The Morning Offering
The Orthodox Church
·
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
·
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
·
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)
·
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?
·
“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
·
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
·
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)
·
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
·
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)
·
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
·
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)
·
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
·
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
·
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)
·
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
Sunday, July 5 / June 22 (Church Calendar)
·
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
Bear One Another's Burdens
·
When St. Paul at the end of Galatians tells us to bear one another’s burdens and “so fulfill the law of Christ,” What exactly is he telling us to do? Just three verses later, St. Paul tells the Galatians, “Each one shall bear his own load.” Is this a contradiction? Most of us, I think, never thought about this. Even if we knew both verses, we would quote them for different purposes.…
Glory to God for All Things
Hopko on Life and Death
·
Glory to God for All Things
Prayers By the Lake XXII - Shatter the Narrowness of My Soul
·
O Only Son of God, receive me into Your wisdom. You are the head of all the sons of men. You are their heavenly comprehension, illumination and jubilation. You are the One who thinks the same goodness in all men: the same thought and the same light. A man recognizes another man through You. A man prophesies to another man through You. Through Your voice men hear each other. In Your language they understand.…
The Morning Offering
Saturday, July 4 / June 21 (Church Calendar)
·
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! Saint John the…
Glory to God for All Things
Civilizations and the Kingdom - A Call for Prayer
·
This reprint (with changes) seems fitting for America’s Independence Day celebrations this weekend. I give thanks to God that priests are forbidden (by canon law) to hold political office – not that I would ever be elected – but that I would never want to stand in the place where my Christian faith was so torn – between what I might think good for the state and what would seem obedient to…
The Morning Offering
Friday, July 3 / June 20 (Church Calendar)
·
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
Thursday, July 2 / June 19 (Church Calendar)
·
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 1 June 18 (Church Calendar)
·
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
Rightly Reading
·
This is a reprint from last October. The course of your reading should be parallel to the aim of your way of life…. Most books that contain instructions in doctrine are not useful for purification. The reading of many diverse books brings distraction of mind down on you. Know, then, that not every book that teaches about religion is useful for the purification of the consciousness and the concentration of the thoughts.…
The Morning Offering
Tuesday, June 30/ June 17 (Church Calendar)
·
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, June 29 / June 16 (Church Calendar)
·
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…
