This Saturday we hear from Fr. Stephen Freeman and his wonderful blog - Glory to God for All Things.
In my previous article I compared children’s use of play to the place of ritual words and actions in the life of the Church. I absolutely did not mean to imply that one thing is like the other. I mean to say clearly that they are very much the same thing. And I say this both to change how we understand play as well as how we understand ritual words and action. Play is far more serious than people imagine – and ritual words and actions are more playful than they dare conceive.
Read the rest here - https://blogs.ancientfaith.com/glory2godforallthings/2014/11/13/happens-play-pray/
The paradox of becoming who you are is filled with all kinds of opportunities, pitfalls, and wrong turns. The truth is the journey IS the destination when it comes to discovering who you really are. And the only way to journey well is through living a wakeful life! But how do you do that?
Abundant life, yep, abundant life. Life that is so full that it spills out over the edges and splashes on those around us. That kind of life. Life that can't be contained or measured or exhausted. Life that just keeps on going and keeps on being full and joyous. That kind of life!
It's just a dream, right? Just a pipe dream. That kind of life isn't really possible, is it?
"Get out of the way!" My daughter in the back seat was yelling at the cars in front of us as we were on our way to her dance class. She was frustrated at the amount of traffic in front of us and reacted like she had seen "someone" else react in the same situation. And, no, I'm not going to say who that "someone" was because I have a right not to incriminate myself!
I never will forget the look on his face. He was a brave and honest man and his spiritual journey had brought him to the Orthodox Church. He had taken the classes I required to become a catechumen. He had attended services as I had asked, so, when he was made a catechumen he asked a natural questions. "Father, how long will I be a catechumen before I am made one of the faithful?" A natural and sensible question. So, you can imagine a bit of his surprise and confusion when I responded "I don't know." He cocked his head to one side and squinted his eyes and said "Huh?"
Say what you will about the old TV shows: They were naive. They weren't completely honest. They were sentimental. All of that may be true, but at least they attempted to foster the best of our hopes and dreams rather than pandering to our lowest desires. One such show was "Father Knows Best." Robert Young played the dad and the comedy was gentle, but the show focused on a good natured father who really was a source of wisdom and example for his family. So, yeah, it may have been a bit unrealistic, but at least dad was the hero instead of the buffoon or the tyrant so often portrayed in today's media.
Today we hear two stories of people whose faith made them whole and snatched joy from the mouth of despair. It was faith that made the difference. Do you have faith? If so then you are also being made whole and there simply aren’t any “impossible” situations in your life. In light of that reality, are you sure you have faith? Don’t miss tonight’s Faith Encouraged LIVE with Fr. Barnabas. We are…
Looking forward to talking with you and my special guests Fr. James Ellison and his wife as we discuss the Orthodox Way to grieve well! That's tomorrow night at ancientfaith.com/live! Please share this with someone you know!
It scared me to death! I was convinced something was lurking in the dark in my room, and I wasn't about to shut my eyes! After all, it was only my constant vigilance and watchfulness that was keeping whatever was "out there" away from me, right? Imagine my surprise when sleep finally took me and I woke up the next morning unharmed! Such is the life of a 7 year old whose mind has convinced him that the shadows in his room are not empty!
Listen at AncientFaith.com and please share this with your friends and family and encourage them to listen. I look forward to hearing your stories this Sunday night at 8 PM Eastern!
