Archive for July 2023
The Church is Our Family
When I visit the parish where I grew up, we greet each other with kisses and stories about the past. We introduce each other to new faces. We begin new relationships that last over time. What binds us together is the past we spend together, knowing there will also be a future together. Each trip…
Read MoreNot About Us
The past few days I have been writing about the importance of the Church. The Church teaches us morality. The Church teaches us to love. The Church teaches us about God. The Church also teaches us to embrace the importance of humility and patience. The Lord said to his disciples, “He who hears you hears…
Read MoreWhy we Need the Church
It is no secret we live in a self-oriented and self-justified society. We are the masters of our own destiny, or so we think. I hear it all the time. “I don’t need anyone to tell me what the Bible means.” This very phrase is totally without meaning. If you are reading the letters of…
Read MoreThe Saints are Working
I am often asked why we Orthodox pray to dead people. Besides thinking we should only pray directly to God, the implication is that a dead person do nothing for us. Yet, for Orthodox Christians the Saints are still working. They are still praying for us. They are still interacting with us. Why? Because the…
Read MoreTake a Chance on the Church
I wonder sometimes just how it is possible for people not to want to be Orthodox. That may sound snobbish. It just seems like so many agree with what the Church teaches but refuse to become part of the Church. It is like someone who hears but does not understand. Even that is nothing new.…
Read MoreOvertaken in Sin
In our constant battle against temptation, every morning we awake is another battle. Last night we prayed for forgiveness. This morning we prayed for another chance to ‘get it right’ in our fight against sin. Some days we make it longer than others without sin. Every day we fall in some way further from Christ…
Read MoreFreedom is a Gift from God
“We hold these truths to be self-evident, that all men are created equal, that they are endowed by their Creator with certain unalienable Rights, that among these are Life, Liberty and the pursuit of Happiness.” These famous words from the Declaration of Independence set in motion a national consciousness committed to defend and promulgate the…
Read MoreBe Known for Something Good
Today is the Fourth of July, Independence Day in America. It is the day we remember the founders and principles of our nation. These great men are remembered for their courage and faithfulness to freedom. They weren’t perfect, but they stood for the ideal of perfect freedom. Brethren, to this end Christ died and lived…
Read MoreCompetition in the Church
We live in a very competitive society. Businesses compete for customers. Politicians compete for voters. Even Churches compete for members. Competition might be good for business, but it is lousy for salvation. Competition has no place in the Church. Brethren, as in one body we have many members, and all the members do not have…
Read MoreAmerican Saints for Tomorrow
As Orthodox Christians we read the daily calendar and learn about the great saints of old. Martyrs and confessors by the thousands inspire us to live courageous lives for Christ. These names can feel ‘far off’ when we read them in the daily synaxarion. Some don’t even know we have American Saints that can inspire…
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