My New Book: Arise, O God

My new book, "Arise, O God: The Gospel of Christ's Defeat of Demons, Sin, and Death," has just released from Ancient Faith Publications. I hope that you will check it out. Although this is now my fourth and shortest book, I regard this as the most important one so far.

The Forerunner in the Underworld

The Forerunner, having announced Christ’s coming to those on earth, is beheaded now and sent to preach even in Hades, announcing His coming even to that place. And his shout rings throughout the underworld, warning that the Lord of Life is coming to break open the gates of death, throw down the lord of death from his throne, and to release those who lie in hope in the underworld.

My Last Word as a Pastor

Make this gospel of Jesus Christ the very center of who you are. Make this gospel the center of your home, the center of your families, the center of this parish. Make this gospel what this parish is known for. Make this gospel what informs every thought that you have, every decision that you make. Teach this gospel to your children, share it with your neighbors, cultivate it in your families, bear it with you where you work and everywhere you go.

The Annunciation and the Buffered Self

Forefeast of the Annunciation / Sunday of St. Gregory Palamas, March 24, 2019 Hebrews 1:10-2:3; Mark 2:1-12 In the Name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit, one God. Amen. For if the word spoken through angels was confirmed, and every transgression and disobedience received a just retribution, how shall we escape, if we neglect so great a salvation,…

Do We Preach “Orthodoxy”… or Christ?

In her review of Kyriakos Markides’s Gifts of the Desert, Frederica Mathewes-Green says she had a hard time finding Jesus in the book: Markides’ previous book, “The Mountain of Silence” (2001), was read eagerly by those interested in Orthodox spirituality, chiefly because he had faithfully transcribed taped conversations with a monk trained on Mt. Athos, Father Maximos. Though Markides himself seemed not wholly on…