We need to consider a few more questions before we turn to the question of finding hope in the midst of the descending darkness. If I am correct in suggesting that we are facing a new dark age, a darkness enveloping our society as well as our Church, then perhaps we need to consider the effects that darkness is having or, to put it differently, what the cost to the Church will…

In my last post I proposed a way for us to understand why it is so hard for believers to accept or even listen to the ever-growing charge of hypocrisy. Indeed, I know of almost no believers who accept the accusation or even consider the opinions of non-believers on this matter to be valid and worthy of consideration. But, as I suggested, they are, to a certain extent, justified in rejecting (ignoring)…

In my last post I suggested that the apparent decline in North American Churches might be caused by the fact that many today think Christians are hypocrites. One writer suggested that believers are “the single greatest cause of atheism today. You know who I’m talking about, right? The type of people who acknowledge Jesus with their words and deny him through their lifestyle.  The ones who preach the importance of traditional family…

As you can see from the title of this blog, my main concern has been the growth of the church. So over the last few months I have explored what we mean by growth and how it can be measured. I have examined some of the things that I think prevent that growth from taking place and considered ways of facilitating ecclesial health. As it so happens and in spite of my…

The next commonly used Orthodox catchphrase that I would like to take up is “Lord have mercy.” Some years ago I was standing next to a lady during the Divine liturgy. At one point she leaned over to me and said “If I have to say ‘Lord have Mercy’ one more time I’m going to…” So, good luck with that! The phrase occurs in every prayer, after every petition, and may well…

Another commonly used phrase in danger of being minimalized is “glory to God.” This is often heard in response to some positive development, good news, or narrow escape. “I just passed my test.” “Glory to God!” “I survived the crash with only minor injuries.” “Glory to God!” “So-and-so just won the election.” “Glory to God!” “I went out shopping without a mask and did not get the virus.” “Glory to God!” Anyway,…

The next Orthodox catchphrase that I want to take up is the often-heard refrain, “if God wills,” or more often just “God willing.” This phrase and its many variants are so numerous that compiling a catalog of examples would require more space than we have allotted to us here. So, consider just a few examples: Have a safe trip home. OK, God willing. Get a good night’s sleep, I’ll try, God willing.…