Posts Tagged ‘1 Thessalonians’
Ignorance Can Be Bliss
These words are something you probably never thought you would read in this blog. Since our first blog entry, Be Transfigured Ministries has been about removing the ignorance of our traditions. Since when do we consider ignorance a good thing? It is….and it isn’t. Brethren, comfort one another with these words. But as to the…
Read MoreNever Rest on Your Laurels
We all have goals in life ranging from our career to our family. From the time we gain our ‘wits’ we understand that a life without goals is a life not lived. The problem isn’t having goals. The problem more often than not is what to do when our goals have been achieved. Brethren, we…
Read MoreFamily Betrayal
In more than thirty years of ministry I have rarely witnessed pain greater than the pain of betrayal. We are often betrayed at work or friends. We can even feel betrayed by total strangers after we had reached out to help them. Nothing is worse than family betrayal. Brethren, you become imitators of the churches…
Read MorePleasing God or Pleasing Men?
Let’s be honest about priorities for a moment. From the moment we awake we are faced with choices of whom to please. From our family and friends to employers and coworkers, we constantly walk a tight rope of tension, hoping at all costs to please those around us. I recall a mentor’s advice when I…
Read MoreDo You Pray for Your Church?
One of the basic “to do items” on our list as Orthodox Christians is to say our daily prayers. Depending upon the prayer rule given to us by our Spiritual Father, we all spend time in prayer, no matter how long. The question I have for you today is, “Do you pray for your Church?”…
Read MoreLenten Prayer of Saint Ephraim
This year’s Daily Lenten Journey will be about prayer. I have written extensively on fasting over the years. Other years the Daily Lenten Journey has been about the daily scripture readings. All the fasting and all the bible reading is useless without prayer. So, we will spend the next 40 days discussing various prayers. Today…
Read MoreWhy Pray for the Dead?
The other day I was asked (it wasn’t the first time) why we offer memorials for the dead if they have ‘finished’ and reached the objective? I get a variety of questions about praying for the dead, so today’s reading from Saint Paul is a good opportunity to take another look. Brethren, what do people…
Read MoreJealousy is Unbecoming
We want what we do not have. We don’t want others to have what we have. We want more of what we have. We want others to have less than we have. These simply expressions of jealousy are common to every person I have ever met. At some level, we all struggle with jealousy, even…
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