Posts Tagged ‘Church History’
2023 Daily Lenten Journey – Day 34
Living in America is a gift some don’t fully appreciate. For the most part, even with the recent violence and financial struggles, we live in basic safety. The ancient world was not so lucky. Societies were often overtaken by conquerors, only to change hands again by other conquerors. Throughout Christian history, the people of God…
Read More2023 Daily Lenten Journey – Day 27
In the middle of Great Lent, we encounter a totally different experience. The Feast of the Annunciation is the only day a ‘regular’ Liturgy is celebrated during the week. It is a day when fasting is lessoned. It is a day when the Church celebrates, not matter when it occurs. Growing up Greek in America…
Read More2023 Daily Lenten Journey – Day 24
Many do not know the original practice of Holy Confession was public in the Church. That meant that people would publicly admit to each other their sins. This was important because of our union in the Church. When we sin, we bring sin into the body of the Church. Of course, pretty quickly this practice…
Read More2023 Daily Lenten Journey – Day 7
The Sunday of Orthodox is a day of grand celebration. The Church goes back to her roots with a (often public) procession of icons to commemorate the historic restoration of the Holy Icons by the Empress Irene in the 8th Century. Sunday School children line up with Altar servers and chanters, and proudly display their…
Read More2023 Daily Lenten Journey – Day 6
By now, if you’re like the typical Orthodox Christian, you attended at least one ‘extra’ service this week for Great Lent. Churches throughout the world this week had people attending services they may not have ever attended. At least, they haven’t attended the ‘extra’ service since last year. You may be surprised to know the…
Read MoreThe Struggle Within
Saint Paul understood it well when he said, “For what I am doing, I do not understand. For what I will to do, that I do not practice; but what I hate, that I do.” (Romans 7.15) We all ‘want’ to follow Christ, but we struggle to put in place those guarantees that would lead…
Read MoreA Sunday Only Experience
I often say that Orthodox Christianity is a 24-hour life. There is never a time when we are not Orthodox Christian. Our faith is not limited to Sunday morning and Feast Days. Our faith is lived daily for Christ. Unfortunately, the Church in America has become in too many cases a ‘Sunday only’ experience. There…
Read MoreTombs and Monuments
We live in a society of monuments. In fact, those same monuments have been the focus of many protests in the past couple years. Statues have been destroyed, plaques commemorating past civic leaders have been removed, and tombs have been desecrated. That is a normal part of human history. Generation after generation builds and destroys…
Read MoreShare What You Know
It is an unfortunate saying about the Church. People call the Church, “The Best Kept Secret in America!” I say unfortunate, because keeping the Church a secret is sin, plain a simple. Christ wants us to allow our light to shine. He even sends us out to all nations to baptize them. Still, people keep…
Read MoreAncient Preparation for God’s People
There are many in the world who claim that ‘because other religions’ share similar elements of faith, then all faiths are man-made. Some examples of this include the global ‘flood event’ and various worship styles. Just because religions share common elements does not mean they are man-made. It might be that God had planted the…
Read More