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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
St. Andrew - The First Called
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I’ve been saying “Orthodox on Purpose” for so long that sometimes I wonder if I’ve grown deaf to the wisdom behind the words. After all, the danger for any minister is to keep all the words of his purpose and forget the meaning behind them. Terrifying! But I’ve discovered that most of us struggle to know just what our true purpose is supposed to be! Every time I begin to forget, I…
The Word of the Day
The Love of the Truth (Wed. Nov. 30)
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The word of the day is “truth.” In our reading of 2 Thessalonians 2:1-12, St. Paul cautions his congregation in Thessalonica about false prophecies of the Lord’s Second Coming. The Apostle advises them not to be “soon shaken in mind or troubled” when they hear that the Second Coming of Christ has already happened (vs. 2). “The Man of Lawlessness” Paul reminds his congregation of his teaching of certain signs of the imminent return of Christ. These signals of the end time will include a period of apostasy or faithlessness. Then a mysterious character, the “man of lawlessness,” will appear (vs. 3). The Greek word refers to one who sets himself against the law (Strong’s #458, 28). He is the epitome of…
Faith Encouraged
Discovering What Motivates You
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George Elliot once said “Selfish, a judgment readily passed by those who have never tested their power of sacrifice.” That’s so true. Most of the time selfishness in my own life flows from those moments when I was afraid that I’d disappear if I truly gave of myself. Of course, those are also the times when I felt most alone. And then there were times when I selfishly praised myself for my…
Faith Encouraged
Giving Tuesday
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As we enter into the holiday season, I want to thank you and ask for your help. “Thank you” because of your faithful partnership since 2014 when we launched this Daily Devotional and we continue to see people’s lives encouraged to be Orthodox on Purpose! And to ask you to renew your support for this media outreach. And here’s why: Please take a…
The Word of the Day
Glorified in the Saints and In Us (Tues. Nov. 29
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Once again, the word of the day is “glorified.” In our reading of 2 Thessalonians 1:10-2:2, St. Paul writes that he prays constantly for his congregation as they face trials that he does not name. His concern is not on what the Thessalonians should do to prevail in their troubles. His focus is on God’s work in them. Thus, he prays “that the name of Christ may be glorified in you and you in Him according to the grace of our God and the Lord Jesus Christ” (vs. 12). Paul has just promised that when Christ returns in glory, he will be “glorified in his saints” (vs. 10). But now he applies that thought to all those who believe in…
No Other Foundation
Cain and Abel and a Bayonet
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The story of Cain and Abel is the story of the human race. It is tragically timeless, for it is tirelessly enacted over and over again in every generation. As Larry Norman once queried (as aged historians may remember from his song “Nothing Really Changes”), “Will Cain kill Abel—with a bayonet?” Regardless of the choice of weapon, somewhere and some place that murder is happening even now as you are reading this.…
Faith Encouraged
The Light of God's Judgement
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It has been said that God at His angriest is kinder to us than men at their kindest. What a lovely thought. But what are we to do with all those passages in the Bible that talk about God’s anger and His wrath? I mean it isn’t like they are hard to understand or ambiguous. They are plain and disturbing, especially in light of how we want God to be – safe…
The Word of the Day
God Glorified in His Saints (Mon. Nov. 28)
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The word of the day is “glorified.” Today with 2 Thessalonians 1:1-10, we begin to read St. Paul’s second letter to his congregation in Thessalonica, the important crossroads of Macedonia. The apostle writes from Ephesus in about 51 AD within months of his first letter. But now, he refers to the “persecutions and tribulations” that his congregation is undergoing (vs. 4). He consoles his flock in this port city that their afflictions are evidence that they are worthy of the kingdom of God, the reign of God for which they now suffer (vs. 5). St. Paul assures the faithful that God will settle accounts with their persecutors and those who neither know Him nor obey the gospel. God will carry…
Remembering Sion
"Come and See"
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Today we keep the feast of the Holy Apostle Philip, one of the very first of the Twelve Apostles whom Christ the Savior preeminently called to follow Him. Evidently St. Philip felt the evangelic nature of his apostleship quite keenly, for immediately upon hearing the most sweet voice of Christ calling out to him, he straightway went and “found Nathanael and said to him, ‘We have found Him of whom Moses in…
The Word of the Day
The Church and the Temple: a Comparison (Sun. Nov. 27)
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The word of the day is “temple.” In our reading of Ephesians 2:14-22, St. Paul compares the Church to a holy temple built on a solid foundation. Furthermore, he emphasizes that Christ is the Cornerstone that unites its members into a sacred dwelling place of God. In our reading, Paul draws the analogy between the building of the Old Testament temple in Jerusalem and the nature of the Church described in the New Testament. There are three main comparisons: the foundation, the Cornerstone, and the materials that “fitted together” that make up the building as a dwelling place for God. First, note that the Book of Hebrews speaks of the “tabernacle,” not the temple. This “Tent of Meeting” was a…
The Word of the Day
The Church and the Temple: a Comparison (Sun. Nov. 27)
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The word of the day is “temple.” In our reading of Ephesians 2:14-22, St. Paul compares the Church to a holy temple built on a solid foundation. Furthermore, he emphasizes that Christ is the Cornerstone that unites its members into a sacred dwelling place of God. In our reading, Paul draws the analogy between the building of the Old Testament temple in Jerusalem and the nature of the Church described in the New Testament. There are three main comparisons: the foundation, the Cornerstone, and the materials that “fitted together” make up the building as a dwelling place for God. First, note that the Book of Hebrews speaks of the “tabernacle,” not the temple. This “Tent of Meeting” was a portable…
Eastern Christian Insights
Preparing to Receive Our Peace at Christmas: Homily for the Twenty-fourth Sunday After Pentecost and Thirteenth Sunday of Luke in the Orthodox Church
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Ephesians 2:14-22; Luke 18:18-27 As we prepare to welcome Christ at His Nativity, we must be on guard against the subtle temptation to make the season all about ourselves and our place in the world. That may seem like a strange temptation, but it is very easy to get so caught up in buying presents, planning parties and trips, and indulging in sentimental feelings that we somehow overlook the obvious reason…
The Word of the Day
Subtlety and Simplicity: a Contrast of Two Eves (Sat. Nov. 26)
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The word for the day is “simplicity.” In our reading of 2 Cor. 11:1-6, St. Paul expresses his concern about the false preachers in Corinth. He worries that their subtle arguments will deceive his flock. He writes, “But I fear, lest somehow, as the serpent deceived Eve by his craftiness, so your minds may be corrupted from the simplicity that is in Christ (vs. 3). In this season of the Nativity Fast (Advent), we prepare for the Incarnation of the Son of God. When the angel appeared to the Virgin Mary, and she consented to become the Mother of God, she became the “New Eve” (Irenaeus, Against Heresies, 3, 19, p. 130). The Opposites of Subtlety and Simplicity As the…
No Other Foundation
“Wonder as the Beginning of Faith”
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The title of this blog piece is the title of a book written by Bishop Maxim Vasiljevic, bishop of Los Angeles and Western America of the Serbian Orthodox Church. (I trust he will forgive not being capitalized.). The book is an extraordinary one, containing a series of disconnected essays on various themes, each preceded by a painting done by His Grace. That a bishop should be an artist as well as a…
Faith Encouraged
So Thankful
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Glory to God for All Things
Broken Communion
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The holidays can make it all too poignant: the terrible fact of broken communion. Often, our festivities bring us into close contact with some (few or many) whom we most commonly avoid. An uncle, an aunt, a brother, a parent whose relationship is marked with pain, misunderstanding, shame, and various other torments. Statistics say that these times (particularly Thanksgiving to Christmas) are frequently marred by things we would otherwise avoid. The holidays…
Faith Encouraged
Here Comes The Bridegroom
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The notice I received had this heading: “Attention” as a Cultural Problem and the Possibilities of Education. It was a notice of a lecture being held at a major university and it certainly caught my attention. One of the most consistent messages in all the writings of the Fathers is the absolute need for attentiveness to central truths. And one of the key weapons used against us in our spiritual growth is…
The Word of the Day
Appointed for Wrath or Salvation? (Fri, Nov. 25)
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The word of the day is “appoint.” In our reading of 1 Thessalonians 5:9-13, 24-28, St. Paul assures the congregation at Thessalonica of God’s benevolent intentions for them. The Apostle writes, “For God did not appoint us to wrath but to obtain salvation through our Lord Jesus Christ (vs. 9). Paul has just warned his flock against the sleep of complacency and carelessness as they wait for the return of Christ. But he quickly adds that God has no desire to catch them in the darkness of sin (vs. 9). Paul reassures the believers in this bustling city that they are not appointed to “wrath.” The Greek word for “wrath” refers to the strongest of passions, the burning anger of…
The Word of the Day
Appointed for Wrath or Salvation? (Fri, Nov. 25)
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The word of the day is “appoint.” In our reading of 1 Thessalonians 5:9-13, 24-28, St. Paul assures the congregation at Thessalonica of God’s benevolent intentions for them. The Apostle writes, “For God did not appoint us to wrath but to obtain salvation through our Lord Jesus Christ”(vs. 9). Paul has just warned his flock against the sleep of complacency and carelessness as they wait for the return of Christ. But he quickly adds that God has no desire to catch them in the darkness of sin (vs. 9). Paul reassures the believers in this bustling city that they are not appointed to “wrath.” The Greek word for “wrath” refers to the strongest of passions, the burning anger of extreme…
Faith Encouraged
Today We Give Thanks!
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My daughter was having some challenges with her friends at school. There was a new group of girls that had invited her to become part of the group. They went shopping together and spent the night at one of the girl’s houses. They were being typical teenagers and having a great time. Then, one of the girls confronted her about what “someone” told her about my daughter. This mysterious “someone” told one…
The Word of the Day
Children of the Light and of the Day (Thurs. Nov. 24)
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The word of the day is “light.” In our reading of 1 Thessalonians 5:1-8, St. Paul writes that the day of the Lord’s return will surprise many who are heedless and unprepared. But not his congregation. They are “sons of light and sons of the day” (vs. 5:5). They live in the daytime of Christ’s light. Even so, Paul admonishes them to stay awake, sober, vigilant, and ready to greet the Lord when He comes as Lord and Judge of the world. Paul’s declaration that the faithful are children of the light arises naturally from the thought that the Lord will come “like a thief in the night” (vs. 2). The analogy of the burglar who breaks into a house…
Faith Encouraged
So ThankFul!
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Dear Ones, The past year has seen our Ministry face some difficult choices and some renewed joy. Just like life, this work is blessed and challenged by the realities of life. And you have been such a blessing to us here at Faith Encouraged Ministries. I am so thankful to God for you! We saw some real loss during the Pandemic that had us tighten our belts a bit and try to…
Faith Encouraged
Do It Again, Daddy!
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Think of one (just one) foolish thing you did as a child. I remember one “project” I attempted as a single-digit-aged kid. I thought it would be “fun” to paint the basement of our house! The problem was I didn’t have enough paint to do all the walls. I didn’t have the right paintbrush to do the job. And I didn’t have the “know-how” to do it right. Needless to say a…
The Word of the Day
A Quiet Life in a Noisy Society (Wed. Nov. 23)
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The word of the day is “quiet.” In our reading of 1 Thessalonians 4:1-12, St. Paul gives some practical advice for living in a world of noisy frenzy such as ours. The Apostle writes, “… that you aspire to lead a quiet life, to mind your own business, and to work with your own hands as we commanded you (vs. 10). In Paul’s day, the city of Thessalonica was the hub of Greece’s government, politics, commerce, military, and culture. It was a multi-racial and cosmopolitan city at the crossroad of prosperous East-West and North-South trading routes. Moreover, it was a flourishing port city on the Aegean Sea. Living a Quiet Life Amid the Frenzy Imagine how turbulent life was in…
Faith Encouraged
Learn How To Die to Death!
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One of the most fundamental marks of maturity is the clear and unmistakable realization that actions have consequences. Ideas have consequences because they become actions. And avoiding consequences is always a sign of immaturity. No wonder our modern world is struggling, as it has always struggled, with the consequences of ideologies and actions. And we see it everywhere. From the sad state of affairs in the war-torn Middle East to our very…
The Word of the Day
Hearts Blameless at the Coming of Christ (Tues. Nov. 22)
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The word of the day is “blameless.” In our reading of 1 Thessalonians 3:9-13, St. Paul prays that God would enable his congregation at Thessalonica to grow in their love for one another. He writes, “And may the Lord make you increase and abound in love to one another and to all, just as we do to you” (vs. 12). He adds the prayer that the result of this growth would be that God may “establish their hearts, blameless in holiness…” (vs. 13) . To be found without fault before God is the goal that our reading suggests as we begin our Nativity Fast. We are setting our sights on the “coming of our Lord Jesus Christ with all the…
No Other Foundation
The Self-emptying of the Mother of God
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In my Protestant days, I had no problem with anyone talking about Mary—so long as it was Christmas. On Boxing Day, that was it. Over. No more talking about Mary. What are we anyway, Catholics? It was understood that when we packed away the Nativity set, all talk of Mary got packed up along with it. And my proof that Bible-believing Christians should not talk about Mary? The New Testament never did. …