Posts Tagged ‘peace’
No Shame about Christmas
When everyone around you seems to have forgotten why Christmas is important, it can be awkward keeping focus. We are fasting. ‘They’ are feasting. We are praying. They are shopping. We are serving others. They are demanding special treatment at the checkout lane. Being a Christian is hard enough in modern America. Being an Orthodox…
Read MoreEpisode 452 – The Peace of God is for Everyone
When Christ called His first disciples to join Him on His mission, they immediately changed their focus toward God. Immediately they made their entire life about serving God and sharing His Gospel with the world. With the constant reality of violence and war in the world, it is an opportunity for us to live as…
Read MoreThe Pain of Violence
Last night the world was witness to yet another example of political violence. This is something the world has known for centuries, millennia even. Since the first murder of Abel by his brother, humanity has known the unfortunate reality of violence. When Jesus came to bring us a better example of peace and love He…
Read MoreSometimes You Must Walk Away
Standing up for your beliefs can be exhilarating and terrifying at the same time. Will those around me respect my defense or rally against me? In a split second we are forced to face death, even if metaphorical, or praise. Sometimes, we just walk away. IN THOSE DAYS, Agrippa the king and Bernice arrived at…
Read MoreOne Disagreement Away from Enemies
I have watched best friends willing to die for each other, only to stop talking over a single disagreement. We put so much energy into our relationships that when they ‘go bad’ we are lost. Even family members can turn on each other if loyalties don’t align. In those days, Saul was with the disciples…
Read MoreOrthros Prayer Two
Yesterday we prayed for God to always have compassion on us because we can’t do with without Him. In our Orthros Prayer series, we now turn our attention to the commandments of God. His commandments light the way through the darkness to heaven. The problem is we fail to follow His commandments and have been…
Read MoreMorning Prayers Part Three
When we pray, we often wonder if God is listening to us. I know we wonder, because many confess this to me. It isn’t a sin, but we feel as if we don’t ‘have God’s ear’ when we are praying. Maybe it is because of the way we pray. Maybe it is the words we…
Read MoreEpisode 442 – Today I Could Die Happy
There are special days in our life when we feel so happy and content that we can’t imagine life getting any better. Saint Symeon had such a day when he saw Jesus Christ. “Lord, now let your servant depart in peace.” The Church invites us to consider what it might take for our hearts to…
Read MoreThe Yoke of Christ
We all know how difficult it can be to follow Christ. Throughout Christian history many have tried and failed, only to return to their sinful past. Many more have succeeded despite the struggle of choosing Christ over the worldly agenda. How can Christ even claim His ‘yoke’ is easy? The Lord said to his disciples,…
Read MoreHow do we heal?
Like many of you, I didn’t get much sleep last night. Ever since I was a little boy, I have been excited on Election Night, almost as much as Christmas. The past few elections have caused me to think. So many friends stand on opposite sides! How do we heal from this division? The past…
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