Posts Tagged ‘Gospel of Luke’
Condescension VS Enabling
I hear it all the time. We’ve got to get down to their level! We say this with all good intentions. We want nothing more than everyone to embrace the Orthodox Faith. It can be frustrating when we are surrounded by people who do not desire what we desire. So, we think it helps to…
Read MoreEpisode 405 – Having a Spiritual Father
We are all at different stages of our spiritual journey. The Orthodox way of life can be complex and difficult to determine just is the best way to practice our Orthodox Life. We cannot just ‘pick and choose’ like a cafeteria. The Tradition of our Church is to have a spiritual father who is guiding…
Read MorePro Life Church
The Orthodox Church was pro life before there was such a term. Long before Roe v Wade, and long before so-called reproductive rights, the Church honored the conception of children as a blessing from God. There are references to conception in the Scriptures and even the daily calendar honors conception as a thing to be celebrated, not destroyed.
Read MorePractice Endurance
Do you have what it takes to be a Christian in the 21st Century? Every news report seems to include stories about moral struggles that are at odds with our Christian way of thinking. It seems like we are quickly returning to a time when the Church will be considered the enemy rather than sin.…
Read MoreNews Cycle
The week after the feast of the Holy Cross, the Church begins a new cycle. We began yesterday reading from the Gospel of Luke, and we will continue throughout the Fall. I bring that to you attention because if your discipline includes reading the ‘daily readings’ of the Church, you might be tempted to skip…
Read MorePredestination
What if I were to tell you I believed in predestination? Would you call me a heretic? Would you say I have abandoned the ancient faith? Maybe you would say I finally fell over the sola scriptura cliff. Of course, none of these accusations would be true. The truth would be that we are required…
Read MoreHealing is about Mercy
We live in a society torn apart by anger and division. We listen to the words of politicians as if they are enemies. We doubt the ability of anyone, except ourselves naturally, to repent. We call vengeance by another name, pretending it to be justice. We admit the world is sick, but they are the…
Read MoreShare the Secret
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…
Read MoreNot About Us
The past few days I have been writing about the importance of the Church. The Church teaches us morality. The Church teaches us to love. The Church teaches us about God. The Church also teaches us to embrace the importance of humility and patience. The Lord said to his disciples, “He who hears you hears…
Read MoreFlesh and Spirit
Many people struggle to understand the spiritual benefits of fasting. Food is blessed by God, so why does the Church ‘punish’ us by not letting us eat? There is so much suffering in the world. It would be nice if food wasn’t the source of our suffering. Fasting is not about suffering. Fasting is about…
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