Posts Tagged ‘Church’
Submit to the Church
It may sound strange, but the Church teaches us to ‘submit’ ourselves to the teachings of the Church. As Orthodox Christians we are not ‘free’ to choose what is true and not true about God. God gave us the Church not only as a gathering place, but to protect His truth. Paul, an apostle –…
Read MoreAlways a Chance
In my more than thirty years of ministry I have met too many people who have given up on God. They have given up on their ‘chance’ for a better life. They have decided they are not worth anyone’s time, let alone God’s time. In each of those moments in the past thirty years I…
Read MoreA New Way
The ‘original’ name for the Church was “The Way” because it expressed not only the ‘way’ to heaven, but a way of life. God came to show us a new way of living, not one bound by rules and regulations, but by love and grace. Sometimes I think the Church should have kept the name.…
Read MoreTogether for Christ
Christian unity has been a priority for the Church since Christ returned to His Throne on Asension Day. We must never ignore His prayer prior to His Passion that we “are one” as He is one with the Father. Unity in Christ is much more than being in the same room. Paul, an apostle of…
Read MoreYou are not Invisible
In a world surrounded by crowds and constant background ‘noise’ it can feel like nobody sees you. You go to work dutifully and spend the day unnoticed by your coworkers and supervisors. Everyone is jockeying for ‘their ten minutes of fame, but you feel invisible. There was a woman who was so sick that she…
Read MoreEqual Genders
Our society in recent years has reignited the ‘battle of the sexes’ by attacking every place and every organization that honors the difference between men and women. Only in the Church, enlightened by Christ, can we truly see equality of men and women. If you don’t see equality, either you are blinded by your own…
Read MorePlease Don’t Stay Away
After more than thirty years in ministry I have painfully watched many walk away from the Church. One Sunday becomes one month becomes years without attending Sunday Liturgy. Then one day you can’t remember that last time you were in Church. This blog is for you. If it has been a long time since you…
Read MoreIt’s Not You; It’s Me
Made popular by a famous TV character, this saying has deep truth. It isn’t about breaking up or cancelling a date. What makes this saying true is the relationship between me and the Church. We like to blame the Church for being too strict and chasing me away, but that isn’t true. Brethren, I am…
Read MoreEpisode 451 – Find God Inside the Church
When God promised, “If anyone thirsts, let him come to Me and drink,” He was inviting us to come inside the Church and He would quench our thirst for God. Through the power of the Holy Spirit, God is everywhere, but He is inside the Church in a special way. The physical presence of God…
Read MoreThe Return Home
Today is the Feast of Ascension, the day on which Jesus Christ returned physically to His Throne in Heaven. It has been forty days since we celebrated His Resurrection but today is no less important than Pascha. Today is the day on which we celebrate our return home to God. As we state in the…
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