The Morning Offering
Imitate the Publican
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The saints serve as models for our lives Our Orthodox Christian life is not designed to be invented as we go, for by the very nature of the Church we are instructed to use as our model of living, the lives of the saints that have gone on before us. Their lives are held up before us as examples of…
The Morning Offering
Abbot Tryphon's YouTube video (click here)
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Word of the Day
Don’t Let Religious Imposters Fool You (Sun., Feb. 21)
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The word of the day is “imposter.” From his earliest letters onward, Paul had to include a warning against interlopers who would lead the faithful astray. In our reading of 2 Timothy 3:10-15, Paul cautions his apprentice Timothy that these pretenders are bound to increase. He writes, “But evil men and imposters will grow worse and worse, deceiving and being deceived” (vs. 13). In today’s study, we learn how to identify these charlatans and to guard against their deception. False Christs and False Prophets Will Keep Appearing The Lord warned that “false Christ’s” and “false prophets” would appear and attempt to lead many astray (Matthew 24:24). His warning has applied to the Church throughout the ages.  They have ranged from…
The Morning Offering
Preparing for Great Lent
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Lent is the springtime cleaning of the soul We are only a few weeks away from the beginning of Great Lent, and this is therefore a good time to take a closer look at just what faith means. However simply it might be, whatever we do to please God is important, for in the eyes of the Lord, however simple…
Eastern Christian Insights
We Need a Humble Lent in These Troubled Times: Homily for the Sunday of the Pharisee and the Publican in the Orthodox Church
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Luke 18:10-14            The disruptions of what we think of as normal life in our society in the last year should open our eyes to the reality of what it means to be human persons in the world as we know it. Despite the scientific and medical advances that we take for granted, a virus can still easily bring death, disease, and disruption in ways that no one can fully control. As usual,…
Shepherding our Little Flock
Intersessory prayer - A prayer adapted
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As with a blog post I shared a few weeks ago – Cultivating Daily Repentance: A Prayer – I found a prayer from my own prayer book that has now become a nightly prayer with the kids. We do have our own quick way of going around and each saying a “special prayer” for someone each evening, but they often fall very close to home – family, friends we saw that day…
Every Thought Captive
Waging War - A Call to Arms pt 4
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We ended our last entry in this series with a string of questions regarding how Orthodox Christians should approach moral issues in the public sphere. How are we as Orthodox Christians are to conduct ourselves in public discourse, especially in disagreements and clashes over the meaning of our life together? Culture war at its heart is a conflict of meaning and how to order our lives together. There are grotesque and even cartoonish ways in which we can engage in disagreement. Slander, misrepresentation, and arguing from a place of bad faith pervade so many interactions. The…
Word of the Day
Unchanging Faithfulness in a Changing World (Sat., Feb. 20)
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The word of the day is “faithful.”  Change is the way of the universe, and no one in the world can stop it. The changing of the day and night, the seasons, the tides, the weather; the alterations of society, the generations, governments, economies, fashions, and fortunes; the relentless course of human life from infancy through old age–who of us can arrest the ebbing and flowing of any of these?  Yet among all that exists, there is one who does not change, the eternal God.  And because He was, is, and always will be the same (Hebrews 13:8; James 1:17), He is faithful.  In our reading of 2 Timothy 2:11-19, Paul testifies to this faithfulness.  The Everlasting God remains faithful…
The Morning Offering
These Dark Times
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The darkness can only be scattered by the Light of Christ The very essence of our Christian faith is love because God Himself is love (1 John 4:8). Thus, our Christian morality, our ethics, and even our liturgical services and rites, are inconceivable in the absence of love. And, this love is not merely an act that has sprung up…
No Other Foundation
The Necessary Revolution
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Throughout the years, I have had the privilege of receiving a number of people into the Orthodox Church—indeed, our own little mission consists overwhelmingly of converts and their children. Most of the converts come from various kinds of Protestantism, with Evangelicals predominating. Before receiving them into the Church, obviously some catechesis was required. One must teach them the differences between Orthodoxy and the churches from which they came—differences such as our views…
Word of the Day
“Partakers of the Divine Nature” (Fri. Feb. 19)
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The word of the day is “partakers.” In various places in the New Testament, we hear that we are to become “like God.” Our reading of 2 Peter 1:1-10 ties all these terms together in the concept of “deification.” At the core of today’s passage, the apostle writes, “… that you may be partakers of the divine nature…” (vs. 4). Our discussion will explore the background of this thought. A startling statement of the Athanasius summarizes the topic of today’s study. In 318 A.D., the theologian wrote a seminal book entitled On the Incarnation. To explain why the Son of God came down from heaven to “become man,” the church father wrote, “God became man so that man might…
Faith Encouraged
Don't Be Led Astray
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I usually get in trouble when I do this, but it just fits so well with our lesson today, I’m going to take the chance! One of my favorite songs from The Eagles reunion effort is “Learn to Be Still” and the second verse sticks in my head every time I hear it: “We are like sheep without a shepherd. We don’t know how to be alone. So we wander around this…
The Morning Offering
In Our Silence
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In silence the acquisition of holiness can be ours This holiness is not simply the result of having cultivated virtues, or controlling oneself through asceticism, but rather having a completely organic relationship with Christ. This organic relationship is the result of going through stages of repentance and purity, leading to a remarkable state of union with Christ, seen by the…
A Healing Driven Life
Learning to Embrace our Battle Honors
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Many of us struggle with how to perceive the painful experiences in our lives. We may try for a lifetime to forget them. We may view them with a sense of shame. Perhaps even we are embarrassed by them and try to conceal them from others. We can spend many years or even decades trying to get a perspective on the trials and tribulations we have experienced. We often view them as weakness, as a handicap, or as a punishment. They become silent, inner scars that we try to hide. I would consider myself a history buff and have a fondness for military history. It is not rooted in the glorification of war; war is tragic and is best…
Glory to God for All Things
Hope: The Unashamed Virtue
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This past year, my wife and I developed a delightful habit of “Monday’s with Eli.” He is my soon-to-be 5 year-old grandson. He has a nearly 4 month-old baby brother, whose time in the womb was the occasion for our weekly baby-sitting duties. With my retirement, his presence was a new challenge to “find things to do.” He is an energetic boy, bright, with quick interest in almost anything around him. Our…
Faith Encouraged
The Widow's Mite
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St. Basil was one of the most powerful leaders the Church has known, and that’s because he followed up his preaching to the people with action. His legacy of generosity and his preaching to the people that they MUST develop the discipline of generosity in their own lives echoes loudly in the ears of the Church to this day! Look what he said: “The shoes rotting in your closet belong to the…
Word of the Day
Preparing for the Trials of Faith (Thurs. Feb. 18)
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The word of the day is “strange.” Most of us think that routine is a good thing.  If things do not change considerably, we can make plans and carry on with our lives without interruption. Yet, the scriptures warn that we should prepare ourselves for the disruption of trials of our faith.  For instance, in today’s reading, Peter writes, “Do not think it strange concerning the fiery trial which is to happen to you as though some strange thing happened to you” (vs. 12).  Our reading of 1 Peter 4:12-5:5 advises how we might endure suffering for the sake of Christ with serenity and even joy. You might notice that the New Testament writers often speak of the trials that…
The Morning Offering
The Evangelical and Apostolic Faith
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There is less and less of authentic Christianity to be seen in our world today One of the most powerful reasons for embracing Orthodoxy is to be found in the Church’s insistence that she holds to the evangelical and apostolic doctrine of the Ancient Church. In an age when everything is up for change, there is a certain security and…
Growing the Church
Growth Inhibitors: Hypocrisy
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As you can see from the title of this blog, my main concern has been the growth of the church. So over the last few months I have explored what we mean by growth and how it can be measured. I have examined some of the things that I think prevent that growth from taking place and considered ways of facilitating ecclesial health. As it so happens and in spite of my…
Faith Encouraged
What's Left Over Is What Matters
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What is it about giving money to the church that always seems to rile up folks? Do people think the parish runs on good intentions? Why is this topic one of the top subjects in the scriptures and one of the most controversial topics even today? To be honest, it has little to do with actual giving, and even less to do with money itself. The reason financial support of the Church…
Word of the Day
The Forbearance of Fervent Love (Wed. Feb. 17)
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The word of the day is “covers.” Members of the Body of Christ are at different stages of their “growth in grace and knowledge of our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ” (2 Peter 3:18). If St. Paul could say, “I have not attained [my goal] or am already perfect” (Philippians 3:12), who of us could claim to be without fault? But when it comes to our relationships in the church, our imperfections are bound to affect others. Therefore, the members of the Body of Christ must have forbearance if the body is not to be torn apart with our frustrations with one another. To this end, in the reading of 1 Peter 4:1-11, the apostle writes, “Above all things have…
The Morning Offering
Same Sex Attraction
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The homosexual person in light of the Orthodox Faith My heart goes out to homosexual men and women who face a life of rejection and loneliness. I do not believe the majority of them chose to be homosexual. A person would have to be insane to chose a sexual proclivity that fosters hatred and rejection, and in many cases, being…
Word of the Day
What Can Man Do To Those Who Fear the Lord? (Tues. Feb. 16)
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The world of the day is “threat.” We pray daily for those who are persecuted. But the thought that we also might suffer hostility for our faith may not occur to us. However, in today’s reading, James writes, “Always be ready to give a defense to everyone who asks you a reason for the hope that is in you” (vs.15).  Put in this way, we can agree that even in our tolerant society, we are likely to confront challenges to our faith that express opposition. Today’s reading of 1 Peter 3:10-22 teaches that we should boldly respond to these tests of our convictions without fear. Persecution was the norm for the early church, and stories of martyrdom and suffering for…
Faith Encouraged
Keeping The End in MInd
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No matter how long any of us live, there’s something about the changing of the calendar that invites us to look at ourselves. Benjamin Franklin once said, “Be at war with your vices, at peace with your neighbors, and let every new year find you a better man.” Great quote. And it’s great advice. But, how do you do it? That, my dear ones, takes a perspective adjustment that is deeply embedded…
The Morning Offering
The Gym
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The similarities between the trainer and the confessor Just after my graduation from college I moved to Portland, Oregon, where I worked at various jobs, including waiting tables in an upscale restaurant (to this day, I’m a good tipper), bartender in a small Irish pub (I’m mostly Scottish), and working as an orderly in a trauma center. All these jobs…
From Faithful Hands
The Thread of Tradition
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How does a seamstress make a straight seam? They start with a straight cut of fabric. I took on a small liturgical sewing project recently. Small in terms of simplicity, not in scope, as it is an altar cloth four yards long! It is made of pure white, sturdy linen fabric, that comes off the bolt 54 inches wide. The altar cloth must be 31 inches wide when finished. The basic geometry…
Behind the Scenes
Why did the Reformation happen - and other programs on AFR this week
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LIVE SHOWS: There are 4 live shows this week! Remember, you can hear our live shows on the Ancient Faith Radio app or on our website. During the show, call 1-855-AFRADIO (1-855-237-2346) with questions or comments. All programs are recorded. Listen to previous episodes at the links provided. Tonight on Search the Scriptures LIVE, as part of our continuing series on Romans, we will have an overview of the developments in the Catholic Church during the…
