Posts Tagged ‘1st Corinthians’
Context Matters
Many years ago, slaver owners used the Scriptures to defend their position of slavery. They were wrong. Today, many are still using the Scriptures to enforce or otherwise influence those around them. They are also wrong. The Scriptures guide us, but the Scriptures have context. Brethren, in whatever state each was called, there let him…
Read MoreThink Twice and Speak Once
Growing up in shop class I learned the saying “measure twice, cut once” to avoid mistakes. I’m not a great carpenter. Carpentry is like speaking. The more time you take to review what you say, the less you say. I must admit. I’m not much better at speaking than carpentry. Wisdom comes with age, so…
Read MoreDo Not Judge Yet
We’ve all heard it. We’ve probably all said it, and it always means something bad. We say, “Do not judge,” when we don’t want to feel badly about our behavior. We don’t want to judge others, also because it might make them feel bad about themselves. So, why do we do it? Judgement is always…
Read MoreDon’t Depend Upon Yourself
It’s the American Way! Make a name for yourself. Be your own man. This may be the saying of the world, but anyone who has ever lived knows them to be useless words. Nobody can accomplish anything on their own. It is just impossible. Saint Paul knew this well when he wrote, “Let no one…
Read MoreAll Growth is from God
Human nature dictates that we take credit for all the good things we accomplish. At work, at home, even at Church, when something goes well, we take the credit. When something goes wrong, don’t you dare accuse us of doing something wrong. Human nature is wrong. I was inspired by today’s reading from Saint Paul,…
Read MoreKnow Your Audience
It won’t matter what we have to say if the person we speak to is deaf. This is also true if we are speaking a foreign language. If we want our message to be understood and embraced, we must know our audience. This is most important when it comes to evangelism. Saint Paul was an…
Read MoreCommon Good
We work hard to provide for our family. We save and invest for the future. We struggle to maintain the balance between work and family, sometimes forgetting the purpose of the blessings from God. Everything we have from God isn’t for us. It is for the common good. The prayers of the Church are filled…
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 MoreFaithful or Zealous?
The modern Orthodox experience in America is complex with both longstanding members born into the Church coexisting with pious converts who have chosen Orthodoxy as their religion. Neither is more important than the other since both are members of the Body of Christ. Yet there appears to be a battle for the ‘soul’ of the…
Read MoreEating or Fasting
As Orthodox Christians living in a secular world, fasting takes on an additional burden. It is easy to fast when we cook for ourselves, but when others are doing the cooking, things get a bit sticky. When the ‘others’ are not Orthodox, fasting sometimes becomes optional. Now, you must understand that I would never characterize…
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