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Faith Encouraged
Love Is Hard Work
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I’ve heard this so many times: Why can’t I find love? What’s wrong with me? The expectations of some fairy tale notions wound us and wound our children. Add to that, the utter chaos in today’s society where love is reduced to mere feelings or, worse, just physical desire, and you have the perfect recipe for societal disaster! A perfect example of this warped understanding of love is the “Love is Love”…
The Word of the Day
Making Good Out of Evil Days (Mon. June 5)
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The word of the day is “days.” As our world staggers from one crisis to another, we are tempted to despair. We might say to ourselves that there is nothing that we can do about the turmoil of our times. Yet, our reading of Ephesians 5:9-19 encourages us that we can respond faithfully to the chaos surrounding us. Thus, Paul exhorts us “to walk circumspectly… redeeming the time because the days are evil” (vs. 15). Today we consider what it means to “redeem” what otherwise is an evil time. The Day is Not Evil by Nature Why does Paul call the day in which we live “evil”? Are things that bad? The Greek term “evil” refers to the effect or influence of…
The Word of the Day
The Holy Spirit Is Given to All but Received by Each (Sun. June 4)
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The word of the day is “each.” As we celebrate the Day of Pentecost, we might ask who received the gift of the Holy Spirit at that festival? Just the twelve disciples? And we might ask who is given the Holy Spirit today? Only those whom we call the saints? Today in our reading of Acts 2:1-11, Luke records that when a mighty wind blew, “there appeared to them divided tongues, as of fire, and one sat upon each of them” (OSB vs. 3). Today we emphasize that all who are baptized are given the gift of the Holy Spirit. He does not belong to selected believers as their possession while the rest of us must do without the “power from on high.” The Spirit Poured Out on…
A Healing Driven Life
The True mission and Identity of a Healthy Parish Community
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It is often said that the church is a hospital. To be honest, I have always had mixed feelings about this saying. It was as though I would have some sort of defensive reaction to this statement. Afterall, is the church made up of all sick people? Overall, the answer is no. This is because perhaps sickness is not the most accurate way to describe our state. Perhaps it is better to say there are aspects of ourselves that are fallen; distorted from how God intended them to be and in need of restoration. This is true of all of us. So, there are those of us who are in the church presently who are not sick, but rather in…
Eastern Christian Insights
Becoming Persons in Communion with God and One Another by the Holy Spirit: Homily for the Great Feast of Pentecost in the Orthodox Church
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Acts 2:1-11; John 7:37-52; 8:12      On today’s great feast of Pentecost, we celebrate the healing of what lies at the very root of our alienation from one another. At Pentecost, the Holy Spirit comes upon on the Apostles as they are gathered together in obedience to the command of the risen Lord. The same divine breath which first gave us life from the dust of the earth…
The Word of the Day
Understanding the Ending of Acts: The Gospel Unhindered (Sat. June 3)
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The word of the day is “unhindered.” In the Divine Liturgy, we pray for our civic leaders “that we in their tranquility may lead a calm and peaceful life in all godliness and sanctity” (St-Tikhon’s 1984, 71). In other words, we pray for equilibrium in our lives, free of contention, strife and discord. In such a balanced situation, we can grow in what is godly and holy.[i] Today, in our reading of Acts 28:1-31, Luke, the writer of Acts, closes his early church history with such a sense of stability. He says that Paul lived in a rented house in Rome for two years, “preaching… and teaching…with all confidence, no one forbidding him” (OSB vs. 31). We might ask, “Is that all?” Since…
Faith Encouraged
"You Should Listen to Me"
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“How come you were able to find this and not Ann?” With that question, my friend’s wife wondered at her husband’s ability to fix some tech problems more than the 12-year-old in the house! And his answer made me laugh out loud! He told his perplexed wife that he was 60 and their daughter was 12! Just goes to show you, experience really does help. The older I get, the more I…
Faith Encouraged
The Dispute Is Always About Christ
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“It’s not a “what.” It’s a “Who.” And with that caveat, my initial lesson in becoming Orthodox began. You see, I always thought that the Christian Faith was about giving mental assent to certain doctrinal precepts and saying the “proper” words. I thought that I could argue and use “apologetics” to convince others that my version of Christianity, or even morality, was the “right” one. I was wrong. Oh, to be sure,…
The Word of the Day
The Resurrection of Christ: Proclaimed But Not Explained (Thursday June 1)
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The word of the day is “alive.”  What does it mean to say that Jesus Christ is alive? We take its meaning for granted. But how would we explain it to someone who was not raised in the faith? In our reading of Acts 25:13-19, a pagan Roman governor has questions about a “certain Jesus” who “had died whom Paul affirmed to be alive” (OSB vs. 19). Today we look at the testimony that Jesus is alive with fresh eyes to discover the meaning of His resurrection anew. In today’s reading, we find Romans soldiers have rescued St. Paul from a mob and taken him to Caesarea. He has been imprisoned there for two years. Now a new governor has arrived. The Jewish authorities…
Remembering Sion
Society and Its Demons
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”The cleverest trick of the Devil is to persuade you he does not exist.” – Charles Baudelaire, 1864 Over the past decade, it has become commonplace to observe that American society is more deeply divided than at any time in our history since the Civil War. Countless studies, surveys, and opinion pieces have been produced in the attempt to analyze and explain this sad state of affairs. Blame has been cast in…
Faith Encouraged
The Power of a Peaceful & Sober Life
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I remember the first time I heard the prayer “For our deliverance from all affliction, wrath, danger, and necessity, let us pray to the Lord.” I thought “What a curious prayer?” Why would the Church have us pray this at every litany? What is really being asked for here? It wasn’t long until some reading of the Fathers of the Church, listening to the hymns of the Church, and actually pressing out…
The Word of the Day
Beneath Our Striving God is Working (Wed. May 31)
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The word of the day is “beneath.” When we are under duress, we call for the Lord’s mercy. Yet, what do we do when we have been delivered from disaster? As time goes on, the remembrance of how the Lord answered our prayers often fades into the background. Instead of God’s mercy, how we endured and overcame the calamity remains in our memory. In today’s passage (Acts 23:1-11), we read Luke’s report that Paul stood before the high priest and council of the Jews. The Jewish leadership was determined to put an end to Paul and his teaching. The apostle did not seem to have a chance to defend himself. But Paul found a way to divert the fury of his persecutors. Paul’s words raised…
Faith Encouraged
It's A Marathon! Sunday Homily
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The Christian life is a marathon, not a sprint. That means endurance is key. But how do we build endurance in the spiritual life? How do we stick with it to the end? This is such an important aspect to embrace so that we aren’t crushed when living the Faith gets hard or exhausting. Looking at our Gospel lesson we see Jesus praying the High Priestly Prayer of John 17 and in…
No Other Foundation
On Racism and Other Evils
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In an interview that was part of the BBC 2005 documentary on Auschwitz there is a chilling interview with a person (then quite old) who took part in the shooting of Jewish men, women, and children in Ukraine. He said that he felt nothing when shooting them, “because my hatred toward the Jews was too great”, and this was because he felt his family had been treated badly by local Jews. When…
Faith Encouraged
Boundaries Are Essential
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Do you know the difference between a barrier and a threshold? It’s actually quite an important distinction. There’s actually some really important contemplation to be done here. Boundaries are necessary for healthy relationships BUT those boundaries need thresholds to stay healthy. I can’t tell you how many people have sat in my office talking about troubles with their relationships with family and heard them talk about how they never talk to their…
The Word of the Day
What Defiles and What Is Defiled (Tues. May 30)
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The word of the day is “defile.” What makes someone, something, or somewhere holy or unholy? In our reading of Acts 21:26-32, that question put Paul in jeopardy of his life. When Paul entered the temple in Jerusalem, the Jews thought he had brought a Gentile into their holy place. Thus, he had defiled it. Seeing Paul in the temple courts, “some Jews from Asia” cried, “Men of Israel, help! This is the man who teaches all men everywhere against the people, the Law and this place, and furthermore, he has brought Greeks [Gentiles] into the temple and has defiled this holy place” (OSB 21:28). The claim about the defilement was false, but it started a riot. Paul was saved from death only…
Faith Encouraged
FORTH-Telling
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Growing up in that sliver of Christian sub-culture of the American South in the 70s and 80s, that was the time of the Left Behind novels and constant speculation about who is the Anti-Christ and if Jesus’ Second Coming was just around the corner. Was Russia going to invade Israel? Is the bar code the “mark of the beast” from Revelation? Are you ready for the Rapture? Frankly, it was all both…
The Word of the Day
The Comfort of Commending Ourselves and One Another to the Lord (Sun. May 28)
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The word of the day is “commend.” It is not easy to part with loved ones. At these times we are sadly aware that we will no longer be present with them. And they will not be able to care for us nor we to care for them. But there is one thing that can give us comfort. We can commend those we love to the Lord. In our reading of Acts 20:16-18;28-36, Paul meets with the elders of the church in Ephesus for what was likely to be the last time (Acts 20:25). He gives his farewell instructions that they are to take care of the flock to which they have been entrusted. Then he commends them “to God and to the…
The Word of the Day
The Priority of Preaching (Sat. May 27)
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The word of the day is “preach.” Remember the last sermon that you heard? What was it about? What was the main point? Many of us would have a hard time answering unless, perhaps, the day of the church year reminds us of the subject of that day’s preaching.  But do you remember something that happened in worship? Do you recall the visit of a bishop or other church leader, an especially stirring anthem, or even an accident or humorous incident that happened?  It is more likely that you could call to mind the event rather than the sermon’s message. Today, in our reading of Acts 20:7-12, Paul preaches in an upper room until midnight. A young man sitting on a…
A Lamp for Today
Light from the Canticles 11: Horn, House, Oath, and Dayspring
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Luke 1:68-79; Genesis 12:1-3; Gen 22:16-17; Psalm 18/LXX 17:3; 2 Samuel/Kingdoms 7:1-17; 2 Samuel/Kingdoms 22:3; Isaiah 9:2, Malachi 3:1; 4:2-5 Blessed be the Lord God of Israel, for He has visited and redeemed His people and has raised up a horn of salvation for us in the house of His servant David, as He spoke by the mouth of His holy prophets from of old, that we should be saved from our…
Glory to God for All Things
Falling Between the Cracks
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… human nature is created and so, is unavoidably mortal; with death man’s entire psychosomatic being comes to an end. All of his psychological and mental functions cease to function: his self-conscience, reasoning, judgment, memory, imagination, and desire. Man is no longer able to function through the parts of the body in order to speak, to call to memory, to distinguish, to desire, to reason, to be impassioned, and to see” St.…
Faith Encouraged
Doubting John The Baptist
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Christ is risen! Paul Tillich once said, “Doubt is not the opposite of faith; it is one element of faith.” Interesting! Real life is filled with moments of doubt and any honest person has to admit that doubt rears its ugly head in our lives from time to time. The mistake is two-fold – Either trying to ignore doubt or allowing doubt to swallow our life whole. Both reactions are wrong because they deny…
The Word of the Day
Maturity Is Reaching the Fullness of Christ (Fri. May 26)
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The word of the day is “fullness.” Most of us would admit that our relationship with the Lord is still maturing. Yet, in our reading of Acts 19:1-18, we find a faith that is not only immature but incomplete in its basic understandings. In Ephesus, Paul encounters a group of disciples. But he finds their belief incomplete. He asks, “Did you receive the Holy Spirit when you believed” (vs. 2)? They reply, “We have not so much as heard whether there is a Holy Spirit” (OSB vs. 2). Today, from the example of these followers and Paul’s teaching, we learn that our goal should be the maturity of the “fullness” of the Body of Christ of which we are members. John the…
Faith Encouraged
The Ascension Reveals Our True Purpose
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Christ is Ascended! There was an article recently in the Wall Street Journal talking about the noticeable increase in the amount of Americans converting to Orthodoxy. And one of the more amazing discoveries is that these converts are embracing the Orthodox Faith in spite of having no cultural connection to traditional Orthodox cultures. And, a sizable amount of these converts are young men. Why is this happening, the reporter asked me when…
The Word of the Day
The Ascension of the Lord and a Better Hope (Thurs. May 25)
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Blessed Feast! The word of the day is “better.” Sometimes, our Heavenly Father does not fulfill our petitions but bestows on us a better hope and a wiser answer to our prayers. For instance, on this day of the glorious Ascension of Our Lord, we hear the last conversation that the Risen Christ had with his apostles. We find in our reading of Acts 1:1-12 that their last words were, “Lord, will You at this time restore the kingdom to Israel?” (OSB vs. 6). But the Lord declines to answer. Rather, He gives them a better hope, the baptism of the Holy Spirit that will provide them with the power to fulfill the mission that He has in store for them (OSB vs. 5…
Glory to God for All Things
The Debt of Sin and the Sin of Debt
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There are a number of ideas and phrases that most Biblically literate Christians would swear were in the Bible, but are not. Among those is the phrase (or concept) of the “debt of sin.” It is simply not there. Nor is there a phrase that describes sin as something that we “owe.” Again, it’s simply not there. The phrase, “the debt of sin,” or “sin debt” is extra-biblical. It is an idea…
Walking an Ancient Path
Getting Used to the Physical Aspects of Prayer
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A couple of months ago my hubby Rob contracted shingles. It was definitely not an experience he would recommend to anybody. Shingles is caused by the same virus that causes chicken pox, and it runs along nerve pathways. Rob said his rash wasn’t itchy but felt more like a bruise or maybe a burn—very sensitive to the touch. The sensation of his shirt touching the skin on his left side was exceedingly…