Posts Tagged ‘Church History’
Ancient Faith
Living in most cities in America, the oldest building we are likely to encounter is between 100 and 150 years old. Sure, there are a few rare buildings that have survived here and there, but for the most part we live in a very ‘new and young’ society. The vast majority of buildings we see…
Read MoreKnowledge Requires Trust
We all grow up learning to trust our teachers. We trust that George Washington was the first president of the United States. We trust that Ben Franklin was the first Postmaster General. Go back even further. We trust there was a Pharaoh named Tutankhamen. We learned to trust this information because we weren’t there to…
Read MoreBe Strong
Among the many struggles of being a Christian in 21st Century America is the reality that we are not living among fellow believers. Either we are among Christians who are not Orthodox, or we are among non-Christians. Worse than both is to be among Orthodox Christians who do not live nor believe as Orthodox Christians.…
Read MoreChristian Groupies
We read about it in the Scriptures. Crowds would gather around Christ every time He spoke. Many even went from town to town to follow and be with Him. They filled houses and covered mountain tops. Wherever Jesus went, the crowds followed. At that time, Herod the tetrarch heard of all that was done by…
Read MoreNews Cycle
The week after the feast of the Holy Cross, the Church begins a new cycle. We began yesterday reading from the Gospel of Luke, and we will continue throughout the Fall. I bring that to you attention because if your discipline includes reading the ‘daily readings’ of the Church, you might be tempted to skip…
Read MoreThe 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 MoreThe Past is more than History
Those who forget the past are doomed to repeat it. This very popular quote came to my mind today. You may wonder why the Church spends so much time remembering the past. Some may think it is because we honor those who came before us. That is only history. The past is something more. The…
Read MoreMotives for Change
Humanity has benefited a great deal from innovation. In just about every sector of life, innovation has improved upon what was before. Medical, scientific, technological, and even food production have all been improved by innovation. There is one place, though, where innovation is not necessarily making things better. Religious and moral innovation has continually brought…
Read MoreHistorical Perspective
If you grew up in the Church and attended Sunday school, chances are pretty good that you were told we were the Church that never changes. You were told that every time someone came up with a teaching that was wrong, the entire Church came to an agreement through divine inspiration. You may not want…
Read MoreThere are no Free Agents in the Church
It is not uniquely American, but very prevalent in American Christianity. It is a symptom of what is called non-denominationalism. It has become popular for anyone who wishes to establish a church and name himself or herself pastor. This was not always the case, nor should it be. In those days, Barnabas and Saul returned…
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