “New Age” Eastern philosophies, as well as Roman Catholicism and Protestant evangelical and Pentecostal beliefs, Jim has come full circle to embrace the historic Holy Orthodox Christian Church where he was first baptized. “I simply grew tired of running into so many dead ends. I am truly thankful to come home to the historic Orthodox Christian Church that the Lord Jesus founded in 33 A.D.”
Jim writes, records and plays all of the instruments on his recordings as well as singing all of the vocal parts. Unlike most music being made today, Jim does not use computer tricks (such as pitch correction and maximum compression) to sound like most everybody else. “I like all the little – and not so little – imperfections that keep my music human and original.” Jim has recorded all of his music at home with very modest means. He suggests listening under headphones – with the volume turned up – to bring out the best audio experience possible.
Jim’s music is entirely non-commercial. His music can be heard in complete versions on this web-site and may be downloaded as MP3 digital versions for free. Also, there is never a charge to hear Jim in concert. As the Lord Jesus said, “Freely you have received, freely give.” (Matthew 10:8)
A Zen‑Christian Spiritual Identity Statement
I am a follower of Christ who walks the path of presence, compassion, and inner stillness.
I root myself in the life, death, and resurrection of Jesus, and I seek union with God through the Spirit who dwells within all creation.
I honor the wisdom of the Christian traditions—Orthodox, Catholic, and Protestant—receiving each as a unique expression of the one Body of Christ.
From Orthodoxy, I embrace the mystery of theosis and the prayer of the heart.
From Catholicism, I receive the sacramental vision that reveals grace in all things.
From Protestantism, I cherish the living Word and the call to continual reformation.
I do not force these voices into agreement; I let them harmonize in the spaciousness of God.
I practice silence as a doorway to the presence of Christ.
In stillness, I release the need to grasp, defend, or control.
I let thoughts rise and fall like waves, trusting that beneath them is the quiet ground of God’s love.
I hold doctrines with reverence but without fear, knowing they point toward a truth greater than words.
I seek to live without division in my heart.
I do not cling to one tradition against another, nor do I dissolve them into a vague unity.
Instead, I walk the middle way: rooted yet open, grounded yet spacious, faithful yet free.
I let paradox be a teacher, trusting that God is larger than my understanding.
I commit myself to compassion, humility, and the transformation of my inner life.
I seek to love as Christ loves, to forgive as Christ forgives, and to see Christ in every person.
I understand that spiritual maturity is not the accumulation of beliefs but the deepening of love.
I embrace the mystery of God with a quiet mind and an open heart.
I welcome the wisdom of the saints, mystics, and contemplatives who have walked before me.
I trust that the Spirit continues to guide the Church in all its forms, and I walk gently among them.
My path is Christ.
My practice is presence.
My home is the whole Body of Christ.
My heart rests in God.
