Posts Tagged ‘truth’
Be Orthodox or Not
A disturbing trend recently has been for people to ‘argue’ about what the Church teaches. I understand non-Orthodox not agreeing with our teachings. They would be Orthodox if they agreed, naturally. What is disturbing is when professing Orthodox Christians would ‘rather’ choose non-Orthodox teachings and argue ‘their’ Church is wrong. Admittedly the Church hasn’t done…
Read MoreBe True to Who You Are
We go to Church and say our prayers. We smile and are courteous to those in the pews next to us. Then comes the end of Divine Liturgy when the priest says, “Let us go forth in peace.” We exit the front doors of the Church, only to return to the life we had before…
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 MoreWhy 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…
Read MoreLearn the Way of God More Accurately
In a society that lifts individuality and promotes self-reliance, it can be difficult to promote the Orthodox Church as the true Church. Since just about everyone can read, unlike the ancient days, everyone has received the gift of being able to read the Holy Scriptures on their own. The problem is, they don’t stop at…
Read MoreDon’t Be Led Astray
It is tempting to trust everything someone in authority says. We know intuitively that not everyone will speak the truth. In fact, many will speak lies to further their own agenda. This is true not only in politics, but also in the Church. For centuries the Church has been fighting against such realities, always remaining…
Read MoreBeware of False Prophets
Living in a society in which truth has become relative has surely made life difficult. It seems we can no longer dare to assert any truth as universal without universal endorsement. Expressions like ‘your truth is your truth’ are only exasperated by sayings like, ‘we’ll just agree to disagree’. If we buy into the notion…
Read MoreSpiritual Obedience
If we’re being honest, the idea of obedience to another human being is contingent upon our agreement with said human being. Every day we willingly place ourselves under obedience to those around us. It is what makes society civil. In the Church, it is what makes us worthy of the kingdom. BRETHREN, when you come…
Read MoreOne Holy Catholic and Apostolic Church
We say in the Nicene-Constantinopolitan Creed that we believe in “One Holy Catholic and Apostolic Church” and we casually understand the idea of Apostolic Succession as the meaning behind this phrase. The Holy Apostles, through the laying on of hands, ordained bishops who ordained bishops who ordained bishops, all the way through to today. But…
Read MoreStanding Up for Truth
Today the Church commemorates the removal of the relics of Saint Athanasios the Great, Patriarch of Alexandria. In practical terms, this means the day on which his body was exhumed from the grave. His accomplishments were great, but the example he left of patience and faith were greater. He offered the Church the first authoritative…
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