Is It Wrong to Want to be a Priest?

Every so often I encounter the idea that anyone who wants to be ordained a priest—or, especially, a bishop—never should be. Such a man is probably a control freak, vain, naive, etc. People like that should never be allowed anywhere near the priesthood. St. John Chrysostom’s famous flight from ordination may well be referenced with nods of knowing approval. And certainly, a young woman…

Who is God? (Part 4 of 8): God is Essence and Energies

Sunday of St. Gregory Palamas, March 27, 2016 Hebrews 1:10-2:3; Mark 2:1-12 Rev. Fr. Andrew Stephen Damick In the Name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit, one God. Amen. Today, on the Sunday of St. Gregory Palamas, which is the second Sunday of Great Lent, we again ask our question in this fourth installment in our eight-part series:…

Who is God? (Part 3 of 8): God is Incarnate

Sunday of Orthodoxy, March 20, 2016 Hebrews 11:24-26, 32-40; John 1:43-51 Rev. Fr. Andrew Stephen Damick In the Name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit, one God. Amen. Today is our third of eight meditations where we ask, “Who is God?” Knowing God is how Jesus defined eternal life (John 17:3), so we keep asking this question, and…

Who is God? (Part 2 of 8): God is Our Forgiver

Sunday of Forgiveness, March 13, 2016 Romans 13:11-14:4; Matthew 6:14-21 Rev. Fr. Andrew Stephen Damick In the Name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit, one God. Amen. We continue our eight-part series today where we ask the question, “Who is God?” We are asking this question because we are keeping in mind the words of the Lord Jesus…

Do Orthodox Christians Have Jesus in Their Hearts?

Sunday of the Canaanite Woman, February 14, 2016 II Corinthians 6:16b-18, 7:1; Matthew 15:21-28 Rev. Fr. Andrew Stephen Damick In the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit, one God. Amen. “You are a temple of the living God, even as God has said: ‘I will dwell in them, and walk among them; and I will be their…

Is Witness More Important Than Worship?

Today, I came across a meme image on Facebook showing a man walking out of church and featuring the following statement: Your most significant witness is how you treat others after the worship service ends. I’ve seen this sentiment before. The idea here is that, while worship is important, its true purpose is to equip or inspire believers to go out and bring Christ…