"Vain repetition, that's all it is!" My friend was absolutely horrified by my shift from my Pentecostal roots to the Greek Orthodox Church. He came to a service where I was presiding as priest and he simply shook his head in disbelief. "How could you do this?" he wondered...
Our Orthodox Christian calendar revolves around Pascha, the celebration of the resurrection of Jesus Christ. In fact, it isn't just our calendar, but our entire theology revolves around the Resurrection of Jesus. Jesus Christ conquering mortality is the public proclamation of our Christian Faith. So, how do we celebrate the...
So much conflict today is based on nothing more than finding out that someone agrees with someone else you disagree with! The friend of my enemy is my enemy. But what if all the conflicts in the world could be solved by admitting that the Source of all conflict...
"It's in your tone." My tone, what does that mean? We were discussing some heavy issue and the conversation had, indeed, turned toward the heart of the matter. I guess my voice and facial expression began to match the seriousness of my words, and she noticed it right away....
The Fallen Angels stumble from their lofty place and become enemies of the Goodness of God. Our own spiritual falls follow a similar pattern and learning how to avoid that pattern is key to fighting against the stumbles that make us partners with the devil and his demons. And, I...
Our busy lives really do challenge us in keeping our priorities in the right order, don't they? We moderns are a complicated mishmash of schedules, opportunities, affluence, and "freedom." And that multiplication of events, desires, hopes, and advertisements don't seem to be slowing down. It seems that each new...
Who is Jesus Christ? There are so many answers to that question, and I guess the human race has been preoccupied with this question since the Lord came in the first place. But, we learn today that how we answer this question is a great deal more important than...
In his book "Mere Christianity" C.S. Lewis issued his famous "trilemma." Lewis was concerned that some in his day, gripped by the fad of "demythologizing" the Bible, wanted to call Jesus a "good teacher" but certainly not God in the Flesh. (Parenthetically, I'd love to read an historical account...
I love the word “Beloved.” It’s the kind of word that bears an “antique” feel of sophistication and dignity, as well as expressing a sense of connection and intimacy that keeps it from being “stuffy” or “arrogant.” To be considered “beloved” by someone else is the heart’s cry of...
“You sinner!” The preacher thundered from the pulpit in our small Pentecostal church, and, as a 10-year-old boy, he had me convinced. Yep, I was a sinner and I needed to be saved. So, that’s what I did. In fact, every time there was a chance to be “saved”...
