Glory to God for All Things
Drag My Soul to Paradise
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A Prayer to Our Lord Jesus Christ My most merciful and all-merciful God, O Lord Jesus Christ! In Thy great love, Thou didst come down and become flesh in order to save all. Again, I pray Thee, save me by Grace! If Thou shouldst save me because of my deeds, it would not be a gift, but merely a duty. Truly, Thou aboundest in graciousness and art inexpressibly merciful! Thou hast said,…
Faith Encouraged
Living Temporary Lives
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Orthodox Christianity is an eschatological religion! O, Mr. Fancypants with your big words! 🙂 Ok, Orthodoxy is the Faith that keeps eternity in mind and the ultimate victory of Christ over all darkness. Is that better? Ok, let me add more: Orthodoxy is the Faith, the Way of Life, that always reorients me and my life towards Eternity and not enslaved to the temporary. Orthodoxy insists I stretch my perspective and focus…
Remembering Sion
The Power of Repentance
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We celebrate today the feast of the Holy, Glorious, and All-Praised Apostles Peter & Paul. Out of all the countless generations of mankind, out of all the vast multitudes of every tongue and tribe and nation to have lived and walked upon this earth, Christ our True God chose precisely these two men — above all others — to stand at the very forefront of the ranks of His holy disciples and…
Faith Encouraged
Ordinary Men
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I love this quote from C.S. Lewis: “There are no ordinary people. You have never talked to a mere mortal. Nations, cultures, arts, civilizations – these are mortal, and their life is to ours as the life of a gnat. But it is immortals whom we joke with, work with, marry, snub, and exploit – immortal horrors or everlasting splendors. This does not mean that we are to be perpetually solemn. We…
The Word of the Day
Natural Knowledge and Spiritual Wisdom (Wed. July 12)
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The word of the day is “knowledge.” Socrates said that the only thing I know is that I know nothing. Western civilization pays homage to Socrates, yet the claims to knowledge in our society are thousands of times more abundant than authentic learning. It is the same for religious understanding. A Congregation Divided In our reading of 1 Corinthains 2:9-3:8, St. Paul is responding to a report about what is happening among the Corinthian believers. Members of the “household of Chloe” have informed him of contentious divisions in the congregation (1 Cor. 1-11). The Corinthians are splitting up into factions: one following St. Paul; others following St. Paul’s successor in Corinth, a brilliant preacher named Apollos; and others claiming to follow Christ…
Faith Encouraged
More Than Flirting
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“There’s no time like the present.” This and many other “time” quotes really get to a pearl of central wisdom we humans have learned: Timing is everything. I have a dear couple who are dating. And, on top of that, they are exploring becoming Orthodox. Talk about a double whammy! Their relationship is growing with each other and the Faith. They recently asked me a question I get a lot from folks…
The Word of the Day
Remember Your Calling (Tues. July 11)
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The word for the day is “called.” As we go about our daily life, our attention often must be given to the details of our work. But whatever we do, we have a calling. That vocation is not separated from our daily chores. It gives them meaning. In today’s reading of 1 Corinthians 1:1-9, Paul speaks of his calling and his readers. He states, “Paul, called to be an apostle of Jesus Christ…” (OSB vs. 1) and again “To the church of God, which is at Corinth, to those who are sanctified in Christ Jesus called to be saints…” (OSB 1:2). Today our study will remind us of the summons of God to serve Him with the little as well as big things that…
No Other Foundation
“Children, it is the last hour”
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It is sometimes imagined that the Resurrection of Christ finds its full significance as the last happy chapter in the story of His life, so that after a gruelling chapter about His betrayal, arrest, crucifixion, and burial, the tale can end with the Evangelist concluding, “And He lived happily ever after”. Consistent with this is a theological view which finds the sole significance of His Resurrection as proof that the price Jesus…
Glory to God for All Things
Asking the Right Questions
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“Ask, and it will be given to you; seek, and you will find; knock, and it will be opened to you. For everyone who asks receives, and he who seeks finds, and to him who knocks it will be opened.” (Matt. 7:7) I believe that among the most central things in our life are the questions we ask – or even the question we ask. This is far removed from our passions…
Faith Encouraged
Note The Troublemakers
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There’s a strain of thought in modern society called “good trouble.” It started gaining more widely known during the Civil Rights era of our societies move away from this notion of “separate but equal.” Of course, this notion was easy to dismantle because “separate but equal” is ridiculous on its face! But I was intrigued by the notion of “good trouble” because I think it holds some important insights into human interaction…
The Word of the Day
Simplicity and How to Test Temptation (Mon, July 10)
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The word of the day is “simple.” In this world, some things are obviously wicked. But the unrighteousness of other things is not so easily identified. Evil comes in attractive packages and desirable wrappings. Vices are mixed with virtues, and goodness is mingled with immorality. In our reading of Romans 16:17-24, St. Paul concludes his letter with a warning about divisions caused by troublemakers. He charges that they use “smooth words and flattering speech to deceive the simple” (Romans 16:18). Thus, St. Paul cautions that his readers should be “wise in what is good and simple concerning evil” (Romans 16:19). Today we will learn not look underneath its covering to determine if something is good or bad. We will propose…
The Word of the Day
Grace Unlimited (Sun. July 9)
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The word of the day is “only.” Tribalism is found throughout human society. Humans favor their own group however they define it, and they distinguish themselves from other such groupings. Thus, it seems natural to believe that the scope of God’s concern is limited to one’s own circle. However, in Romans 3:28-4:3, we hear an important question, “Is He the God of the Jews only?” (Romans 3:29). Paul answers in Romans following today’s read, proclaiming whoever calls on the Name of the Lord will be saved” (Romans 10:13). Today we reflect on Paul’s reasoning that salvation must be by faith if it is to be offered to all. We will find that this thinking requires that the church and its members…
Growing the Church
Mastering our Thoughts
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Every one of us has, on occasion, had times of prayer, worship, or meditation disrupted by unwanted thoughts. Having uncontrolled, dark thoughts disrupting and impeding one’s spiritual growth seems to be a universal human problem. Even the early mystics who fled to the desert for solitude found that they could not escape the distraction of their own thoughts. So, if these thoughts have such a negative impact, what can be done? How…
The Word of the Day
Why We Dare to Call God “Father” (Sat. July 8)
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The word of the day is “Father.” In the Orthodox Divine Liturgy, the priest introduces the Lord’s Prayer with a statement that echoes today’s reading of Romans 8:14-21. He exclaims, “And make us worthy, O Master, that with boldness and without condemnation we may call on Thee, the heavenly God, as Father and to say…” (St-Tikhon’s 1984). In today’s reading, Paul explains, “But you received the Spirit of adoption by which we cry out ‘Abba, Father’” (St-Tikhon’s 1984, 75). How is it that we dare to call on the Almighty God, the Creator of Heaven and Earth, as “Father”? Today we will find the reasons for the way we address God. We will find these justifications in Jesus’ teaching and the…
Faith Encouraged
Your Faith Has Made You Well!
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Have you ever thought about all those people Jesus healed during His ministry here on earth? They were so happy, grateful, and changed. In some cases (the illness of leprosy) they were now free to rejoin society, be reunited with their families, and finally, get their life back. They went on to live their lives. Some became great saints of the Church. And every one of them eventually died. Hey, why do…
The Word of the Day
Partners in the Gospel Ministry (Fri. July 7)
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The word of the day is “fellow.” We might get the impression that all the human credit for Paul’s work among the Gentiles was his alone. Likewise, when we think of the lives of the saints, we do not consider those with whom they lived and worked. But today in our reading of Romans 16:1-16 we find that St. Paul closes his letter with the greeting of a surprising number of associates and friends. If we take the beginnings and endings of Paul’s letters into account, we find that he labored with a large network of fellow helpers and supporters. In fact, he was the head of a missionary team of faithful leaders and helpers. Today we will talk about…
A Lamp for Today
Light from the Psalter 1: It is Very Good!
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PSALM 103 (LXX); Hebrews 12:18-24; Exodus 24; Genesis 1; 1 Corinthians 15 Every week, beginning with sundown on Saturday, we recite Psalms with the Church, and so are illumined by God. Great Vespers begins with the astonishing psalm of creation (Psalm 103 LXX/104 Hebrew text), by which we stand, as it were, alongside God during His rest on the sixth day, and survey with pleasure everything that He has made. We begin…
The Word of the Day
Our Inclinations and God’s Intentions (Thurs. July 6)
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The word of the day is “shall.” Often, changing circumstances get in the way of the fulfillment of our intentions. When that happens, we find that we are not in control of the course of our lives. In our reading of Romans 15:17-29, Paul reveals his ambitious plans for his outreach to the Gentiles. He writes, “Whenever I journey to Spain, I shall come to you. For I hope to see you on my journey, and to be helped on my way there by you” (OSB vs. 24). Today we will find that Paul’s life did not turn out as he had projected. The apostle did get to Rome, but he arrived as a prisoner. And from an historic perspective,…
Faith Encouraged
There's Family, and Then There's FAMILY
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My folks at the parish make fun of me a bit when I talk about how much I love being a Southerner. I regale them with stories from my family and how my grandfather taught me to hunt and about growing up in the suburbs of the South and seeing snow for the first time and how my SDouthen culture is so beloved by me for so many good things it instilled…
Faith Encouraged
"ALL" Things? Really? Yes, All Things!
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I remember the look on his face when I told him that Orthodoxy is “maximalist, not minimalistic.” And then I reminded him of years of government promotion of the “minimum daily requirements” of this or that vitamin to be healthy. He slowly began to understand what I meant when I added “We don’t treat spiritual illness with an aspirin. We use the full dose of timeless wisdom.” The light turned on in…
Glory to God for All Things
Grace and the Handbasket
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A difficulty arises when making cultural observations – things rarely turn out as expected. The Roman Empire fell once upon a time, although the fall wasn’t nearly as clean and final as Gibbons imagined and it wasn’t really the Roman Empire that fell. But ever since the “Roman Empire fell” people have been rehearsing the lessons learned and expecting its repeat. Yet the empires (or whatever is expected to fall) seem to trundle on.…
Faith Encouraged
Divided Against Yourself
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“E Pluribus Unum” Out of the Many – One. This is the motto of the United States of America, a republic founded in 1776 after a war of Independence from the British Empire. Of course, now the story of the founding of our Republic has come under fire in the last several years by those who “want to change the narrative” of the beginning of our country. They argue that “really, the…
No Other Foundation
The Sparkle Creed
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Recently I came across a video of a woman minister reciting what she called “the Sparkle Creed”. When I informed my wife of this in a spirit of jollification, she suggested that it might have originated in the Babylon Bee—i.e. that it was intended as a satire, and that I was misinterpreting it as a real liturgical creed. It turns out that she was wrong (a rarity in our house); the Sparkle…
Faith Encouraged
The Positive Power of Wisdom
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I confess I’m a bit of a rebel at heart. Maybe it’s my Southern American heritage, or maybe it goes further back in my lineage from my Welsh and Irish ancestry, but wherever it comes from, I tend to eventually have “complicated” relationships with authority. And what makes that more amazing is I started my adult work life as a police officer, one who “enforces” the law! But maybe it isn’t so…
Eastern Christian Insights
The Shocking Response of Christ to the Humble Faith of the Centurion: Homily for the Fourth Sunday of Matthew in the Orthodox Church
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Matthew 8: 5-13 Our Lord’s ministry violated many of the religious and cultural sensibilities of first-century Palestine. Contrary to all expectations for the Jewish Messiah, He asked for a drink of water from a Samaritan woman, engaged in an extended spiritual conversation with her, and then spent two days in a Samaritan village. He invited Himself to the home of Zacchaeus, a corrupt collector of taxes for…
Beyond the Bars
Meet Paul, Real Life Prodigal Son
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The Assembly of Bishops has blessed July 30, 2023 as Prison Ministry Awareness Sunday (PMAS), when hundreds of Orthodox Christian churches of all jurisdictions across the United States will recognize and share about the importance of prison ministry for the life of the Church. To help get us into PMAS spirit, enjoy this beautiful testimony from our friend and former prisoner, Paul, whose life is a real-life example of Christ’s Parable of…
Glory to God for All Things
God and the Self - Dragons and the Treasuries of Grace
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Beloved, we are children of God, and it doesn’t yet appear what we shall be. But we know, that when He appears, we shall be like Him, for we shall see Him as He is. (1John 3:2) You are dead, and your life is hid in Christ in God. (Col. 3:3) Whoever seeks to save his life will lose it, and whoever loses his life will save it. (Lk. 17:33) You…
