Every Thought Captive
Compassionate Denial: A Paradigm of Abuse?
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Inga Leonova, in her article of the same name for Public Orthodoxy, describes what she calls “the paradigm of compassionate denial.” She offers this quote as an example of the traditionalist position in the social media culture war: “My heart breaks for people in the Church who struggle with same-sex attraction, and we should counsel them and offer them support with love in their ascetic endeavor to carry the cross of chastity.” It soon becomes apparent, when reading this article, that Ms. Leonova does not believe this position to be compassionate at all. Unfortunately, while critiquing…
No Other Foundation
Biblical Women: Esther
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If ever a Biblical story cried out to be made into a Hollywood movie, it would be the story of Esther. The story has everything that Hollywood values in a movie: rags-to-riches, gorgeous scenery, sex, intrigue, a creepy villain, attempted murder, violence, plot twists, a cast of thousands, and a happy ending. It even centers upon a strong female character, a kind of proto-feminist, someone who is both strong and feminine, vulnerable…
Walking an Ancient Path
Smoke Signals: The Fragrance of Prayer for Church and Home
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[A few weeks ago we considered the physicality of Orthodoxy and the necessity of in-person services, so I thought this would be a good time to consider more deeply the beauty and symbolism of incense in worship. This post is an expanded version of one I published in September of 2019. Why another retread? Well, for one thing, it fits. But more importantly, in our intermittent series “Stumbling Stones on the Orthodox…
Faith Encouraged
The Hard Work of Love
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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. And that, dearest, is precisely the evil one’s intentions. Because the end result of these fantasies is the depressing lie that there is no such thing as love and that always leads to “there is no such thing as God.” Game, set, match kingdom…
Word of the Day
Hope Is Not Empty Fantasy: It is Founded on the Substantial Belief in Christ (Wed. July 21)
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The word of the day is ”hope.”  We live in an age whose cynicism borders on hopelessness. Many are skeptical of everything. They question everything but their own opinions, notions based on their own self-interest. In this ocean of doubt, some treat our hope in Christ as a wish that we cast into the future like a message-in-a-bottle is thrown into the sea. But in today’s reading of Romans 15:7-16, Paul closes the body of his letter with a benediction. In this beautiful sentence, Paul prays for the greatest of  blessings—that the believers in Rome would “abound in peace.”  He writes, “Now may the God of hope fill you with all joy and peace in believing, that you may abound…
The Morning Offering
THE PAIN OF SUFFERING
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The Lord Used My Pain to Help Others in Pain As a child I was bullied by other children, and even a few teachers, because they all thought I was stupid. I suffered from dyslexia at a time when it was an unknown learning disability. It was not until I was in graduate school that I found, after taking a…
The Morning Offering
A Short New Video (click here to watch)
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Faith Encouraged
Steady As She Goes!
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“He’s steady as a rock!” With those words, the person giving the reference for this potential hire gave a strong and satisfying look to the potential employer. And she was right. The guy got the job. You see, everyone wants stability. But is that enough? After all, graveyards are “stable!” What if there was a way to live a life that was both Stable AND Dynamic? Sounds like a contradiction, doesn’t it?…
Word of the Day
How to Overcome the Temptation to Judge Others (Tues. July 20)
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The word of the day is “judge.” Judging others is one of the most common and harmful types of pride. Unless we are constantly watchful, our fleshly nature will condemn others for their faults, even if we only do it mentally. In today’s reading of Romans 14:9-18, Paul poses a question that we might ask ourselves when tempted to criticize others. He writes, “why do you judge your brother?” (Romans 14:10).  In today’s reading, we will answer that question. More than that, we will find ways to counter the tendency to pass judgment on our fellow humans. In Greek, the term “to judge” comes from the idea of distinguishing ourselves from others. We separate ourselves from others either in our…
The Morning Offering
THE KINDLY PRIEST
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The Kindly Priest and the American Tourist A protestant woman from Tacoma, WA. was on vacation with her husband in the Greek city of Athens. Each day she walked to a small sidewalk cafe near the hotel for her coffee and watched the locals pass by. One of these locals was an Orthodox priest who’d pass by the cafe on…
The Whole Counsel Blog
When and Where Was Revelation Written?
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In the previous post, Eusebius of Caesarea’s attempt to divide out a second “Elder John” other than St. John the son of Zebedee was discussed. He confabulated this figure in order to be able to utilize early patristic testimony to St. John, son of Zebedee as the author of the Gospel and First Epistle while rejecting the same testimony regarding the authorship of Revelation. This despite the fathers in question making no such distinction between two Johns. Despite St. Irenaeus of Lyons, St. John’s spiritual grandson, giving the date and place of its composition, in recent times the date, in particular, has been called into question by proponents of certain eschatological schemes (primarily forms of preterism) originating in Calvinist theological…
Beyond the Bars
What Role Does Demonic Spiritual Warfare Play In Our Struggles?
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In this second part of a series, Fr. Stephen Powley answers some provocative questions he received by email. Question:  “In your opinion, do you think the role of evil, the devil, demons, and spiritual warfare is understated and not given fair recognition for the sins and/or crimes that are committed in today’s age? I once heard that the closer to God an individual is, the more evil will try to attack…
Behind the Scenes
Humans of Ancient Faith: Richard Barrett
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Humans of Ancient Faith is a series of mini-interviews designed to introduce you to the many wonderful human beings who make this ministry possible. We asked the same 5 questions in each interview, and let the interviewee choose a sixth question. Today’s guest is podcaster Richard Barrett. ++++++++++++++ If you were named for your defining characteristic, what word or phrase would be your name? “Sheer and utter lack of awareness of when…
Faith Encouraged
Live In Harmony with One Another
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Sometimes, I hate Facebook! OK, what I really hate is being misunderstood and then I have to scramble to be understood and end up making things worse! Ugh! It seems the harder I try the worse it gets. Do you know what I mean? Have you ever, with the best of intentions, tried to make a clear and cogent comment only to have it taken out of context or misunderstood in a…
Word of the Day
Humility: The Beginning and Ending of the Virtues (Mon. July 19)
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The word of the day is “humility.”  In The Orthodox Faith, Vol. 4, Fr. Thomas Hopko of blessed memory lists thirteen virtues. Fr. Hopko says that the thirteen qualities of character  are gifts of the Spirit. All humans must possess to them to  be restored to the image of God in which they were made (Hopko 1981).  Fr. Thomas presents a helpful list of moral traits, but it is hard to keep all of them in mind. Likewise, today’s reading of Romans 12:4-5, 15-21 appears to be a random collection of assorted fragments of spiritual counsel that are also difficult to remember. Today we search for one practice of holiness that is the key to all the rest.  According to…
The Morning Offering
COURAGE AND FAITH
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Verses Anxiety and Unease If we are easily offended, or lose our peace of mind when someone treats us badly, inner peace cannot be attained. The Christian who lives his life with internal strife and worry edifies neither other Christians, nor does he reflect anything of Christianity that would be attractive to those who have no faith. Such a person…
Word of the Day
Freedom Reconsidered: Subservient to Sin or Obedient to God (Sun. July 18)
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The word of the day is “slave.”  Our society demands freedom. People insist on being free to do what they want and to be what they desire. But in today’s reading of Romans 6: 18-23, Paul declares, “Having been set free from sin, you have become slaves of righteousness” OSB vs. 18). This language of slavery is bound to repel us. But today, we will set aside our aversion to the concept and reconsider the contrast between “slavery to sin and slavery to righteousness.” We will discover the positive sense of being a “slave to God.” Today we are increasingly sensitive to slavery and its ugly history. We are so opposed to the unjust, brutal, and inhuman treatment of others…
The Morning Offering
RESPONDING TO THE ABUSER
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We are Not Required to Remain in an Abusive Relationship Although the best way to respond to another person’s anger is not to withdraw, but to move towards them with kindness, there are times when distancing yourself from someone who is angry is necessary. There is absolutely no good reason for you to move towards another when they are being…
Eastern Christian Insights
Becoming the Light of the World Through the God-Man: Homily for the Sunday of the Holy Fathers of Fourth Ecumenical Council in the Orthodox Church
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Titus 3:8-15; Matthew 5:14-19   “Often disappointed, but seldom surprised.” That old saying describes how we must respond to much of what passes for Christianity in our culture today. Instead of manifesting the deified humanity of the Savior as “the light of the world,” many commit the idolatry of using Him as a mascot for seeking first the kingdoms of this world. In doing so, they make Christ merely an icon of…
Frederica.com
Book Review: The Ethics of Beauty
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[July 17, 2021] I’m a fan of Prof Timothy Patitsas’s new book, “The Ethics of Beauty.” It’s a beautiful reading experience. Here’s a mini-review:  What’s the point of Beauty? A practical-minded culture may be sure we need Goodness and Truth, but Beauty seems expendable. A drive around the beltway…
Every Thought Captive
Orthodox Social Thought and the Gospel, Part 3
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[T]he scope of our art is to provide the soul with wings, to rescue it from the world and give it to God, and to watch over that which is in His image, if it abides, to take it by the hand, if it is in danger, or restore it, if ruined, to make Christ to dwell in the heart by the Spirit: and, in short, to deify, and bestow heavenly bliss upon, one who belongs to the heavenly host. This is the wish of our schoolmaster the law, of the prophets who intervened between Christ…
Word of the Day
How to Deal with Sin: Consider Oneself Dead to Sin but Alive to God in Christ (Sat. July 17)
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The word of the day is “reckon.” What is our relationship to sin? As we start down our walk with Christ in the Spirit, sin is likely to follow us. We try to flee it.  But the faster we run from it, the more it catches up with us. If we cannot escape sin, what can we do? In our reading of Romans 6:11-17, Paul says, “Reckon yourselves dead to sin but alive to God in Christ Jesus our Lord” (OSB vs. 11).  Today, we consider what being “dead to sin” and “alive to God” means for our struggle against temptation.  We will find that the key is how we “Reckon” ourselves. We Should Not Let Sin Reign In today’s…
The Morning Offering
THE THREE DISCIPLINES
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Prayer, Fasting, and Almsgiving Jesus Christ called for a thorough conversion of our heart and mind, and a complete turning away from the old man (our fallen nature). The main act that begins this conversion is metanoia, which means thorough change of mind. This happens when we become aware that we have sinned, and that we are in need of…
Beyond the Bars
Are We Forever Marked By The Worst Thing We’ve Ever Done?
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In this first part of a two part series, former prison chaplain, Fr. Stephen Powley, answers some provocative questions he received by email. Question:  “I stumbled upon your prison ministry video on YouTube and was very moved by your words. I’ve never been incarcerated but I’ve had friends and peers that have or are serving time. I know that many people, myself included, based on our sins, transgressions, mistakes, etc. could have…
Behind the Scenes
Humans of Ancient Faith: Anna Neill
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Humans of Ancient Faith is a series of mini-interviews designed to introduce you to the many wonderful human beings who make this ministry possible. We asked the same 5 questions in each interview, and let the interviewee choose a sixth question. Today’s guest is author and blogger Anna Neill. ++++++++++++++ If you were named for your defining characteristic, what word or phrase would be your name? Unwavering. When I take on anything…
A Lamp for Today
Lighting Up the Apocalypse 12: Sitting, Flying, and Falling Down
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Revelation 4, Isaiah 6, Ezekiel 1, Daniel 7 Chapters two and three of the Apocalypse concentrate upon the words of the Word of God, though we have seen glimpses also of how He “looks” in John’s vision of him prior to the seven messages, when he turns to “see” the Voice. The exalted Jesus then proceeded to direct various words of admonition and encouragement to the churches, and to the Church, coupled…
Faith Encouraged
The Unknowable Depths of God's Mercy
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I do this sometimes. When I’m checking out at the grocery store, I will read the outlandish headlines on the tabloid papers displayed there. Of course, that’s why they put those papers there so that you’ll read them while you wait in line. Smart marketing! But sometimes the headlines are so outrageous that I will actually pick the paper up and look inside! Why are we drawn to sensational stories? Why do…
