Praying in the Rain
Am I an Evangelical?
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In my Protestant days, when I began reading Medieval writers, I was often confused by their use of the adjective, “evangelical.” The reference was often made of monks and other holy people that they lived an evangelical life. At that time, the only meaning for evangelical I knew was based on my understanding of Evangelical Protestants. An Evangelical, I thought, was a Christian who emphasized evangelism: aka proselytzation. It took me quite…
Glory to God for All Things
In the Grasp of Wonder
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Concepts create idols; only wonder grasps anything. St. Gregory of Nyssa St. Gregory of Nyssa’s marvelous dictum is among a handful of things that describe what is required for the Christian life. So much of Christian history has been marked with a bifurcation – a split between those who study the faith and those who live it. It is not a necessary split – only a common one. Of course there is…
The Morning Offering
Thursday, July 16 / July 3 (Church Calendar)
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The Orthodox Church is evangelical, but not Protestant. It is orthodox, but not Jewish. It is catholic, but not Roman. It isn’t non-denominational – it is pre-denominational. It has believed, taught, preserved, defended and died for the Faith of the Apostles since the Day of Pentecost 2000 years ago. Glory to Jesus Christ! Glory to Him forever! Saints of the…
The Morning Offering
Wednesday, July 15 / July 2 (Church Calendar)
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The Orthodox Church is evangelical, but not Protestant. It is orthodox, but not Jewish. It is catholic, but not Roman. It isn’t non-denominational – it is pre-denominational. It has believed, taught, preserved, defended and died for the Faith of the Apostles since the Day of Pentecost 2000 years ago. Glory to Jesus Christ! Glory to Him forever! Deposition of the…
Glory to God for All Things
The End of History
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The first part of this article is from one of my earliest posts. Appended to it are some current reflections. If it was worth reading the first time… O, Mama, can this really be the end? To be stuck inside of Mobile with the Memphis Blues again. Bob Dylan Ok. I’ll confess it right up front – I’m a Dylan fan. It shows my age and generation. My children have had to…
The Morning Offering
Tuesday, July 14 / July 1 (Church Calendar)
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The Orthodox Church is evangelical, but not Protestant. It is orthodox, but not Jewish. It is catholic, but not Roman. It isn’t non-denominational – it is pre-denominational. It has believed, taught, preserved, defended and died for the Faith of the Apostles since the Day of Pentecost 2000 years ago. Glory to Jesus Christ! Glory to Him forever! Saints of the…
The Morning Offering
Monday, July 13 / June 30 (Church Calendar)
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The Orthodox Church is evangelical, but not Protestant. It is orthodox, but not Jewish. It is catholic, but not Roman. It isn’t non-denominational – it is pre-denominational. It has believed, taught, preserved, defended and died for the Faith of the Apostles since the Day of Pentecost 2000 years ago. Glory to Jesus Christ! Glory to Him forever! Synaxis of the…
The Morning Offering
Sunday, July 12 / June 29 (Church Calendar)
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The Orthodox Church is evangelical, but not Protestant. It is orthodox, but not Jewish. It is catholic, but not Roman. It isn’t non-denominational – it is pre-denominational. It has believed, taught, preserved, defended and died for the Faith of the Apostles since the Day of Pentecost 2000 years ago. Glory to Jesus Christ! Glory to Him forever! Holy Apostles Peter…
Glory to God for All Things
Miracles and Creation
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There is an aspect of the modern use of the word “miracle,” that is more than a little problematic. While it is true that a number of Orthodox hymns in referring to certain dramatic events use the phrase, “the order of nature is overthrown,” this is far from being a complete theological account of what we know as the miraculous. A common understanding in the secular world of the miraculous is that…
Glory to God for All Things
The Monk and the Bird
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While we’re at it – here’s a photo of one of the brothers at Mar Saba Monastery in the Judaean Desert. It seems clear that right relationship with God and right relationship with nature are normal. We met this monastic last year when we traveled in the Holy Land. It’s good to know that the stories of St. Seraphim and the bear or St. Francis and various animals are not things of…
Praying in the Rain
A Redemptive Clint Eastwood Movie?
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(Spoiler Alert!) I saw Gran Torino last night. Normally I do not watch Clint Eastwood movies. I struggle enough with thoughts of vengeance and violent impulses in my own soul: I do not need to stir up those passions by watching a misunderstood but basically good loner be pushed by evil men to acts of vengeance and murder which seem unquestionably noble in the context of the movie. At least that’s what…
Glory to God for All Things
Serbian Monk and a Wolf
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I do not understand the narration – but no words are necessary in this video. The reality speaks for itself. [vodpod id=Groupvideo.2926564&w=425&h=350&fv=%26rel%3D0%26border%3D0%26] About this same monk and wolf, Fr. Milovan Katanic writes: In Kovilje Monastery, at the foot of the Javor mountains, there were once many monks, during the time of the Turks there was even a monastic school here. Today, in the recently renovated late 12th century monastery, there is only…
The Morning Offering
The Orthodox Church
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The Orthodox Church is evangelical, but not Protestant. It is orthodox, but not Jewish. It is catholic, but not Roman. It isn’t non-denominational – it is pre-denominational. It has believed, taught, preserved, defended and died for the Faith of the Apostles since the Day of Pentecost 2000 years ago. Glory to Jesus Christ! Glory to Him forever! Saturday, July 11…
Glory to God for All Things
The Whole of Spiritual Warfare Wages Around Humility
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From the Elder Sophrony’s Widsom from Mount Athos: Thus the whole spiritual warfare wages round humility. The enemy fell from pride, and would draw us to perdition by the same means. The enemy praises us, and should the soul listen to his praise grace withdraws until she repents. Thus throughout her life the soul is occupied with the lesson of Christ-like humility. So long as she has not humility wrong thoughts and…
Praying in the Rain
On Washing Feet
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St. John records for us the washing of the Disciples’ feet by Jesus before the Last Supper. Peter is embarrassed and doesn’t want to let Jesus wash his feet—not realizing that Jesus has already washed him entirely, for they are already clean because of the word Jesus had spoken to them [15:3]. Peter is already clean, he just needs a little clean up. That Peter needed a little cleaning is, of course,…
The Morning Offering
Friday, July 10 / June 27 (Church Calendar)
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The Orthodox Church is evangelical, but not Protestant. It is orthodox, but not Jewish. It is catholic, but not Roman. It isn’t non-denominational – it is pre-denominational. It has believed, taught, preserved, defended and died for the Faith of the Apostles since the Day of Pentecost 2000 years ago. Glory to Jesus Christ! Glory to Him forever! Saints of the…
Praying in the Rain
Money Problems?
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“We’ve figured out how to solve the problem of our overcrowded little chapel. It will only take five million dollars.” With these words I greeted Lourie and her two small children as she swung by the coffee shop to pick up Andrew. Andrew and I had spent an hour and a half solving all of the world’s problems—especially as they touched our little parish—while Lourie took the car to run around town…
Glory to God for All Things
The Chief of Sinners
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A version of this post appeared last January. In light of the recent posts on prayer and communion it seemed timely to rerun this post. Though not on prayer, it carries some of the same thoughts to the commonality of our life as Christians and of our life as human beings. I believe that we will make little progress as Christians nor as human beings (as measured in the Kingdom of God)…
Fr. Andrew Stephen Damick
In the world, but not of the world
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Fourth Sunday after Pentecost, July 5, 2009 Rev. Fr. Andrew Stephen Damick Emmaus, Pennsylvania In the Name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit, one God. Amen. Yesterday was the 233rd anniversary of our country. This year marks the 250th anniversary of the town of Emmaus and its 150th anniversary as an incorporated borough of the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania.…
The Morning Offering
Thursday, July 9 / June 26 (Church Calendar)
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The Orthodox Church is evangelical, but not Protestant. It is orthodox, but not Jewish. It is catholic, but not Roman. It isn’t non-denominational – it is pre-denominational. It has believed, taught, preserved, defended and died for the Faith of the Apostles since the Day of Pentecost 2000 years ago.Glory to Jesus Christ! Glory to Him forever! Saints of the Day…
Praying in the Rain
Envy, Self Righteousness and Pity
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I am familiar with Envy—you might even say that Envy is a friend of mine. It’s not that I want to envy, it’s just that I often do. I don’t want to be friends, but we have spent so much time together over the years that it seems Envy has its own comfortable chair in the living room of my heart. Over the last little while, however, Envy has been somewhat uncomfortable…
The Morning Offering
Wednesday, July 8 / June 25 (Church Calendar)
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The Orthodox Church is evangelical, but not Protestant. It is orthodox, but not Jewish. It is catholic, but not Roman. It isn’t non-denominational – it is pre-denominational. It has believed, taught, preserved, defended and died for the Faith of the Apostles since the Day of Pentecost 2000 years ago. Glory to Jesus Christ! Glory to Him forever! Saints of the…
Glory to God for All Things
The Communion of Prayer
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Now it came to pass in those days that He went out to the mountain to pray, and continued all night in prayer to God (Luke 6:12). Have you ever wondered what Jesus did when He prayed all night? Have you ever tried to pray all night? If your conception of prayer is a monologue of needs, information and requests, then your experience of prayer is either that it is very short…
The Morning Offering
Tuesday, July 7 / June 24 (Church Calendar)
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The Orthodox Church is evangelical, but not Protestant. It is orthodox, but not Jewish. It is catholic, but not Roman. It isn’t non-denominational – it is pre-denominational. It has believed, taught, preserved, defended and died for the Faith of the Apostles since the Day of Pentecost 2000 years ago. Glory to Jesus Christ! Glory to Him forever! Saints of the…
Glory to God for All Things
Salvation, Prayer and Communion with God
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Few things are as fundamental to the New Testament as the reality of communion (koinonia). It means a commonality, a sharing and participation in the same thing. It is this commonality or sharing that lies at the very heart of our salvation. This communion is described in Christ’s “high priestly prayer”: I do not pray for these alone, but also for those who will believe in Me through their word; that they…
Praying in the Rain
Forebear Theatening
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In Ephesians, as in other epistles, St. Paul fills the last half of the letter with practical advice for Christian living. Here he advises “masters” to “forebear threatening.” Most of us live in circles of relationships in which we are at various times and in various contexts master or slave, parent or child, elder or younger. Almost no one is always only “wife” or always only “child” or always only “master.” However,…
The Morning Offering
Monday, July 6 / June 23 (Church Calendar)
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The Orthodox Church is evangelical, but not Protestant. It is orthodox, but not Jewish. It is catholic, but not Roman. It isn’t non-denominational – it is pre-denominational. It has believed, taught, preserved, defended and died for the Faith of the Apostles since the Day of Pentecost 2000 years ago. Glory to Jesus Christ! Glory to Him forever! Saints of the…
