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Solidarity and the Christian Life
Read more: Solidarity and the Christian LifeI commend the collection The Inner Kingdom, volume 1 of Bishop Kallistos Ware’s collected works. Writing in essay on martyrdom, Bishop Kallistos, offers the following observation and stories: This notion of exchange, of solidarity in suffering, forms one of the master-themes of Martin Buber’s Tales of the Hasidim. It is said of one of the […]
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On the Other Hand
Read more: On the Other HandOn the other hand – irony is probably too much to ask of youth. If I can remember myself in my college years, the most I could muster was sarcasm. Irony required more insight. There is a deep need for the appreciation of irony to sustain a Christian life. Our world is filled with contradiction. […]
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Ironic and Sardonic
Read more: Ironic and SardonicI am the father of two children who still (for at least the next day or so) measure their lives in numbers that fall in the “teens.” My son turns 20 on Monday. Be that as it may, I still qualify as the father of teenagers. They certainly hear plenty from me about God, about […]
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Reminder – I Am an Ignorant Man
Read more: Reminder – I Am an Ignorant ManLast January I posted a note on Ignorance and God. It has since been translated and posted in both Romanian and French. My first thought was, “Great. My first taste of international recognition will be because I am an ignorant man.” That, of course, is a kindness from God. I would be in danger should […]
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Saint Silouan and the Wisdom of a Married Man
Read more: Saint Silouan and the Wisdom of a Married ManFollowing such interesting discussion of the necessity of monasticism, I offer a small story from the life of St. Silouan of Mt. Athos in which he comments on the spiritual wisdom of his peasant father (a married man). Truly, we are all called to different stations in life, but in every place, those who love […]
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The Necessity of Monastics
Read more: The Necessity of MonasticsA month or so ago I received an email from a young protestant who wondered: “What good is monasticism?” His arguments and observations were pretty similar to others I’ve heard over the years. I recall my older brother once asking me, “If a hermit is in the desert and is very holy, what good does […]
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Pardon Our Mess
Read more: Pardon Our MessI am working on some cosmetic changes for Glory to God for All Things. So if you see changes over the next few days, please be patient. I would also appreciate feedback if you find any changes to be improvements or bothersome. As I’m learning a little more about how wordpress works, I am looking […]
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The Choices We Make
Read more: The Choices We MakeOur culture celebrates the ability we have to choose – and so we think a lot about choices. We are told every four years that we get to “choose” our leaders (though the choices given to us might not be suitable in either direction). As I look back and think of my preaching over the […]
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Speaking Ecumenically
Read more: Speaking EcumenicallyA recent note from a young Orthodox acquaintance referred to me as “irenic” in my writings. I was grateful for the description and glad that something I actually intend is also actually conveyed. I learn a lot from other Orthodox bloggers or frequent posters on other sites where the discussions can get heated (I think […]
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More Thoughts on a Metaphor
Read more: More Thoughts on a MetaphorSome metaphors are just that: metaphors. Images that are useful for thinking or working our way through something. They are a roadmap – not the road but the map. The image of Christ’s Descent into Hades, though it provides a metaphor, is more than a metaphor. Christ truly died, truly descended into Hades, truly trampled […]
Matthew, in western art the painter is always present, the person in the picture is a creature of the painter.…