spiritual journey Archives - Behind the Scenes

Schedule for Seven Holy Women and You: 2020 Online Ancient Faith Women’s Retreat

October 28, 2020 · Melinda Johnson

This year, the beloved Ancient Faith Women’s Retreat is moving online for a special journey into the lives of seven women saints and the ways they foster our own spiritual identity. Created as both a deeply personal and enriching communal experience, our live, interactive webinar retreat will feature the writers of Seven Holy Women: Conversations with Saints and Friends. A copy of the book is complimentary with each registration package. We are…

Unveiling Morwenna: How a Twenty-First-Century Researcher Fell in Love with a Fifth-Century Saint

October 22, 2020October 22, 2020 · Laura Jansson

When Seven Holy Women was just a gleam in the eye of Khouria Melinda Johnson, she gathered around her a group of seven not-especially-holy women and started doling out saints. Each one of us authors was to write about one of the venerable figures Melinda had identified; each one of the saints was a lover of Christ from another age, honored by Christians in both East and West – lesser-known and deserving…

Gratitude in Life’s Trenches: an Interview with Robin Phillips

August 25, 2020October 12, 2020 · Melinda Johnson

Your book Gratitude in Life’s Trenches has been creating quite a stir since it came out earlier this month. Within days of the book’s release it became an Amazon best-seller in its category, and it has received a string of positive reviews. Rod Dreher wrote that “this book will open closed minds, gladden weary hearts and change people’s lives,” while Bishop John, Antiochian Orthodox Bishop of Worcester and New England, praised the…

Laurel and the Wind: Picture Book Review by an Art Therapist

June 23, 2020 · Ama

In our digitally heavy world, where our senses are somewhat numbed by media overload, it is absolutely a breath of fresh air to read a book that is, in my opinion, a work of art that engages our imagination.

Facing Forward: Who Is This Conference For?

March 2, 2020 · Melinda Johnson

This conference is for you! If you are in your 40s and struggling with teenage children, this conference is for you. If you’re in your 50s and caring for ailing parents, this conference is for you. If you’re in your 60s and deciding if you want to retire or not, this conference is for you. If you’re in your 70s and looking for a fresh project in retirement, this conference is for you. If you’re coming with your spouse, this conference is for you. If you’re coming by yourself, this conference is for you. Ancient Faith Ministries events at Antiochian Village are known and loved for their friendly atmosphere. Come enjoy good people in a special place. You will be welcome.

Speakers and Topics for Fighting the Good Fight: A Conference for Orthodox Men 2020

December 10, 2019December 10, 2019 · Melinda Johnson

Fighting the Good Fight: A Conference for Orthodox Men will take place Thursday, August 20 through Sunday August 23, 2020, at The Antiochian Village Conference and Retreat Center in Bolivar, PA. Registration is open HERE. Led by Fr. Evan Armatas, Fr. Andrew Damick, Fr. Stephen Freeman, and Fr. Barnabas Powell, this first-ever conference will invite Orthodox men to reflect on the battle to tame the passions and run the race that is…

Speakers and Topics for Facing Forward: An Ancient Faith Conference for the Second Half of Life

September 19, 2019February 27, 2020 · Melinda Johnson 2

The middle season of life marks itself in our experiences as an ending and a beginning. It is a season of change and realization and can be a time of great joy and great suffering. There are many questions to ask as we seek to reinvent ourselves, to stay connected with grown children, to care for aging parents, and to think practically about the end of natural life. We invite you to…

Words for Our Time: A Book That Lives Up To Its Name

August 23, 2019 · Shanda Kelly Smith

An Orthodox priest once told me, “Finding Orthodoxy is the easy part. The hard part comes when you begin to learn the depth of what our faith means. Each time you step into the next level of relationship with Christ, you will see a new and greater depth in which you must traverse to continue the journey.”

Schedule for the 2019 Ancient Faith Women’s Retreat

August 1, 2019October 31, 2019 · Melinda Johnson 2

What can you expect when you come to the Ancient Faith Women’s Retreat? Good teaching, good company, good food, and spiritual refreshment are all on the list! As we look forward to this year’s Retreat, which will take place on November 14-17 at Antiochian Village, we invite you to review the daily schedule for this event. Notice that free time for rest and reflection is built into the schedule! To learn more…

The Body Grateful: A Review of Garden in the East: The Spiritual Life of the Body by Angela Doll Carlson (audiobook)

May 30, 2019 · Brandi Willis Schreiber 1

“The body is a garden,” proclaims Angela Doll Carlson in the opening lines of her book, Garden in the East: The Spiritual Life of the Body. It is a declaration that should make any reader pause, particularly anyone who has ever struggled with body image, chronic illness, or immobility. It’s the line that immediately pulled me into the rest of Carlson’s poetic exploration of the relationship she has with her body and…