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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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Walking an Ancient Path
Behind the Icon Screen: The Service of Kairos
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I remember quite vividly the first Orthodox service I ever attended. It was a vespers service during Lent, on the Saturday evening before the Sunday of St. Mary of Egypt. I remember this detail because I was not expecting the image of a skeletal, white-haired woman on the icon stand. I can’t remember a single psalm or prayer from that service. But one thing deeply affected me: the sense of…
Faith Encouraged
The Elect Obtained It!
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“Don’t watch them make the sausage!” Good advice if you have a bit of a squeezy stomach. Having been exposed to farm life as a boy, I can tell you what my grandmother said about raising pigs: “Honey when it comes to pigs; we use everything from the rooter to the tooter!” She told me the only thing we don’t use from the pig is the “oink.” Yeah, it made me smile…
The Word of the Day
The First Will Be Last (Wed. July 6)
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The word of the day is “jealousy.” We have the Gospel of salvation. We are members of the church. We know the grace of God. These affirmations are the ground on which the weeds of pride can grow. By thinking that we possess these things, we might be tempted to glory in the supposition that the Almighty God has shifted his favor to us. And we might suppose that those who do not have the Gospel, are not members of the church, and do not know God’s grace are left out for all eternity. In our reading of Romans 11:2-12, Paul explains that God has willed unbelief to the Jews and granted belief to the Gentiles for a larger reason.…
Faith Encouraged
Against Such There Is No Law
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There ought to be a law! Isn’t it fascinating that the first thing most people think about when there is some conflict or some disagreement or some unwanted actions in our society is that there should be some governmental control issued to make people “behave” the way they “should?” Why is “passing a law” or getting the government to exercise their power in some way our default answer to conflicts in society?…
The Word of the Day
Salvation by Faith and Faith By God’s Grace (Tues. July 5_
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The word for today is “faith.” Those who believe the Gospel would think that all who hear it would respond in faith to it. They would ask why many do not? In today’s reading of Romans 10:11-11:2, Paul continues to wrestle with that question. He writes, “But they have not all obeyed the Gospel. For Isaiah says, ‘Lord, who has believed our report?’” (OSB Romans 10:16). Today our study will not arrive at an explanation for the negative response to the offer of salvation. But our commentary will propose a fresh perspective to the question of why most Jews rejected the message of Christ. A Change of Focus Suppose we turn our focus from those who reject the Gospel to…
Fr. Andrew Stephen Damick
The Lamp of the Body
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Faith Encouraged
Let (TRUE) Freedom Ring (For Everyone!)
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“Freedom’s just another word for nothing left to lose.” That’s what Janice Joplin sang. But is that what freedom is? Not according to the timeless Faith. Freedom, for the wisdom of the Faith, has everything to do with actually disciplining my passions in such a way that I discover and become who I was made to be in the first place. Sadly, in our culture, “freedom” has been misdefined as “being able…
The Word of the Day
God Has His Own Reasons (Mon. July 4)
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The word of the day is “irony.” Many preachers today give the impression that they know all about God’s designs for human history. By selective quotations from the scripture, they offer their own keys to the ways of God. Today, in our reading of Romans 9:18-33, we read Paul’s rebuttal of all claims to grasp how God fulfills His purposes in the course of human history. Paul writes, “What shall we say then? That Gentiles, who did not pursue righteousness, have attained to righteousness, even the righteousness of faith but Israel, pursuing the law of righteousness, has not attained to the law of righteousness (NKJV vs. 30-31). Today we reflect on the irony of God’s treatment of Jews and Gentiles.…
The Word of the Day
Saved? Not Yet (Sun. July 3)
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The word of the day is “shall.” “It ain’t over ‘till it’s over.” We can apply that saying to our salvation. Some would declare that they were saved at some moment in the past. And now they can rest in the assurance of their deliverance. But that like a biker who has climbed to the top of a hill. Now, he tells himself, he can coast down the hill without worry or effort. But the biker hasn’t finished the course. Soon another hill appears and he is unprepared to face its challenge. But in today’s reading of romans 5:1-10, Paul speaks of salvation as a future happening. He writes, “For if when we were enemies we were reconciled to God…
Eastern Christian Insights
Learning to See Ourselves and Our World in the Light of Christ: Homily for the Third Sunday After Pentecost and the Third Sunday of Matthew in the Orthodox Church
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Romans 5:1-11; Matthew 6:22-33 There is nothing more important than learning to see our neighbors, ourselves, and all the blessings and challenges of our lives with clarity. That is simply another way of saying that we must come to see ourselves and our world truthfully in God. If we do not, our perspective will be darkened by our passions to the point that we will become blind…
The Word of the Day
Grace Unlimited (Sat. July 2)
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The word of the day is “only.” Tribalism is found throughout human society. Humans favor their own group however they define it, and they distinguish themselves from other such groupings. Thus, it seems natural to believe that the scope of God’s concern is limited to one’s own circle. However, in today’s reading of Romans 3:28-4:3, we hear an important question, “Is He the God of the Jews only?” (Romans 3:29). Today we reflect on Paul’s reasoning that salvation must be by faith if it is to be offered to all. We will find that this thinking requires that the church and its members play a key role in the divine plan of salvation. As we reflect on Paul’s question of…
No Other Foundation
No Other Stream
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Among the many things that Christians say that annoy people is their assertion that Christianity is the only true religion. Given the tremendous number of alternatives to Christianity on the religious market today, the assertion savours of intolerable arrogance, blindness, insensitivity, and self-righteous conceit. “The only true religion?” Who do these Christian people think they are? In the words of one critic, “That’s an outrageous thing to accept”. The outrageousness of it…
Faith Encouraged
Please Check Out our Improved Parish Website
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Glory to God for All Things
Finding God Amidst the Noise
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If I say one hundred prayers a day in the silence of Katounakia and you say three prayers amidst the tumult of the city and your professional and family obligations, then we are equal. St. Ephraim of Katounakia I ran across this small quote recently and was struck by its insight and typical Orthodox generosity. The kindness of the saints is among their most encouraging aspects. It also echoes a theme that…
Faith Encouraged
Love - More Than A Feeling, More Than Desire
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The Apostle Paul says that love is the “more excellent way.” But we have allowed the word “love” to be dumbed down to little more than “feelings of desire.” But the Faith does not allow us to reduce “love” to anything less than God Himself. St. John insists that “God is love.” With that standard, we Orthodox have no room to allow for the reduction of love to that which enslaves people…
The Word of the Day
Should the Clay Question the Potter? (Fri. July 1)
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The word of the day is “children.” Do we complain that God is not fair in His dealings with us? Perhaps we do not give voice to our grumbling. Nevertheless, the unspoken attitude might linger in our hearts. Today’s reading of Romans 9:6-19 takes us back to the question of why most Jews rejected the Gospel that Paul preached. If the Jews are God’s Chosen People, why didn’t the Almighty ensure that they would realize that Jesus was the Messiah? Paul writes, “What shall we say then? Is there unrighteousness with God? Certainty not. For He says to Moses, ‘I will have mercy on whomever I have mercy, and I will have compassion on whomever I will have compassion” (OSB Romans 8:14-15). Today we…
Rethinking Sacrifice
Sacrifice as Justification: Downton Abbey
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The idea of sacrifice is put to many uses today. It is used to honor heroic soldiers, to motivate athletes, and to accuse those who have hurt us or don’t appreciate us. It is a means for assuaging our grief, making sense of tragic and senseless losses. As we will see in this post, it is also a way of consoling our consciences, providing justification for some harm we have caused or,…
Faith Encouraged
Fatherhood and True Leadership = Service
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My friend, Bill Mariannes, recently published a post on social media that, frankly, scared me. I think I had a sense that these statistics were real, but the combination of all of them shook me up. He was writing on the crisis of fatherlessness in current society. As a man raised by a single mom in my early years, this looks all too familiar! Look at this: And the research showed that…
The Word of the Day
Saved in Hope (Thurs. June 30)
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The word of the day is “hope.” In today’s reading, Paul describes the suffering of the world. He writes, “The whole creation groans…” (OSB vs. 22). Indeed, we hear the moans of the earth in the chronicles of destruction, disorder, and devastation of every newscast. According to the media, the earth is plunging into disaster without hope of recovery. Yet in today’s reading of Romans 8:22-27, Paul writes, “For we were saved in this hope, but hope that is seen is not hope… But if we hope for what we do not see, we eagerly wait for it with perseverance” (OSB vs. 24). Today our reflection will encourage us to hope that the Almighty will deliver us and all creation…
Every Thought Captive
New Episode forthcoming - Keeping the Faith.
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Since Fr Andrew Damick and Michael Landsmen on The Areopagus Podcast recently had on Fr. Wesley Walker of The Sacramentalists podcast…we thought we’d follow suit and have Fr Myles Hixson, the other half of the Sacramentalists, on to Every Thought Captive. Today, on this feast of Sts. Peter and Paul, Fr Daniel and Fr Myles sat down to record podcast on “Keeping the Faith – The Influence of Parents”. Our discussion is guided by an article published in First Things by Christian Smith, “Keeping the Faith“. The good news is that parents have an incredible influence…
Faith Encouraged
Examining The Ground That Grows Your Choices
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We were talking in Bible study recently about “First Principles.” It seems this is something we so rarely consider, but if we miss fundamental truths, we always end up in places we never intended to go. I will go further and say that a regular examination of the ground that grows your choices is absolutely necessary for you to know WHY you do what you do. For instance, if you don’t build your…
The Word of the Day
Not According to the Flesh but in the Freedom of the Spirit (Wed. June 29)
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The word of the day is “free.” Yesterday’s comment left Paul in a spiritual impasse. In our reading, St. Paul described two contending inclinations. These seemed to cancel each other out. Indeed, for those who strive to be “accounted righteous” by their own powers, they do nullify each other. In this state of spiritual paralysis between these two impulses, Paul cried out, “Who will deliver me from this body of death” (OSB Romans 7:24), this state of the natural inclination to sin? Today, in our reading of Romans 8:2-13, we hear the answer of grace. The apostle writes, “For the law of the Spirit of life has set me free from the law of sin and death” (OSB vs. 2).…
Faith Encouraged
Making Things Worse!
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Sometimes you just gotta cut your losses! But how do you do that, especially when emotions are involved? It seems I was at a very familiar place in my life. Being someone who loves to help and loves to be seen as a benefit in someone else’s life, I was once again hitting a brick wall with this person. Try as I may, I just couldn’t get past the wall of anger…
The Word of the Day
Spiritual Stagnation: Its Cause and Cure (Tues. June 28)
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The word for today is “warring.” It is easy to fall into the devil’s trap of spiritual stagnation. In this lethargy of the spirit, we do not see beneath the surface of our souls. We think that we can rest in the false assurance of our salvation and enjoy a cozy relationship with God. But in today’s reading of Romans 7:14-8:2, we may be surprised at Paul’s description of his inner conflict. He writes, “I delight in the law of God according to the inward man, but I see another law in my members warring against the law of my mind” (OSB vs. 22-23). Today we learn to look beneath the complacency of our hearts to the true state of…
Behind the Scenes
Schedule for the 2022 Ancient Faith Content Creator Conference
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No Other Foundation
On the Wearing of Church Vestments: Do Clothes Make the Man?
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One of the first things that clergy do after entering the church on Sunday morning for Divine Liturgy is to put on special clothes called “vestments”. They are highly stylized and every priest wears the same things: first the priest puts on a long vestment called a stichar or sticharion, usually white in colour, which falls down to his ankles; then he puts on his stole which hangs down his chest to…
Faith Encouraged
Wisdom Makes Compassion Effective
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Is compassion enough to make real change or make good decisions about how to live your life? There are so many voices in our culture today that claim to justify choices about actually changing timeless moral virtues based on their insistence that they are compassionate towards persons who have been marginalized or mistreated. They say that compassion demands we dismantle society and remake society where compassion is the key. But what happens…