Posts Tagged ‘charity’
Freely Give
As Americans we are raised to believe ‘we are worth’ our effort. Sayings such as ‘an honest day’s work for an honest day’s pay,’ fill our conscience. We also say, ‘nothing is free’ to further convince each other that we deserve the pay we receive. What if I told you there was a better way?…
Read MoreThe Church Mission
It has become vogue to talk about Church as a family. It is a family, but being a family is not the Church’s mission. It is not the mission of any family to keep to itself, but many churches do just that. We live as if our Church is ‘just’ for our entertainment. It is…
Read MoreHeaven is for You
As humans we are so preoccupied with getting into heaven, we forget that we can’t ‘do anything’ to get in. We can only prepare ourselves to accept what God has already done for us in the first place. A life of prayer, fasting and taking care of the poor isn’t about getting ‘in’, it is…
Read MorePractice Endurance
Do you have what it takes to be a Christian in the 21st Century? Every news report seems to include stories about moral struggles that are at odds with our Christian way of thinking. It seems like we are quickly returning to a time when the Church will be considered the enemy rather than sin.…
Read MoreWorks follow Faith
We’ve heard it before. “Faith without works is dead.” (James 2.20) As Orthodox Christians we are challenged all the time by our friends that works will not save us. Of course, what they mean is that fasting and prostrations won’t save us. They’re right, but not because they’re right. Fasting and prostrations are not works…
Read MoreLoving God
We say we will do anything for the ones we love. History is filled with dramatic love stories, many of which end in tragedy. We don’t mind the tragedy because it represents love. We like to imagine that we would endure tragedy for the ones we love. When push comes to shove, it is true…
Read MoreWatch Your Roots
Whether we are ‘born’ into the Church or come to the Church later in life, one thing remains constant. We must have faith deep enough to hold us up against the battles with Satan and his angels. Our lives are spent on Earth, faced daily with temptations and burdens. Shallow faith is not enough to…
Read MoreWhat is Heaven Worth to You?
Around every corner we are faced with making a choice. We are required to value products in the store, tickets to special events, even political campaigns. If we think something is ‘worth it’ we are willing to spend any amount of money. If something is really worth it to us, we will even spend our…
Read MoreNow Serving
Continuing where we left off yesterday with accusations against the Church about ritual, today I want to discuss what I sense is a growing conflict between being in Church for Divine Liturgy and being outside the Church service others. There appears even among leaders of the Church that serving others is more important than attending…
Read MoreHow are you Using Your Gifts?
We hear about Stewardship all the time. The problem is, we only ever hear about money. What is worse, we only hear about how much money the Church needs. We might hear a token mention of time and talents in the annual stewardship pitch. We hardly ever hear about stewardship outside of the Church’s needs.…
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