Faith Encouraged
What Is The Purpose of the Faith? Sunday's Homily
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Faith Encouraged
With Fear And Trembling
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My little brother and I were typical brothers growing up. We would engage in “sibling rivalry” now and again! But we were being raised by a single mother who worked full-time and cared for us full-time as well. One such event when we were a bit older elicited a phrase from my mom to us both that really stuck with me. I don’t even remember what we were fighting about but mom…
The Word of the Day
God Active and Effective in and Through Us (Mon. Oct. 24)
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The word for the day is “work.” In today’s reading of Philippians 2:12-16, St. Paul speaks of active striving. We know that it takes concerted effort to achieve any worthwhile goal. But the surprise of this reading is the object of our endeavors. Paul writes, “… work out your own salvation with fear and trembling” (vs. 12). What? Isn’t salvation a “free gift of God, not of works lest anyone should boast” (Ephesians 2:9)? So is Paul contradicting himself? What, indeed, is St. Paul saying? The English word “work out” is a good translation of the Greek word that means “to accomplish fully” (Strong’s 2716, 135). The adverbial phrase “with fear and trembling” adds to the idea of effective action.…
The Word of the Day
Grace Sufficient (Sun. Oct. 23)
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The word of the day is “sufficient.” As we read 2 Corinthians 11:31-12:9, we realize that the Apostle has been provoked. His opponents have boasted that their qualifications for leadership are greater than Paul’s. Though he calls it “boasting,” the Apostle answers their bragging with a summary of the dangers, hardships, and sufferings he has endured. Then he recalls the “visions and revelations” of a lofty mystical experience when he was taken up to the third heaven and into Paradise (vs. 2:4). Boasting Qualified by Humility As spectacular as Paul’s report of his spiritual experience is, it comes with a qualification. He frames his narrative of his spiritual feats with two expressions of humility. Before he tells of his celestial…
Eastern Christian Insights
Christ Restores our True Personhood: Homily for the Sixth Sunday of Luke in the Orthodox Church
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Luke 8:26-39 We are surely not aware of all the assumptions that we make about ourselves and about other people. Sometimes how we view ourselves or others becomes clear when something unexpected happens, whether for good or for bad. We can be greatly surprised when someone we know well behaves differently than we had expected. Sometimes we surprise even ourselves in how we respond to a challenge…
No Other Foundation
An Orthodox Magisterium?
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Recently I listened to a podcast in which Larry Chapp (a universalist Roman Catholic) interviewed Dr. David Bentley Hart. In the course of the interview Dr. Hart asserted that, unlike Roman Catholicism, Orthodoxy does not have an official and authoritative Magisterium. By this he meant that Orthodoxy possesses no institutional organ (such as the papacy and the episcopate dependent upon it) that can routinely and authoritatively declare what is or is not…
The Word of the Day
When Work Is Not Drudgery (Sat. October 22)
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The word of the day is “labor.” In today’s reading of 1 Corinthians 15:58-16:3, St. Paul moves from his discussion of the resurrection of the dead in the age to come to our work in this age. The Apostle writes, “Therefore, my beloved brethren, be steadfast, immovable, always abounding in the work of the Lord, knowing that your labor is not in vain in the Lord” (vs. 58). Whatever Our Work, We Serve the Lord How different is this view of our vocation from the notion of work today! Our economy values workers who are adaptable, not “steadfast,” mobile not “immovable,” and productive as measured by the numbers, not “abounding in the work of the Lord.” But those who hope…
A Lamp for Today
Lighting Up the Apocalypse 38: The River, The Tree, and The Face
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Rev. 22:1-7, Genesis 1-3, Psalm 1, Psalm 35/36, Daniel 7 Finally, we reach our goal in reading the Apocalypse. Some will say that we find ourselves “back in the garden.” But that would be to simplify the final vision. Yes, the garden of Eden has returned, for there is no longer a curse on things, because the effects of the Fall have been removed, and health restored. And there is water, and…
Faith Encouraged
You Need Jesus
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Several years ago there was a song that was popular on Christian radio stations that still strikes me as a powerful reminder of a central truth: People Need the Lord. “Every day they pass me by, I can see it in their eyes. Empty people filled with care. Headed who knows where. On they go through private pain. Living fear to fear. Laughter hides their silent cries, only Jesus hears. People need…
The Word of the Day
Sharing One Mind and One Purpose (Fri. October 21)
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The word of the day is “mind.” In today’s reading of Philippians 1:27-2:4, St. Paul begins to instruct his beloved congregation at Philippi on the way of life of the citizens of the Kingdom. The Apostle writes, “Only let your conduct be worthy of the gospel of Christ, so that whether I come and see you or am absent, I may hear that you stand fast in one spirit, with “one mind” striving together for the faith of the gospel” (vs. 27). The Conduct of the Fellow-citizens of the Kingdom Paul has disclosed his uncertainty about whether he will survive his trial. But to reassure his favorite church, he raises the hopes that he will come to see them again.…
Raising Saints
The Nativity Fast is coming soon!
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Here in Texas, we finally have a cold front, and just past the midpoint of October, Fall is finally arriving. What a much-needed relief from the very hot summer we just experienced… but Fall’s late arrival means that I am only now realizing that the Advent Fast begins in just over three weeks (on the New Calendar)! If you’ve been following me for a while, you know how I mark this fast.…
Glory to God for All Things
It's a Lying Shame
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The story of the first sin begins not with a choice, but with a lie. As much as we tend to emphasize “free-will” as the origin and dominant factor of human sin, we do well to remember the true nature of our lives. Things are much more complicated than freedom can account for. Rather, we act in the context of lies and deception, some from outside and some from within. It is…
Faith Encouraged
Don't Hide From Reality!
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“My Want-To is broke.” With that, my grandmother gave me another insight into real life. She was describing a very common problem all of us face. We know what we should do, but we don’t do it. Why? As my grandmother said, our “want-to” is broken. One of the central revelations to me when I was making my way into Orthodoxy is that the Faith answers the question “What is the main…
The Word of the Day
Living In the World but Not For the World (Thurs. Oct. 20)
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The Word of the Day is “flesh.” In our reading of Philippians 1:20-27, we find that St. Paul’s life is suspended while he waits for his trial before the Roman Emperor. Paul continues to proclaim the Gospel with such power that the whole palace guard knows about his suffering for Christ. Moreover, his example has encouraged his associates and even his opponents to preach Christ freely. Torn Between Life on Earth and Life in Heaven But Paul cannot see very far ahead because, at any moment, the guards might take him to his day in court—maybe to his death. Thus, Paul is torn. He does not know whether he will live or die. And he is unsure about what is…
Faith Encouraged
Let These Words Sink IN!
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A quote attributed to Alan Greenspan, the former chairman of the Federal Reserve, sums up our challenges with missing the point: “I know you think you understand what you thought I said but I’m not sure you realize that what you heard is not what I meant.” The truth is, with all the ways we can misunderstand, miss the point, and just not get what others are trying to say, is so…
The Word of the Day
Paul Desires Only That Christ be Magnified (Wed. Oct. 19)
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The word of the day is “magnified.” St. Paul writes our reading of Philippians 1:12-20 as he faces his trial and possible execution. Paul spent two years under house arrest. Yet at any time while he was “in chains,” Paul could be taken to court before the Roman Emperor. Our reading suggests that Paul waited in uneasy anticipation throughout those years. He hoped and prayed that God would be magnified by his inevitable ordeal, whether in life or death. Paul knows that at his trial, he is “appointed for the defense of the gospel” (vs. 17). Therefore, he asks for the prayers of his beloved congregation. Because of their prayers and the work of the Spirit, Paul trusts that the case against him…
Faith Encouraged
How We Speak Reveals Who We Are
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It matters. It really does. The longer I live, the more I interact with others, and the more I grow older in life, the more I seed HOW I say something is as important as WHAT I say. This is especially true when I’m dealing with people who have just met me. This is not easy for me because I am naturally sarcastic. I know, I know, I’m a priest, I’m supposed…
The Word of the Day
Making the Witness of Faith Evident (Tues. Oct. 18)
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The word of the day is “evident.” Paul writes his letter to the Philippians while under house arrest in Rome. We can imagine that his guards would come and go day and night. Among them, St. Paul says, “…it has become evident that my chains are in Christ” (vs. 13). The Greek word for “evident” that Paul uses in today’s reading of Philippians 1:8-14 is derived from the sense of shining. It means that something has come to light (Strong’s #5318, 261). Thus, Paul is reporting that it is manifest throughout the “palace guard” that his imprisonment is for the sake of Christ. Because Paul’s witness to Christ is so open, many “brethren,” Paul’s associates, are becoming bolder in their…
Faith Encouraged
Who Do YOU Say I Am?
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“Identity politics” is all the rage now. We take a few words or even feelings about ourselves and weave an entire identity out of our undisciplined passions and call it a “community.” We segment the population into “rich” or “poor” “white” or “black” or “hispanix” or any other made-up group and then we dump folks into the buckets we think they belong, all the while, we don’t actually know these persons at…
The Word of the Day
Thanking God with Joy (Monday, October 17)
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The word of the day from our reading of Philippians 1:1-7 is “joy.” We know more about St. Paul than any of the other apostles. Not only the Book of Acts but his letters give us a well-rounded picture of him. The frames of mind of his epistles range from sorrowful in parts of 1 Corinthians, relieved in other parts of 1 Corinthians and 2 Corinthians, theological in Romans, emphatic in Galatians, mystical in parts of Ephesians and Colossians, instructive in other parts of Ephesians and Colossians, reassuring in 1 Thessalonians. The Exalted Mo0d of Joy But in Philippians, St. Paul writes in an exalted mood of joy. In today’s reading, he begins his letter to his beloved congregation in…
The Word of the Day
Abounding in the Grace of Giving (Sun. Oct. 16)
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The word of the day is “abound.” People give to those in need with various attitudes and for many reasons. But we learn in today’s reading of 2 Cor. 9:6-11 that we should give aid generously and with singleness of purpose. In this passage, St. Paul speaks about his collection for the relief of fellow Christians who are starving in Jerusalem. The Apostle compares giving to the needy to sowing seeds, saying that the harvest depends on the sower’s liberality (vs. 6). One More Thing to Be Added Note that God provides the seeds in the first place (vs. 9). The Almighty, who is rich in mercy (Eph. 2:4), has already made the faithful in Corinth rich in spiritual things. …
Eastern Christian Insights
Growing to Maturity as Brilliant Icons of Christ: Homily for the Sunday of Holy Fathers of Seventh Ecumenical Council and the Fourth Sunday of Luke in the Orthodox Church
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Titus 3:8-15; Luke 8:5-15 The Church is filled with beautiful icons, but they are not mere works of religious art. They show that the Savior has made us participants by grace in His deified humanity so that we also may shine brightly with the divine glory. The icons invite us to share in the blessedness that Christ has brought to those who bear the image and likeness…
No Other Foundation
Reflections on an October Event
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Halloween these days provides a time for the predictable annual debate about whether or not Christians should participate in Halloween, and many participants in the debate express themselves very strongly. As we approach that time, I would like to offer a few irenic reflections on the controversial October event. Everyone presumably acknowledges that there is nothing wrong with children dressing up as fairies, Disney characters, Marvel superheroes, and (my own favourite when…
The Word of the Day
Sowed in Corruption: Raised in Incorruption (Sat. Oct. 15)
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The word of the day is “incorruption.” In today’s reading of 1 Corinthians 15:39-45, we turn our attention from the material things of the present to the spiritual things of our future inheritance. In this passage, St. Paul speaks of the transformation of our bodies when God raises them from the dead. He writes that in the resurrection of the dead, “the body is sown in corruption, it is raised in incorruption (vs. 42). The Apostle explains how glorious our recreated bodies will be (vs. 42-45). Now they are subject to corruption; that is, they are infected with inevitable decay and destruction (Strong’s #5356 & 5351, 263). They are dishonored; that is, they are debased with shame and indignity (Strong’s…
Faith Encouraged
See The Crowd and Have Compassion!
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It was actually, physically, painful to hear her say those words. I was at the point of both tears and disbelief. You see, we had the opportunity to help some homeless people in our community by participating, as a parish, in a wonderful ministry to homeless families in our county. We are blessed to live in one of the fastest-growing and wealthiest counties in Georgia and even the nation. And yet, with…
The Word of the Day
Watchfulness in Prayer (Fri. Oct. 14)
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The word of the day is “watchful.” St. Paul closes his letter to the Ephesians with insights on prayer in today’s reading of Ephesians 6:18-24. In the verses before our reading, Paul described the weapons that believers should use against the forces of wickedness (vs. 12). Then fully armed, believers must stand guard. Watchfulness means they must pray at all times ‘with all prayer and supplication in the Spirit” (vs. 18). They must be “watchful” as the Lord admonished Peter in the Garden of Gethsemane on the night of His arrest (Matt. 26:41). The Greek word for “watchful” refers to being awake and alert, not merely to ward off sleep but to achieve a purpose (Strong’s #69, 4). Thus, we…
Faith Encouraged
See The Family as Central!
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It’s no secret that family life is filled with challenges. To be honest, I don’t think we’ve seen the real fallout of all the social experiments we Americans have engaged in since all these movements have been demanding this or that change in society. One of the interesting, if unintended consequences, of these movements, is the growth of interest in young men and women in ancient religion. For instance, why are so…
