Dear Faithful, Holy Week Devotionals will appear later in the day due to our very full Holy Week schedule. Do your soul a favor, love your own salvation enough, to attend as many Holy Week services you can. And please remember a portion of the Scripture Lesson from last night’s Bridegroom Service: “Therefore I say to you, the kingdom of God will be taken from you and given to a nation bearing…
I never will forget the first time I was in an airplane. I was barely a teenager when I took my first flight from Central Florida to Atlanta. What struck me most was the perspective of being so far above my home town. I could see all kinds of places that I had seen from ground level and the change in perspective changed how I thought of those places. That’s the advantage…
“Why do you hate me?” I can’t ever seem to get over the shock of someone assuming that, because I disagree with him, I must then, therefore, hate him. “Hey buddy, all I said was the stove was hot. If you touch it, you’ll get burned.” “See, you do hate me. You just want to deprive me of my freedom. If I want to touch the stove, I should be free to…
“He was doing all the right things for all the wrong reasons.” Frankly, when I heard that, I didn’t even realize that was even possible. But it is. You really can do all the right things for all the wrong reasons, and then you’re amazed when the “right doing” doesn’t produce the “happiness” you were aiming for. In fact, I’ve seen something even more amazing to me. I’ve watched as some have…
Why does a church exist? What is the purpose that drives a church community to continue from generation to generation? What is the motivating force that causes people to adhere and perpetuate this or that ideology, theology, practice, and behavior? And, why does a faith community survive from one generation to another? Big questions. And I caution you against quick answers, because they are usually too shallow to actually answer the questions…
My mother taught me “Son, always put your best foot forward.” She meant for me to always show the best of who I am and what I am to everyone. Good advice, especially on your initial job interview! Modern marketing is based on this foundational idea. We are inundated with commercials and marketing messages that tout this or that product, idea, event, action, as the “must have/experience/possess/believe/embrace” object or idea of the…
Today is the last Sunday of Great Lent, and the Church calls us to remember St. Mary of Egypt and her lifelong repentance. The wisdom of a life of humble repentance is always the path of perpetration for the joy of Pascha. Next Sunday y is Palm Sunday and the spiritual and physical rigors of Holy Week. Let us finish this time well and once again enter Pascha ready to rejoice!
“But I don’t understand!” How many times have I said these very words concerning something I was going through in my life? If I had a nickel for every time I said this or heard this, especially from my children, I’d be very wealthy. The truth Is I really don’t understand many things. As I look around my society, the people and the place I love so very much, I don’t understand…
“OK, so let me get this straight? You just threw yourself in front of the punch and took it for the guy? And loo, the only thing you got out of it was a black eye!” My buddy just didn’t understand why a fellow officer would put himself in harms way for a “civilian” during a domestic dispute call. After all, what was in it for him. But of course my buddy…
Dear Friends, Our devotional will return tomorrow. Until then, please keep the parish I serve in your prayers. We have had a rash of thefts from our property and it has been a bit of a discouragement for my precious parishioners. Your prayers are appreciated. Here’s a recent story from our local news: Playground Equipment Stolen
