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Ancient Faith Blogs presents a select group of writers and thinkers who regularly post on matters of theology, culture, art, parish, and family life.
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Faith Encouraged
Abraham Had Two Sons...
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“Did you hear…” That’s the beginning of a moment that rarely turns out good! And that’s because this is usually the beginning of a conversation that is more gossip than true. But we do love to gossip, don’t we? Unfortunately, there are real consequences to spreading stories, especially when those stories are either untrue or, (sometimes worse yet) half true! And it seems to be so easy to not get the story…
The Morning Offering
Holy Images
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God infuses His Energies into the icons The Old Testament God was revealed to us by Christ Jesus. Prior to the incarnation of the Logos, God’s people were forbidden to make any image of Him, for no one had seen His face. Yet when Christ said to His disciples, “he who has seen Me has seen the Father”, the fullness…
Glory to God for All Things
Get Your Soul Back
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When was the last time you heard someone express concern for their soul? When was the last time you listened earnestly as a friend lamented a psychological or emotional struggle? The reason for the difference is simple: we have become a “soul-less” psychologized society. The classical concern for the soul has been replaced by an overwhelming interest in psychological and emotional “health.” We are becoming a “well-adjusted” society. The soul has always been something…
Faith Encouraged
Give FROM Gratitude, Not TO Need!
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It’s just who I am. I remember my time at an Evangelical Protestant school for my undergraduate degree, and the 2 years of homiletical classes (how to give a sermon). It was a bit gruelling and my professor was particularly tough on me. One day, I was walking with another seminarian and he overheard our conversation. He stopped me and said “Brother Powell, you are a preaching machine!” I chose to take…
The Morning Offering
My Siblings
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All are my brothers and sisters We must consider all people to be our brothers and sisters. If they are healthy or sick, they are our siblings. For those of our brothers or sisters who are caught up in the mire of sin and darkness, we must rush forward with our prayers, and with our love, lending support to them…
Eastern Christian Insights
Mercy Beyond National Boundaries: Homily for the 7th Sunday of Matthew and "St. Timon Sunday" in the Diocese of Wichita and Mid-America
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Romans 15:1-7; Matthew 9:27-35 So much of what passes for religion in our culture is very self-centered. Some develop a spirituality to help them feel a certain way, while others want to use God to promote political and moral agendas in their own image. Their nation or their people then becomes the highest good. Regardless of the particulars, those who make their faith all about themselves will end…
The Morning Offering
Chaplains
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Manifesting God’s love in the midst of tragedy Chaplains minister to people whose lives have been turned upside down, with the loss of a child, the death of a spouse, the trauma of a fatal car accident, or a homicide. Chaplains serve as God’s presence on murder scenes, or house fires. They hold children whose parents have been killed, and…
Orthodox Reformed Bridge
Well Said Indeed!
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Folks, I received this comment from Matthew on 11 July 2017. In it he describes how his thinking about sola scriptura has changed and how this sparked his journey to Orthodoxy. It should be noted that his mind changed gradually. The inner conversation described by Matthew is probably like that of many others. This article can be of help to new visitors wondering: “Why on earth would a sincere Christian relinquish sola…
The Morning Offering
Being Compassionate
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None can be saved without being compassionate toward others We must not be so self-consumed as to have no compassion for others. Saint Basil tells us that a man who has two coats or two pair of shoes, when his neighbor has none, is a thief. In the Holy Scriptures we read, “The earth is the Lord’s and the fullness…
Father Bill's Blog
23. The Story of the Holy Prophet Elijah - Part Two
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So, now began the great confrontation between Elijah and the prophets of Baal, between truth and falsehood, between God and paganism. Elijah said, Take two bulls, one for the prophets of Baal and one for me, cut them in pieces and lay them on wood. Put no fire under them. You call on the name of your gods. I will call on the name of my God. The true God is the…
A Lamp for Today
"Written For Our Instruction": Seventh Sunday of Matthew
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Romans 15:1-7, Matt 9:27-35; Psalm 69 (LXX 68) “For whatever was written in former days was written for our instruction, that by steadfastness and by the encouragement of the Scriptures we might have hope.” Our God is the God of steadfastness and encouragement. We see this clearly as Christians, for the Father has reached into our world, as St. Irenaeus puts it, by His two hands of the Son (who steadfastly endured…
Faith Encouraged
At His Feet
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There is a story about a great man. He had searched the world over for wisdom. He had gone to gurus, and sought out great religious leaders and learned philosophers. But still his heart ached for more. Sure, he learned great and awesome ideas, and heard wonderful words, but still he felt empty from the searching. Discouraged, he cried out to God “Lord, where is true wisdom? Where is true knowledge of…
The Morning Offering
Nous versus Ego
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The true self versus the false self Reformed theology focuses on forensic justification, whereas the mystical theology of the Orthodox Church focuses on restoration to God through healing of the darkened soul alienated from Him. These are two very different models, but not really equal, because one can have faith in Christ’s sacrifice, but still not be healed and restored.…
Glory to God for All Things
The Greatness of a Lesser World
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Be an ordinary person – Fr. Thomas Hopko’s Maxim #18 Nothing could be more “cozy” than Tolkien’s description of the Shire. Many think the Shire is an idealization of rural England, and, no doubt, it certainly resembles it. Though the English do not seem to live in holes, they, nevertheless, do like their gardens. And though their major cities resemble major cities elsewhere, rural villages are like nothing so much as themselves.…
Faith Encouraged
You Can't Handle the Truth!
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I love the scene in “A Few Good Men” when Jack Nicholson’s character looks at the military lawyer questioning his leadership of his troops in Guantanamo. It’s at a pivotal part of the drama. The commandant, Colonel Jessup, was a rough and tough Marine leader. He was a strong man, and he didn’t have any respect for the Navy Colonel lawyer questioning his judgement in leading his men. In that moment Colonel…
The Morning Offering
Harmony
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Creating harmony out of chaos The inevitability of death is particularly difficult to face for most Americans, as we’ve become a people that eschew traditional funerals, preferring to “celebrate the life of our loved one, while disposing of the body, and banning any sign of death from the memorial service should we even decide to have a service. Yet the…
Faith Encouraged
You Hypocrites!
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“Why do your disciples transgress the tradition of the elders?” You can almost hear the sneer in this question to Jesus in the passage for today! And, frankly, it’s a good question. You see, as a Church, we Orthodox place a great deal of confidence in the consistent witness of the Faithful through the centuries. And we get that honest, as my grandmother use to say. We inherited that attitude from the…
The Morning Offering
Happiness
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All we need for happiness is right in front of us It is easy to resist taking care of oneself if we run at full speed as though we are the only one who can get things done. We all need to set priorities, making sure we focus on Christ and not let that which is transitory rule our lives.…
No Other Foundation
See You in August!
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Just a quick note to my dear online friends: I will be on vacation and away from the office from July 19 to August 5. During this time I will not be able to receive, moderate, or post any comments to my blog. So, if you do post, please don’t wonder why your comments are not appearing immediately. I am not ignoring your comments, but walking the beaches of Oregon and reading…
Faith Encouraged
Making Masters Servants!
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I know it is a bit “old fashioned” and it may be hard for those of this generation to understand, but the timeless message of the Faith is that we are called to battle and tame the passions SO THAT they are our servants and never our masters! So what are the passions? Some may say “I thought being a passionate person was a good thing.” Well, as usual, it depends on…
The Morning Offering
The Orthodox Practice of Burial
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Cremation versus the Orthodox Practice of Burial The first time I ever attended a funeral service where cremation of the body of the deceased had taken place was in Portland, Oregon, many years ago. An Episcopal priest friend had died and had requested his body be cremated. Walking into the church and seeing a small box sitting before the altar…
Glory to God for All Things
A Better World is Within You
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“We must eliminate poverty, oppression, racism…” How is it possible to disagree with the demand for justice? Who would not agree to end all suffering? How can we not commit our lives to bringing about a better world? The desire for justice and an end to suffering are deeply seductive in our modern world. Being told that these are false desires flies in the face of almost everything that characterizes our present…
Faith Encouraged
A Deeper Knowing
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I can’t tell you how many times I’ve had to “eat crow” over some idea I had or position I held that turned out to be, oh not necessarily “wrong” but “too small” or “too narrow” for the subject at hand. It’s made me a bit gunshy at times to make a definitive statement before I’ve had the time to really contemplate my own thoughts. After all, as the scripture says, “The…
The Morning Offering
Isolation
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Putting an end to isolation The Church is the Body of Christ and by Her very nature is anything but an institution wherein one can be isolated from others. We only let it be so if we fail to involve ourselves as the people of God, with one another. The greeting given by Orthodox Christians, passing on the holy kiss…
No Other Foundation
The Johannine Pentecost and the Social Context of the Early Church
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Ever since my college days many centuries ago, I have been reading about “the Johannine Pentecost”, by which scholars meant John’s version of the Pentecostal bestowal of the Spirit. The reference, of course, is to John 20:19-23. In this post-Resurrection appearance of Christ to His disciples, Jesus greets them by saying, “Peace be with you”, adding, “As the Father has sent Me, I also send you”. He then “breathed on them” [Greek…
Eastern Christian Insights
Shining with His Light: Homily for the Sunday of the Holy Fathers of the Fourth Ecumenical Council in the Orthodox Church
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Titus 3:8-15; Matthew 5:14-19 In just about anything we do in life, it is helpful at times to sit back and ask ourselves what we are trying to achieve. Unless we have a clear purpose in mind, we are probably not going to get very far in anything. By taking a hard look at ourselves, we may find that there is a disconnect between our…
The Morning Offering
Knowing God
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Hesychasm versus Aristotelian Scholasticism The 14th century dispute between Augustinian theologian Barlaam of Calabria, an Aristotelian scholastic, and Saint Gregory Palamas, whom he accused of heresy for his hesychasm (the Orthodox teaching on mystical prayer), was important because it demonstrated one of the major differences between the Latin West, and the Orthodox East. In the Latin West, God could be…