Posts Tagged ‘worship’
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…
Read MoreA 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.…
Read MoreEpisode 424 – Showing Profound Love for God
When we come to Church, no matter what day, we are always looking to ‘get something’ from God. Unfortunately, we never ask ourselves what we are coming to Church to give to God. On Palm Sunday we hear about a woman who showed such profound love for God that she spent an entire year’s wages…
Read MoreThe 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…
Read MoreAutomatic 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…
Read MoreChristmas Has Begun
The Church has a wonderful tradition of ramping up a celebration ‘in anticipation’ of a feast. This tradition is called the Forefeast, and begins to offer hymns and readings that reflect the coming feast. The greater the feast, the greater the forefeast. In the case of Christmas the Forefeast began on December 20th, but we’ve…
Read MoreEpisode 411 – Desire to be with God
When God invites you, He wants you to attend by choice. He won’t force us to attend Church. His desire is that we want to be with Him in Church and in Heaven. Attending Church is not about checking off a box of obligation. We can ‘find time’ for anything we desire. God invites us…
Read MoreStand in front of God
You may not know that I have two ruptured discs in my back and a ‘bit’ of arthritis in my knee. I know how difficult it can be to stand for services in the Church. I know how difficult it can be to concentrate on the words of Liturgy when you’re in pain. Nonetheless, the…
Read MoreChristian Relationships
Long before you and I were born God said, “It is not good for man to be alone.” (Genesis 2.18) He wasn’t talking about needing someone for housework or to work the fields. He was talking about our salvation. Since we are created in the image of God, Who is a community of love in…
Read MoreOrder VS Chaos
I hear it often. The Orthodox Church is accused of worrying more about ritual than ‘The Word’ when it comes to worship. True, our Liturgy is filled with ritual elements. The same can be said for our protestant brothers and sisters who indict us. Just because something has ritual doesn’t mean it isn’t based on…
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