Cleaning House
"Uh, excuse me, but I was hoping for the 'meek and lowly' Jesus!" I bet that was the thoughts of the men the day the Lord walked into a section of the outer courts of the Temple in Jerusalem and started turning over the tables and sending the "men...
The Things That Make For Peace
He corrected even my prayer that I said at the beginning of our homiletics class! He was my homiletics professor during my college years and he was known as the toughest professor at the school, and somehow he became fixated on me. It seemed I could do nothing right...
I Guess I Should Come And See
Today, we hear two different men respond to two different questions with "Come and See." The first question was asked by some of John the Forerunner's disciples about where the Lord was staying and He responded"Come and see." And the second question was asked by Nathaniel of Philip about...
Black Friday
And they're off! The sales, the markdowns, the deals, all conspiring to get us to spend, spend, spend. The competition is hot. The deals are unrepeatable. Knock that person ahead of you down. Reach across that lady's grasp. Get here first! Fight, fight, fight!
Like A Child
Think of one (just one) foolish thing you did as a child. I remember one “project” I attempted as a single-digit aged kid. I thought it would be “fun” to paint the basement of our house! The problem was I didn’t have enough paint to do all the walls....
If Only I Could…(You Can!)
"Who touched Me?" What? Lord, the whole crowd is pressing in to touch You, and you ask "Who touched Me?" Lord, it doesn't make sense. Everybody is touching You. I imagine that is what most of the disciples were either thinking or saying when the Lord asked this question in...
Not By Might, Nor By Power, But By My Spirit
It's the Nike slogan: Just Do It! It's the "American" motto: Can Do! It's the modern world's obsession: Make it happen. We are a people who have been shaped in our contemporary age with an expectation of getting things done, accomplishing goals, and doing whatever it takes to achieve...
A Good and Faithful Steward
Just in case you missed it, here's the link to Faith Encouraged LIVE. I really enjoyed speaking to my dear friend, Bill Mariannes, last night about the timeless Orthodox Christian understanding of Christian Stewardship that creates the virtues in our hearts. This is exactly what Christ meant when He...
A Confused Man
Today we read the parable of the man who confused possessions for riches and safety. His confusion caused God Himself to call him a fool. The only true riches and safety is found in remembering our mortality and preparing for it. Are you rich?
Prepared and Ready
Today we celebrate the Entry of the Theotokos into the Temple as a small child. This great feast of the Church isn't known to us from Holy Scripture, but from Holy Tradition and it reveals to us the reason why Mary was able, in her teenage years, to say "Yes"...