Posts Tagged ‘Evangelism’
Evangelism is a Mixed Bag
In the context of a funeral, we Orthodox find ourselves as strangers among friends. We preach resurrection and judgment. Our friends teach that we become angels in heaven filled with platitudes and niceties. This isn’t done out of malice. Our friends want to sooth the pain of loss at funerals. The problem for us is…
Read MoreEpisode 377 – When we Allow God to Use Us
When we stop asking, “What’s in it for us,” and allow God to use us for His Church and His Gospel, we experience miracles. We have been given gifts and talents from God not for our use, but for God to use to preach to others. We receive the grace of God when we are…
Read MoreDo Not Search out Trouble
I write often about embracing our suffering for the sake of Christ and our spiritual journey. I write often about our willingness to suffer for the truth. Being willing to suffer is one thing. Searching for suffering is quite another. As Christians we should not search for suffering. In fact, it is within our tradition…
Read MoreThe Power of Hospitality
Greeks are known for their hospitality. I don’t mean that every Greek works in the ‘hospitality industry’ although many immigrants do own restaurants. I mean that Greeks are known for showing hospitality even to strangers. The news was filled recently with stories of Greeks rescuing refugees in boats and rafts to feed cloth and shelter…
Read MoreWorth the Suffering
It is human nature to look on someone who is suffering for a cause and think, “WOW! That person really believes in something. That person is even willing to die for it.” We’ve all witnessed such belief. We’ve seen people chained to trees, laying down in front of bulldozers, and even imprisoned for the sake…
Read MoreBest Kept Secret
I’ve been hearing this saying my entire life. People have been telling me that the Orthodox Church is the best kept secret in America. I think this is meant to be a compliment. I think we are supposed to be proud that we have something so special, and nobody knows about it. I think we…
Read MoreEvangelism Then and Now
When you read the Holy Scriptures, and sometimes even when you hear the leaders of our Church, it sounds as if there is a conflict in what is said. On the one hand we are called to love all people but hate our enemies. On the other hand, we are called to repent for the…
Read MoreExotic Names
A Name is a very personal thing. It not only represents who we are to other people, but it reflects who we want to become. In many ways, our name becomes synonymous with our identity. It’s why so many of us take it personally when someone else uses the wrong name. In the Church, how…
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