Posts Tagged ‘gospel of john’
2023 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 4
We awake from sleep. We prepare for a day of work. We return home satisfied, we hope, for the good things accomplished. We rest and sleep for another day of work. Day after day. Year after year. We do all this to fill our stomachs, put a roof over our heads, clothes on our backs,…
Read MoreSheep or Goat?
Being free has its difficulties. As free human beings, regardless of various laws and social mores, we are free to live as we wish. Sure, there might be consequences if our behavior does not fall in line with sanctioned choices. Sure, we might become outcasts if we choose a life those around us do not…
Read MoreLooking for God
So many are searching for something more. They’re not quite sure what ‘more’ means, but their heart tells them there is ‘more’ to life. These ‘seekers’ go from place to place, person to person, hoping their hearts will be fulfilled. I have met them, and when they arrive inside a Church dedicated to God’s holiness,…
Read MoreGood News Spreads
The nature of community is that news spreads through word of mouth. When gas prices go up, friends tell friends where the cheapest gas can be found. When baby formula could not be found on the grocery shelves, friends told friends where formula could be found. In a community we are always trying to help…
Read MoreWho Did You Bring?
The other day I wrote about the difficultly we experience in sharing our faith. We prefer keeping our faith to ourselves to taking the risk in preaching about Christ in today’s society. I get it, but is it paying off like we would like? Rather than gaining favor with God, we are merely buying our…
Read MoreLight
It is no secret that our world is filled with, and often overtaken by, darkness. With the recent time change, the topic of light and darkness is easy to imagine. As the sun sets, now ‘suddenly’ an hour earlier, it is easy to lose our awareness of time. No, it isn’t midnight (as a famous…
Read MoreA Single Book is Never Enough
As I wrote in “Our Own Church” yesterday, there are many other things that are not included in the Scriptures. We simply cannot limit our experience of God to one book, even if that book is the Bible. It doesn’t make everything true. In the same token it doesn’t make everything false. There must some…
Read MoreLove Defeats Fear
When the time came for Jesus to be crucified only one of His disciples remained until the very end. This disciple had been with Him from the beginning and never waivered in his love for Christ. He is the only one of the Twelve that did not die a martyr’s death. He cared for the…
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…
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