The Whole Counsel Blog
Being and Chaos
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In our modern understanding of being, being is commonly opposed to nothingness. Something exists and by this we mean has some sort of material reality, it is a thing, or it does not exist, meaning that it is imaginary and has no real time space existence. The difficulty of discussing the existence of God as ‘a being’ within this paradigm is what has created most of the unprofitable discussion surrounding atheism in our society. This understanding was preceded for centuries, particularly in Western thought, by an understanding initiated by Plato and further elaborated by the Middle and Neo-Platonists. Platonism opposed being not with some concept of non-being that equated with non-existence, but with becoming. There are things which simply are. …
Faith Encouraged
God Is Able to Make Him Stand
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I “tweet” now and again. Mostly it’s my social media assistant who tweets out the daily devotional to give as many people as possible access to the daily ministry. And I confess that, sometimes, I read the tweets of others and think “What could possibly make this person think what they are saying is helpful or even serious?” And then an evil thought crosses my mind: “Perhaps there should be a minimum…
The Morning Offering
Greater Virtue
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The great virtue of forgiving our enemies There is the story of Saint Epiphanius of Cyprus who invited Hilarion the Great to dinner, and in order to show his hospitality place fried chicken on the table. Hilarion, when he saw the fried chicken, asked forgiveness, but said he had not eaten meat since his tonsure as a monk. Saint Epiphanius…
Eastern Christian Insights
Acknowledging Christ by Loving Our Enemies: Homily for the Sunday of All Saints in the Orthodox Church
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Hebrews 11:33-12:2; Matthew 10:32-33, 37-38; 19:27-30 Some of us grew up in churches that gave as little attention as possible to the saints out of fear that honoring those who served our Lord so faithfully would somehow distract us from worshiping only Him. Today’s reading from Hebrews makes exactly the opposite point, for the “great cloud of witnesses” inspires us to “lay aside every weight” and to “run with perseverance the…
Roads from Emmaus
The Saint is One Who Has Come Home
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Sunday of All Saints, June 23, 2019 Hebrews 11:33-12:2; Matthew 10:32-33, 37-8; 19:27-30 In the Name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit, one God. Amen. On this Sunday of All Saints, as we remember that we are all called to be saints, let us meditate for a few minutes on what it means for someone to be a…
The Morning Offering
Fasting
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Eve of Apostles’ (Peter & Paul) Fast Monday is the beginning of the Apostles’ Fast. The Church has given us two weapons–prayer and fasting– in our battle against the demonic powers, yet the temptation to set aside fasting, especially during a time of year when many like to BBQ steaks or hot dogs on the grill, becomes a temptation to…
Glory to God for All Things
You Have One Job - Pray - On Behalf of All and for All
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The topics of heaven, hell, purgatory, hades, life-after-death, the judgment, etc., are not among my favorites. There is a particular reason for this: everybody thinks they know more about this than they do and most people assume the Church says more about this than it does. Much of the problem, I think, lies in the fact that we torture the faith into geographical shapes, when it belongs in relational dynamics. That is…
The Morning Offering
Community
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The essential element of Christianity is community Christianity is a communal faith, one that requires it’s followers to be actively involved with others. The Church’s worship is communal, and salvation itself is a corporate act, one that necessitates interaction with others. One is not “saved” in a vacuum, but as part of the corporal life of the Church. Your salvation…
Nearly Orthodox
Fire
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an excerpt from The Wilderness Journal: 365 Days with the Philokalia Day 187 “In other words, the incensive power, although God-given as a weapon, or, a bow against evil thoughts, can be turned the other way and used to destroy good thoughts as well, for it destroys whatever it is directed against. I have seen a spirited dog destroying equally both wolves and sheep.” St Hesychios the Priest Fire When…
Father Bill's Blog
131. 2011 Trip, Part Three: Athens, Saint Nektarios does it again (possibly), and Reflections on Re-entry
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This has been a long vacation, folks. I see from the Blog stats that some have headed home already. Understandable. However, I think you who are still hanging in here will enjoy our last week in Greece. Today it’s… Back to the Mainland and Saint Nektarios We wanted to visit Saint Nektarios again, so on Wednesday September 28 we flew into Athens. Ever since that first remarkable visit to him in 2002, Nektarios…
Faith Encouraged
You Should Know Better
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Ouch! That hurt! It wouldn’t have hurt anymore if he’d actually hit me with his fists. He had confronted me with the reality that my words had so offended his friend that that friend didn’t want anything to do with God anymore. Oh No! I was young and foolish (of course now I’m old and foolish, but, oh well), and I had tried to explain why a certain tragedy had happened to…
The Morning Offering
The Holy of Holies
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The link between the Old and New Testament Temples Orthodox temples have kept to the same form and function since ancient times. Using the Old Testament Temple model, Orthodox churches are divided into several courts or spaces peculiar to their function. The Holy Table, upon which is celebrated the Eucharist, is situated at the east end of the building behind…
Walking an Ancient Path
Liturgy Survival Guide: The Kiss of Peace and the Creed
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The service is progressing smoothly so far, even when we don’t quite understand everything that’s going on. The clergy and attendants have completed the circuit around the nave in the Great Entrance, and they have placed the gifts on the altar. So far, so good. Next the priest turns to face the gathered worshipers and says, “Let us love one another” and proclaims, “Christ is in our midst.” We respond, “He is…
Faith Encouraged
What’s The Opposite of Love?
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What do you think is the opposite of love? The easy answer is hate but that isn’t even close. Because hate takes attention and focus and (usually) preoccupation with the object of your hate. And the truth is love takes the same. To love something or someone takes attention, focus, and even preoccupation with the object of your love. You remember the first time you “fell” in love (by the way, I…
The Morning Offering
Daily Spiritual Growth
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A spiritually balanced day in the life of an Orthodox Christian Balancing the spiritual life with the workplace can be quite challenging. Our work day should begin with prayer, and should be planned with the help and guidance of one’s spiritual father, priest or confessor. If you have children, you should get up an hour early, so you have plenty…
No Other Foundation
A God Without Wrath?
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Some heresies wear their heretical nature like a big scarlet “H” on their foreheads, visible for all to see, and pretty much everyone can identify the idea as heretical as soon as they see it. Racism is one such heresy, inherent in National Socialism and the White Supremacist movement. Other heresies, however, are based on a convergence of presuppositions so interwoven into the fabric of our culture that their heretical nature goes…
Faith Encouraged
A Reviling Judgement
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One of the questions I get often from parents trying to raise children in a society and culture that seems to have been reduced to sand. This reduction has occurred as we moderns have allowed the deconstruction of timeless wisdom preserved for centuries, all in the name of being relevant or even “compassionate.” My answer has changed over the years. Earlier, my answers use to revolve around battle and “apologetics” as if…
The Morning Offering
Fruitless Discussions
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The power and influence of good deeds “For it is the will of God, that with well-doing ye may put to silence the ignorance of foolish men (1 Peter 2:15). Bishop Nikolai Velimirovic tells us in The Prologue from Ochrid that we are better off if we do not engage others in lengthy debates and fruitless discussions, but that we…
Faith Encouraged
We Are All Called
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The dictionary defines the word “obligation” as “an act or course of action to which a person is morally or legally bound; a duty or commitment.” When I was growing up, my mother taught me that I wasn’t free to do what I wanted until I did what I must. In other words, I had obligations to my family, my home, and myself! “Brush your teeth” wasn’t a suggestion; it was an…
The Morning Offering
Do not Judge Anyone
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Blessed Dimitry of Santa Rosa never spoke a word in judgement against anyone Recently, I recounted something about my own late spiritual father, Archimandrite Dimitry of Santa Rosa, that I’d forgotten. Father Dimitry, who had escaped from Communist Russia, having suffered beatings and imprisonment, never spoke against them, nor ever uttered a word in judgement regarding his former tormentors. After…
Growing the Church
2. Management/Administration: 5.1 Preparation of Clergy
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Production is another aspect of the commercial process that uses procedures, devices, and structures which could negatively affect the Church. Basically, production involves the design, creation, and preparation of the products that will later be presented for sale. Since the Church is not producing or selling any products, technologies designed to sell will not be needed and are not as easily adapted for use in the Church. If Christ is not a…
Faith Encouraged
Being Filled with The Spirit
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Hey, we were kids! And it was Christmas morning AND our parents were still asleep AND it was a snow cone maker AND there were sugary syrup packets! What did you expect was going to happen? Well, let’s just say that after THAT Christmas morning a general rule was firmly established: No opening presents UNTIL the adults are awake! What a sticky morning that was. But kids will be kids. They are…
The Morning Offering
Noetic Faculty
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The energy of the mind inside the heart In the patristic tradition the heart is the center of our self-awareness. This self-awareness is the energy of the mind inside the heart, something the holy fathers referred to as our “noetic faculty”. There is an important distinction that must be noted concerning the difference between the Western and Eastern understands of…
Remembering Sion
What Are We Waiting For?
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And it shall come to pass in the last days, saith God, I will pour out of my Spirit upon all flesh: and your sons and your daughters shall prophesy, and your young men shall see visions, and your old men shall dream dreams. We have all heard these words of the Prophet Joel, quoted by St. Peter on this great day of Pentecost, many times before. And yet it seems that…
Eastern Christian Insights
More Powerful than Water, Wind, and Fire: Homily for the Great Feast of Pentecost in the Orthodox Church
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Acts 2:1-11; John 7: 37-52; 8:12 On today’s great feast of Pentecost, we celebrate the Holy Spirit coming upon the followers of the risen Lord Jesus Christ, which is the birthday of His Body, the Church. After the Savior’s resurrection, He ascended into heaven and sent the Holy Spirit to His disciples so that they would not be cut off from Him and the new life that…
Glory to God for All Things
Entering Hell on Pentecost - With Prayer
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Pascha (Easter) comes with a great note of joy in the Christian world. Christ is risen from the dead and our hearts rejoice. That joy begins to wane as the days pass. Our lives settle back down to the mundane tasks at hand. After 40 days, the Church marks the Feast of the Ascension, often attended by only a handful of the faithful (Rome has more-or-less moved the Ascension to a Sunday…
The Morning Offering
Hope
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Looking for hope in all the right places Earlier this evening I was listening to one of the last songs recorded by Johnny Cash, probably the best country western singer of all time. The line in his song, “put me in my box on the 309”, is coming from a man who is facing his own imminent death. With the…
