Category: Mission

Lenten Evangelism #6: St. Gregory Palamas and the Paralytic

· Fr. Andrew Stephen Damick
Sunday of St. Gregory Palamas, March 8, 2015 Rev. Fr. Andrew Stephen Damick In the Name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit, one God. Amen. On this second Sunday of the Great Fast, we celebrate St. Gregory Palamas, that 14th century ascetic and archbishop whose contributions to Orthodox theology and life were so profound that he not only…

Lenten Evangelism #5: “Come and See” (The Sunday of Orthodoxy)

· Fr. Andrew Stephen Damick
Sunday of Orthodoxy, March 1, 2015 Rev. Fr. Andrew Stephen Damick In the Name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit, one God. Amen. “Philip said to him, ‘Come and see.'” This phrase, which we hear in today’s Gospel, has come to be something of an evangelistic watchword among English-speaking Orthodox Christians. “Come and see.” It is used especially…

Is Orthodoxy “Christianity, Only Tougher”?

· Fr. Andrew Stephen Damick
Particularly during this season of Great Lent with all its fasting and services and so forth, Orthodox Christians who live in a multi-religious society may be tempted to think or say something like what you see in this image here: “Orthodoxy: Christianity. Only Tougher.” On its face, there is of course a lot of truth to that characterization. Being a faithful Orthodox Christian is…

Lenten Evangelism #4: Forgiveness and the Expulsion from Paradise

· Fr. Andrew Stephen Damick
Sunday of Forgiveness, February 22, 2015 Rev. Fr. Andrew Stephen Damick In the Name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit, one God. Amen. Today we complete the pre-Lenten period of the Triodion with the Sunday of Forgiveness. That is the general name for this Sunday, but we also commemorate another theme this Sunday, and that is the expulsion…

Lenten Evangelism #3: The Last Judgment

· Fr. Andrew Stephen Damick
This sermon can be heard as an audio recording via Ancient Faith Radio. Sunday of the Last Judgment, February 15, 2015 Rev. Fr. Andrew Stephen Damick In the Name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit, one God. Amen. Today our series on preaching the Gospel—evangelism—continues with the Sunday of the Last Judgment, commonly called “Meatfare Sunday,” because we…

Lenten Evangelism #2: The Prodigal Son

· Fr. Andrew Stephen Damick
This sermon is available as an audio recording via Ancient Faith Radio. Sunday of the Prodigal Son, February 8, 2015 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 today our series on evangelism which we will focus on through this pre-Lenten period, throughout Lent and then complete…

Lenten Evangelism #1: The Publican and Pharisee

· Fr. Andrew Stephen Damick
This sermon is also available as an audio recording via Ancient Faith Radio. Sunday of the Publican and the Pharisee, February 1, 2015 Rev. Fr. Andrew Stephen Damick In the Name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit, one God. Amen. We now begin the pre-Lenten period with the Sunday of the Publican and Pharisee. Today is the day…

Unifying the Orthodox Church in America

· Fr. Andrew Stephen Damick
I’ve got a new piece published today at First Things, where I discuss the problems and solutions of Orthodox Christian unity in America. Here’s an excerpt: Are you Greek?” This is the question I get asked the most when I tell someone that I am an Orthodox Christian. At first, this question rankled, because I am not Greek. (I am, among other things, Lithuanian.)…