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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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The Morning Offering
Shame
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Holding on to guilt and shame There are many people who cling to memories of past sins, holding on to guilt and shame, reliving things long ago confessed, as though they happened yesterday. They struggle with regrets, often revisiting shame as though they were archeologists, digging for historical artifacts that must be preserved. Such is not the case with God,…
No Other Foundation
Part Three: Not Like Religion - Christian Sacred Space
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In previous posts in this series we looked at the difference between the Christian Faith and all the other religions, and suggested that the main difference lay in the fact that Christianity was not a religion, but rather the saving presence of Christ in the world, and through His Spirit, our participation in the powers of the age to come. We Christians share certain external similarities with the religions, but these external…
Orthodox Reformed Bridge
Research Project - Why Evangelicals are Becoming Orthodox
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Dear Folks, Brian Curnutt of Trinity Theological Seminary in Evanston, Indiana, is doing his dissertation on why people are becoming Orthodox. I took the survey and found the questions straightforward. The survey is not lengthy, but one should be prepared to give thoughtful responses to some of the questions that call for essay answers. This looks like a worthwhile project. I encourage readers who are Orthodox to take part in…
Growing the Church
Who Can Effectively Introduce Christ to Others? Part II
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The Spiritual Journey as Preparation for Witness The spiritual abilities, 1) transcending the self, 2) selfless love, and 3) complete freedom presented in the last post are the most effective way to make vibrant witness a reality in the lives of our parishioners. Interestingly, these characteristics are the same goals set out by the Orthodox Church when it speaks of spiritual growth. Since this kind of training should be taking place in…
The Morning Offering
Stand Against Racism
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The black man and the Jew, are my brothers The un-Christian rhetoric and violent actions demonstrated in Charlottesville, Virginia, have demonstrated clearly the tragic climate of moral decay that has overtaken our country. The ultra left and the ultra right committed horrendous violence against one another, a scene that is being replayed throughout the land. The Church, in all her…
Raising Saints
Talking about Death & Grieving with Children
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When we were in our early twenties, my husband’s godfather passed away. As Marko struggled with grief and sadness and the loss of his beloved kum, he also struggled with the idea of death itself — why do we die, what happens to us after death, and how do we hold on to the faith that we will truly meet again in the Kingdom of Heaven. As he worked through it all,…
Orthodoxy and Heterodoxy
Orthodox Theologies of the Afterlife: Review of "The Departure of the Soul"
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Editor’s Note: The following is a review of The Departure of the Soul According to the Teaching of the Orthodox Church, published April 2017 by St. Anthony’s Greek Orthodox Monastery, Florence, Arizona. It was sent to us by Dr. Paul Ladouceur originally as four separate posts, but we have combined them here into one, since they are closely related and also since…
Father Bill's Blog
26. 2006 Trip, Part Three: Forming Authentic Eastern Orthodoxy in the West
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As I flew West from Greece I got to thinking about the experiment we are conducting here in America and everywhere in the West. We are taking an Eastern form of Christianity and trying to express it in a way that is accessible to the Western world. Let me give some background to that thought. Christianity’s Middle Eastern Roots Christianity has two chief sources, the first of which is Middle Eastern, Semitic.…
A Lamp for Today
Samuel the Prophet: Messenger of Justice and Forgiveness
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1 Corinthians 9:1-12, Matthew 18:23-25; 1 Samuel/Kingdoms 12:3-25; 1 Samuel/1 Kingdoms 28; Psalm 99:6-9; Sirach 46:13-20 Our readings for the eleventh Sunday of Matthew happily correspond this year with our remembrance of the Holy Prophet and last of the Judges of Israel, Samuel. The themes of both the epistle and the gospel reading lead us to think about the special characteristics of this righteous leader from the early years of Israel. It…
Faith Encouraged
We Don't Lose Heart!
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Listen to this quote from St. Peter of Damaskos: “Patient endurance kills the despair that kills the soul; it teaches the soul to take comfort and not to grow listless in the face of its many battles and afflictions.” Wow, “the despair that kills the soul.” How often have I seen that in the people who have come to me so despondent as to say “what’s the use.” No wonder the fathers declare…
The Morning Offering
Lost
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Lost in a world devoid of hope As we witness the wholesale abandonment of religious belief in our society, we are seeing a breakdown in the moral fiber that has sustained Western Culture. Painful as it is, every time I speak on area campuses, I meet countless numbers of students who have no religious belief whatsoever. Increasing numbers even declare…
Raising Saints
A Year of Good Ideas for your Youth Group, Young Adult & Family Ministries
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If you’re finding that it’s hard to figure out what exactly to do with your youth group (whether they’re younger kids, teens, college students or young adults) Y2AM (the Department of Youth & Young Adult Ministry at the Greek Orthodox Archdiocese) has a free set of plans for you! They’ve considered what the ideal ministry program would be: it would create a loving and comfortable space in which people can discuss their spiritual…
Behind the Scenes
The Power of Hate vs. the Power to Love
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Faith Encouraged
This Treasure in Earthen Vessels
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I had no choice. He was actually a very good man and a very prominent man in the community. But he had made the entire community a slave to his schedule. He was a wonderful volunteer and had become the “go to” guy for the community for years. But his effectiveness had now become a problem because the community had outgrown his ability to keep up. I had to confront him…
The Morning Offering
Politicizing the Gospel
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The Gospel of Christ, and political extremism It is deeply disturbing to me to have witnessed the politicizing of Christianity in this nation. The conjoining of politics and faith have led to a polarization of our nation that has not been seen since just prior to the Civil War. In our having politicized Christianity, we’ve reduced the Gospel of Christ…
Roads from Emmaus
Church Work is Mostly Disappointing
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Clergy often share ministry stories and then say, “They didn’t teach me that in seminary!” One of the things that I wasn’t taught in seminary (and wish I were) is that ministry in church life is mostly a disappointment. We clergy don’t often like to talk about that. I mean, who would like to say that most of the time, the work they do,…
Glory to God for All Things
Humble and Meek and Middle-Class Morality
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“He Will Exalt the Humble and Meek” There is an interesting historical pattern that has been repeated any number of times across the centuries. A group of the dispossessed and the poor come together within a religious movement. What begins with great enthusiasm succeeds. As it succeeds, those who were once poor and dispossessed manage to gather themselves into some sort of order. They learn to work hard, to avoid disaster,…
Roads from Emmaus
Holiness How-To: Imitate our Gospel Parents
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Tenth Sunday after Pentecost / Tenth Sunday of Matthew, August 13, 2017 I Corinthians 4:9-16; Matthew 17:14-23 Very Rev. Fr. Andrew Stephen Damick In the Name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit, one God. Amen. For though you have a myriad of tutors in Christ, yet you do not have many fathers; for I begat you in Christ…
Raising Saints
Keynote Speaker at Family Ministry Conference in September
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I will be one of three Keynote Speakers at the upcoming Family Ministry Conference, hosted by the Greek Orthodox Archdiocese! Joining me are Met. Savvas of Pittsburgh, and Steve Christoforou of Y2AM. I’m looking forward to the various workshops and intensive sessions, and I can’t wait to spend some time with a huge group of people as interested in building Orthodox families as I am. We even have a FOCUS North America…
Faith Encouraged
Abandon the Faith? Really?
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Why do people stop practicing the faith? Why are we seeing so many young people abandon the faith of their youth? Countless studies have been done trying to answer this question. Every time I travel to speak around the country in parishes big and small, I get asked this question as well. And there are as many answers as there are studies. All of these articles and writers usually have some good…
The Morning Offering
Mercy
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Everything proceeds out of God’s mercy There is a common misconception concerning the word “mercy”, used throughout the liturgical services of the Church, as well as our private prayers, and the Jesus Prayer. It is a given that we are all sinners, but the asking for God’s mercy is not limited to asking His forgiveness, or begging God to overlook…
Praying in the Rain
Tools For Theosis
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This summer I had the privilege of serving two Orthodox youth camps, one in Idaho, USA and the other in Alberta, Canada. The spiritual theme of both camps was the same: “What’s in Your Toolbox?” The idea was to talk to the youth about the tools the Orthodox Church provides to help them grow spiritually and morally. On the first day of the first camp, I asked the group—there were about fifty,…
Faith Encouraged
Humble AND Obedient
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“We are of one mind about this.” I heard his words and I understood each word and it’s meaning, but I had never heard this put this way before – “of one mind.” What did he mean? But, hey, I was a kid of 22 and the situation was such that I was hoping he meant we were in agreement. Too embarrassed to ask, I assumed (dangerous, I know) we were, in…
The Morning Offering
Gratefulness
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A grateful heart is fertile ground When you strive to interact with members of your family, with friends, coworkers, and all others, with respect, humility, and dignity, you lay the groundwork for the abundance of Grace needed to quicken your heart for the things of God. The soil is prepared for the planting of seeds that allow you to respond…
Nearly Orthodox
Theologians
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I’ve been steadily working on this new book that’s due out late next year. It involves reading through the first volume of the Philokalia, one page at a time, and then reflecting on something I’ve read there. It’s slow-going because it’s a meaty work but also because of the nature of my crazy life. Let’s be honest, though. My life probably isn’t much crazier than yours. We all have stuff to do,…
Faith Encouraged
A Healthy Parish
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You’ve met them. They are the ones who always seem to have a criticism of how things are going AND they don’t jump in to assist, they just want to complain. Truth be told, I’ve caught myself doing the same thing. Isn’t it amazing how much insight into a problem you can have and feel completely comfortable standing on the sidelines offer all this free advice? I guess by all the nodding…
The Morning Offering
Our Patronal Feast
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The Feast of Christ the All-Merciful Saviour Today our brotherhood celebrates the Patronal Feast of our monastery. Thirty-one years ago the beloved and ever memorable Archimandrite Dimitri (Egoroff) of Santa Rosa, CA tonsured Father Paul and me as Orthodox monks. Guided and inspired by Father Dimitri’s kind and prayerful spirit, and a wisdom and holiness gained through his many years…