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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
Uninformed And Misinformed - Dangerous!
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“What you don’t know won’t hurt you!” Really? I’ve found that, sometimes, what I don’t know hurts me pretty bad. But what’s worse is misunderstanding what I actually do know. In fact, I have misunderstood some things I thought I knew so bad that I might as well not have known it at all! And that, dear ones, is a deadly combination: to think you know something but get it so completely…
The Word of the Day
With God It Is Always “Yes” (Fri. August 19)
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The word of the day is “Yes.” When our faith is challenged, we are tempted to become unsure of the promises of God’s Word and doubtful of its preaching. Today in  2 Corinthians 1:12-20, Paul defends himself from the charge that he vacillates. He says, “Yes” sometimes, and “No” other times, and “Yes and No” most times (vs. 18). Today we will find that Paul admits he had changed his plans. But he insists that his motives, methods, and messages are constant. By his constancy, Paul seeks to reflect the faithfulness of God whose “steadfast love endures forever” (Psalm 118) and whose Word is everlasting (Psalm 119:89; Matthew 24:35). We learn from our reading that we can rely on the…
Faith Encouraged
Appreciate It. Practice It. Or Lose It!
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“Father, you simply have to MOVE!” With that, my doctor, who was in the Marines as a young man, made it clear I had to change my sedentary lifestyle if I was to be healthy. In other words, if I didn’t start moving and exercising, I was going to lose my health. I had to use it or lose it. That wake-up call was just what I needed at the time. But,…
The Word of the Day
Sorrow and Comfort in Equal Measure (Thurs. August 18)
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The word of the day is “comfort.” Who does not need comfort amid grief and hardships? But where do we find it? Today in 2 Corinthians 1-17, we begin to read Paul’s second letter to the church at Corinth. After his introduction, the apostle writes about the “comfort” that God gives in “tribulation” (vs. 4). Today we explore Paul’s trials and how he receives comfort from God as he faces them. Thus he is a suburb example to us of how we might find solace amid loss and difficulty. Paul’s Sorrow over the Trouble in Corinth Paul wrote our passage at a low point in Paul’s ministry. He had endured such “trouble” in Ephesus that he feared for his life…
Faith Encouraged
The "Good" Son
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Both of my daughters are really different. But, to their credit, I really do like them as persons. I find their differences endearing and fascinating. One daughter is most at home on stage. She really shines when she’s performing or dancing. She’s very good at it. My youngest is one of the most fascinating people I’ve ever known. She commands a room when she walks in but her main ability is in…
The Word of the Day
Adversaries Arise When We Intend to Serve the Lord (Wed. August 17
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The word of the day is “adversaries. We usually expect that when we intend to serve the Lord that He would remove any obstacles in our way. But today’s reading of 1 Corinthians 16:4-12, Paul refers to many opponents that stand in the way of his plans to preach the Gospel. Today we will use Paul’s example to learn why some put roadblocks in our work for the Lord. And we will discuss how we can overcome these barriers. In today’s reading of 1 Corinthians 16:4-12, Paul closes his letter with a summary of his plans for his ministry. He writes that he is eager to visit the Corinthians and to deal with matters that he could not address in…
Behind the Scenes
Introducing Zeina's Table!
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Glory to God for All Things
Why Everything Is Important (but not the stuff you might imagine)
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My Dad was an auto-mechanic, and a good one. He worked in the pre-computerized engine days. The way cars and trucks operated was pretty much the same as the airplane engines he worked on in World War II. I never learned more than a fraction of what he knew, but I learned a few things. This one is very important: “It’s usually not the carburetor.” He would come home from work…
Faith Encouraged
A Firm Foundation - Sunday's Homily
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Ideas have consequences. If the underlying philosophy of a society is flawed, the effects are real and, if the flaws are bad enough, they spell destruction for that society. When the structure is unsound, the people are unsafe. And the whole purpose of the Faith is to be the spiritual building blocks meant to “construct” the character of Christ in you and the world. The ONLY place to get the most robust…
Faith Encouraged
The Dangers of Undisciplined Motivations
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What’s the difference between Inspiration and Motivation? Well, Inspiration usually comes from the outside. I’m inspired by that act of charity, or that life well lived. Motivations, however, are usually internal; that set of desires and drives that either keep me on track or send my life down a dead end. My best friend used to say “No life is a total waste. It can always serve as a bad example!” What…
The Word of the Day
The Transformation of Our Lowly Body (Tues. August 16)
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The word of the day is “transform.” To be transformed is to be changed in appearance, character, and makeup. But imagine that we are to be transformed. Before we are changed, would we know what our new state will be? Our new condition would be unknown to us until we found ourselves in the new form. So it is with the transformation of our bodies in the resurrection. In today’s reading of 1 Corinthians 15:29-38, St. Paul finishes his defense of the resurrection of the body. He begins a long answer to two questions: “How are the dead raised up? And with what body do they come?” (vs. 35). Today we will review why Paul must respond to these queries…
Faith Encouraged
Are You Becoming LIKE Christ?
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Listen to this quote from St. Symeon the New Theologian: “In the future life the Christian is not examined if he has renounced the whole world for Christ’s love, or if he has distributed his riches to the poor or if he fasted or kept vigil or prayed, or if he wept and lamented for his sins, or if he has done any other good in this life, but he is examined…
The Word of the Day
The Reality of Our Hope Is Already Here (Mon. August 15)
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The word of the day is “hope.” We think of hope as our expectation of something good that will happen in the future. In today’s reading of 1 Corinthians 15:12-19, Paul vigorously defends the basis of our hope in Christ. It is the Lord’s glorious resurrection. Against those in Corinth who were denying the resurrection of believers, the apostle states, “And if Christ is not risen, your faith is futile; you are still in your sins! Then also those who have fallen asleep in Christ have perished” (vs. 17-18.) Today, we will consider that if the basis of our hope is that Christ is risen, then our hope is more than an expectation. Our hope is an anticipation. Hope Looks Forward to What…
The Word of the Day
Building the Church and Our Lives on the One Sure Foundation (Sun. August 14)
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The word of the day is “foundation.” How does it happen that church leaders lead the flock of Christ astray? How does it happen that the members of a church depart from the teaching of its founders? In today’s reading of 1 Cor. 3:9-17, Paul explains the squabbles dividing the church in Corinth. He writes, “As a wise master builder, I have laid the foundation and another builds on it. But let each one take heed how he builds on it” (OSB vs. 10). Paul had founded the congregation, but other pastors have succeeded him. The members are now dividing themselves according to what they perceive as the different teaching of their shepherds. Are Paul’s successors at fault? Let Everything…
Eastern Christian Insights
Entering into Eternal Joy Through Obedience and Receptivity to Christ: Homily for the Feast of the Dormition of the Most Holy Theotokos in the Orthodox Church
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Philippians 2:5-11; Luke 10:38-42; 11:27-28      There is nothing more fundamental to our faith as Orthodox Christians than the good news that Jesus Christ is risen from the dead. Our Lord entered fully into our world of brokenness and pain and was as dead and buried as anyone else lying in the grave; but since He is God, Hades and the tomb could not contain Him. Because He…
The Word of the Day
The Consolation of Commending All Our Lives to Christ (Sat. August 13)
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The word of the day is “Lord’s.” In good times we are apt to forget that we own neither the present nor the future. We begin to construct a life for ourselves without reference to our Creator and Redeemer. But in times of misfortune, when things do not go our way, we see the futility of our efforts to live for ourselves. At these times, it is a great comfort to believe that everything is in the hands of God. In today’s reading of Romans 14:6-9, St. Paul writes, “Therefore, whether we live or die, we are the Lord’s” (vs. 8). At the end of every litany in the Divine Liturgy, we “commend ourselves and each other, and all our…
No Other Foundation
Requiem for Ted Byfield: the Sound of Silence
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I have just finished reading (devouring actually) a biography of Ted Byfield entitled Prairie Lion, who left the earthly battlefield for the Kingdom of God on December 23, 2021. The book is eminently readable and documented what I already knew from personal experience: that Ted Byfield was a great Canadian, a great Christian, and a great man. It was my privilege to be billeted in his home a number of times during…
Faith Encouraged
Chaos Is The Enemy of Peace
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Isaac Newton once said, “Truth is ever to be found in simplicity, and not in the multiplicity and confusion of things.” How I resonate with that. Simplicity is the enemy of confusion and chaos. I’ll never forget the story of a Third world visitor to the US being overwhelmed by her first trip to an American grocery store. This precious woman broke down in tears, not at the abundance, but at the…
The Word of the Day
Everything in Worship Done Decently and in Order (Fri. August 12)
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The word of the day is “confusion.” Orthodox worship reflects a sense of the sacredness of God and the dignity of persons. It follows an ancient “ordo” or structure with words that stem from St. Basil the Great or St. John Chrysostom in the fourth century. Some might call this reverent and graceful attitude of worship formal and ritualistic. But the stately mood reflects the teaching of today’s reading of 1 Corinthians 14:26-40. In this reading Paul instructs the Corinthians to set their worship in order. We will find Paul advises a serene atmosphere in worship. And that mood reflects the holiness of God who is a God of harmony and peace. The Mood of Pagan Worship Infects the Church…
Praying in the Rain
Faith and Moral Freedom
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Farming is one of the most concrete examples of faith. Farmers spend a great deal of money, very often going into debt to buy seed, fertilizer and equipment only to sow the seed and fertilizer into the ground. The harvest will not come for several months, and there is very little the farmer can do but wait. Jesus spoke a great deal about sowing and reaping and used it as a metaphor…
Faith Encouraged
Is Speaking in Tongues Real?
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It’s one of (if not the) fastest growing forms of Christianity in the world, and it’s the movement I came from when I converted to Orthodoxy so many years ago. I’m talking about the Pentecostal movement. And one of the most distinctive aspects of Pentecostalism is something called “speaking in tongues.” Every month I get some question or comment or inquiry about my attitude about this supernatural phenomenon so I thought I’d…
The Word of the Day
Praying With Understanding in Worship (Thurs. August 11)
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The word of the day is “understanding.” Some equate the mystical with the esoteric. They believe that the more incomprehensible the utterance, the more sacred the speech. This claim is like the boast of those who “spoke in tongues” in the congregation at Corinth. These troublemakers who could utter strange sounds boasted that they had superior spiritual knowledge. Their speech may have been ecstatic, but it had no message that could be communicated to others. In response to this bragging, in today’s reading of 1 Corinthians 14:6-9, the apostle minimizes the importance of this unintelligible speech. Instead, he recommends praying with “understanding” (v. 5). Those who had the ability to utter strange sounds might have been carried away into a…
Walking an Ancient Path
Behind the Icon Screen: The Journey of the Bread & the Wine
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My husband Rob played guitar in a worship band for a small church plant that we had been attending. The little church, which focused on ministry to immigrants, was part of the charismatic Foursquare denomination, and we met on Sunday evenings in the sanctuary of a large, established church that was Evangelical Presbyterian. Soon Rob and I would discover Orthodoxy, but at the time we were all over the religious map in…
Faith Encouraged
To Love Is To Understand
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“Oh, come on. You know good and well I didn’t mean that the way you are taking it!” Frankly, I couldn’t get over that this person so misunderstood me. It almost felt like it was on purpose to discredit what I was saying. After a few deep breaths, and dialing back my wounded ego, I stopped and asked this person “Why did you think I meant that by what I said?” After…
The Word of the Day
Love Endures When All Else Fails (Wed. August 10)
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The word of the day is “endures.” People these days do not value things that last.  But when the trials of life come, they realize that they have taken the good things of life for granted, and what is valuable has slipped away from them.  Then, they begin to seek something that endures. In today’s reading of 1 Corinthians 13:4-14, Paul answers that quest. It is love. The apostle writes that love “…bears all things, believes all things, hopes all things, endures all things (vs. 7). The Love God Has For Us and the Love We Share The love that Paul refers to is not the love of romance, friendship, or family.  It is the everlasting love that God has…
Living Water
Life as a Sandwich
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The Top Slice This year I turn 50. This doesn’t really bother me except that over the past few years, I have found myself transforming into a sandwich. Okay, maybe not an actual sandwich, but I have become one of the sandwich generation. For those that don’t know, the sandwich generation are people, often age 40 to 59, who have one or more parents aged 65+, and who are also caring for either a minor child or are financially assisting an adult child. Often, members of the sandwich generation are not only raising or financially assisting their children, but are…
Glory to God for All Things
The Tangled Web
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Sir Walter Scott (1808) famously wrote: “O what a tangled web we weave, when first we practice to deceive.” A modern pundit has rephrased it: “Always tell the truth…it’s easier to remember.” Lies inevitably create a web of false narratives. In many ways, it’s a metaphor for sin itself. Sin begets sin that begets sin and the web ensnares us into a world of un-truth. A single thread of a spider’s web…