Posts Tagged ‘worship’
Stand 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…
Read MoreMotives for Change
Humanity has benefited a great deal from innovation. In just about every sector of life, innovation has improved upon what was before. Medical, scientific, technological, and even food production have all been improved by innovation. There is one place, though, where innovation is not necessarily making things better. Religious and moral innovation has continually brought…
Read MoreThe Battle Over Language
It isn’t enough that the various Orthodox jurisdictions in America argue over their ‘native’ language vs English in worship. In America we even argue over which English is best. I’ve heard it all my life. Do we call God, You or Thee? It might be hard to believe, but the fight over language is not…
Read More2023 Daily Lenten Journey – Day 26
This week finishes with another ‘fast forward’ of the ancestry of Noah through Shem. Allow me to recap for a moment. Adam and Eve had Cain and Abel. After Cain killed Abel, they had Seth. From Seth we learned the descendants through Noah, and then on to Shem’s descendants. Today we land on the doorstep…
Read More2023 Daily Lenten Journey – Day 19
This week’s Daily Lenten Journey was completely focused on the story of Noah, the Flood, the Ark and God’s plan for our salvation. Yesterday’s blog focused on how God NEVER forgets us. Today we hear what happens when Noah remembered God. And in the seventh month, on the seventeenth day of the month, the ark…
Read More2023 Daily Lenten Journey – Day 6
By now, if you’re like the typical Orthodox Christian, you attended at least one ‘extra’ service this week for Great Lent. Churches throughout the world this week had people attending services they may not have ever attended. At least, they haven’t attended the ‘extra’ service since last year. You may be surprised to know the…
Read MoreArmor is for Battle
A dangerous trend exists among many Christians, too many. Many mistakenly think that if we believe in Jesus Christ as God, then we will forever be comforted. The so-called ‘prosperity gospel’ goes so far as to suggest that God wants all believers to be rich. Rich or poor, the idea that Christians don’t have to…
Read MoreOrthodoxy 101 – The Divine Liturgy
The Divine Liturgy is the central act of worship in the Orthodox Church. Though regarded by many as a ritualistic gem, the reality is that many contemporary Christians neither understand liturgy, nor do they know how to meaningfully participate in the Divine Liturgy.
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