The 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…

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Consecration

Today the Church commemorates the consecration of the most glorious church of the Resurrection of Our Lord, God and Savior Jesus Christ. Built by Saints Constantine and Helen in the 4th Century, this Church stands as a reminder to the world that God was resurrected from the dead. Although the building has seen changes and…

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Dating and Marriage

Two rings on top of a book

When it comes to matters of the heart, many of us ignore the Church. We think, wrongly, that who we date is of no consequence. Then one morning we awake in love with someone the Church says we cannot marry. Instead of accepting that we may have fallen in love with the wrong person, we…

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We Need More Soft Hearts

Comfortably in my 50’s I realize it has become too easy for my heart to grow cold and hard. The more I am cheated and taken advantage of, the more difficult it is to remain open. I’m not alone. I hear many confessions of people who suffer the same reality. Just how much can one…

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For the Sake of the Elect

It is a common line of thought on this blog that the world is against the Christ and His Church. We often talk about how we are called to endure to the end. We often talk about persecution being a real thing not only in the lives of the martyrs, but in the lives of…

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Losing the Church

What does it mean to lose the Church? What does it mean to have the Church taken away from you? We live in a society which believes the church belongs to us. Our parents started the church. Our ancestors built the church. Parish councils over the years hire and fire clergy. With such a strong…

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Guilt by Association

When I was young, I was spending time with a friend when we found ourselves in a bit of trouble. We were walking past a swimming pool where a group of people had jumped the fence for a night swim. We knew the group of people, so we were chatting with them when we were…

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Share the Secret

A boy whispering secrets to another boy

There is a saying that really disturbs me. People say, “The Orthodox Church is the best kept secret.” If this is true, it is quite unfortunate. A secret is something that should be kept private. The Church is the Body of Christ and has come for all. It is time to share the secret. The…

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The 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…

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Why we Need the Church

It is no secret we live in a self-oriented and self-justified society. We are the masters of our own destiny, or so we think. I hear it all the time. “I don’t need anyone to tell me what the Bible means.” This very phrase is totally without meaning. If you are reading the letters of…

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