Episode 441 – Gratitude is a Way of Life

People along with the priest worshiping in the church

We say ‘thank you’ all the time, but we rarely live a life of gratitude. Being truly thankful requires a life-change, more than just a few words. When we want to thank God, we come to His Church, bow and worship Him, and live a new life of gratitude. Transcript: My brothers and sisters, in…

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Know Your Place

There is a place for everyone in the Church. That place is not just in the pews, but in the ministry of the Church. Nobody can do everything, but everybody must do something. If the ministry of Christ depended upon only the clergy, the Gospel would never spread. BRETHREN, grace was given to each of…

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We Long for Each Other

Throughout human history we have lived in groups and families. This is by design from God. “It is not good that man should be alone.” (Genesis 2.18) God wasn’t talking about super bowl parties. He wants us to help each other find God. We are meant for Communion. Brethren, God is my witness, how I…

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Don’t Bury Your Head in the Sand

It is a common response to stress. We avoid stressful situations. We hide from conflict in relationships. We even deny a problem when things aren’t heading in the right direction. We do this thinking things will change if only we can wait it out. We’re wrong. The Lord said to the Jews who had come…

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Common Life

In every Divine Liturgy we proclaim our common life in Christ when we pray, “Let us commend ourselves and one another and our whole life to Christ our God.” We do not commend our unison lives to Christ. We commend our life, singular, to Christ. That should mean something. Brethren, let any one who thinks…

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Separation is Death

It’s just one Sunday. I’ll go to Church next week. Weeks become months. Months become years. The next thing you know, you can’t remember the last time you were in Church. Sound familiar? May as well be true if you just replace attendance with Holy Communion. The Lord said to his disciples, “Let not your…

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A Closed Loop Opens

Here we are at the beginning of another Lectionary Cycle of the Church. One thing that strikes me every year is how quickly my mind returns to Holy Week as I am reading the Scriptures. While the Book of Acts looks forward to the new developing Church, the Gospel of John returns to the beginning.…

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The Awesome God

As human beings we are constantly surrounded by examples of power and authority. Just turn on the TV for any brief moment and you will find countless examples of earthly power. Politicians and celebrities are all vying for your attention. The one thing missing in every example of earthly authority is lasting power. Every example…

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Automatic Christianity

I just don’t get it. Why is it I meet so many people that think ‘just because’ they were baptized that means they are Christians and will be saved. It is as if baptism is some sort of magic pill that guarantees entrance to heaven. Others think, “I believe in Jesus. That’s enough.” Then there…

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