We’ve mentioned a number of times on the Lord of Spirits podcast that usually where you see faith or believe in the Bible it is better translated “faithfulness” or “be faithful to.” Many verses of the Scriptures become much clearer when read this way, e.g., “For by grace you have been saved through faithfulness” (Eph. 2:8a). The many references to “increasing” faith also make…
The Placing of the Robe of the Theotokos / Fourth Sunday of Matthew, July 2, 2017 Hebrews 9:1-7; Matthew 8:5-13 Very Rev. Fr. Andrew Stephen Damick In the Name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit, one God. Amen. Only say the word, and my servant will be healed. (Matt. 8:8) It is hard for us, living in the…
Now the Lord God had planted a garden in the east, in Eden; and there he put the man he had formed. The Lord God made all kinds of trees grow out of the ground—trees that were pleasing to the eye and good for food. In the middle of the garden were the tree of life and the tree of the knowledge of good and evil. Gen 2:8-9 The ink is…
Included in the lectionary I read today is this short verse: For we walk by faith, not by sight. (II Corinthians 5:7) The context here is St. Paul’s larger discussion in II Corinthians 5 of our hope of the resurrection, but this verse often gets taken out of this context to be given as a general rule for spiritual life. Taking things out of…
Twentieth Sunday after Pentecost / Seventh Sunday of Luke, November 6, 2016 Galatians 1:11-19; Luke 8:41-56 Very Rev. Fr. Andrew Stephen Damick In the Name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit, one God. Amen. Today we hear from the Gospel about two healings performed by our Lord Jesus Christ—the healing of the woman with a flow of blood…