The Flattery of Imitation
One of the Substacks I read regularly is Common Sense, and recently they had an article by Luke Burgis entitled "Why Everyone Wants the Same Thing." It was absolutely brilliant. Sadly, it's behind a paywall but the gist of the article is "Human beings are expert imitators (mimetic comes...
TRADITION!
What do we mean when we use the word "tradition?" To many, especially the millions of American Christians formed and shaped by popular Christianity, it is usually seen as a negative. You know, the "traditions of men" that Jesus warned us to avoid (see Mark 7:8-9). For others, formed...
How Do You Use Media in the Church?
Recently a pastor in a Protestant denomination called The Church of the Nazarene ask me to be with him on his podcast as he explored using media and live streaming in the Church. He had been watching our sermons on Faith Encouraged TV on YouTube and reached out to...
Giving Tuesday!
Wow. Thank You! Our Giving Tuesday participation launched our End-Of-Year Campaign off to a great start! Thank you to everyone who participated! But it isn't too late to give! Our Campaign runs until the close of the year. Did you know that most non-profits make the majority of their operating budget...
St. Andrew – The First Called
I've been saying "Orthodox on Purpose" for so long that sometimes I wonder if I've grown deaf to the wisdom behind the words. After all, the danger for any minister is to keep all the words of his purpose and forget the meaning behind them. Terrifying! But I've discovered that...
Discovering What Motivates You
George Elliot once said "Selfish, a judgment readily passed by those who have never tested their power of sacrifice." That's so true. Most of the time selfishness in my own life flows from those moments when I was afraid that I'd disappear if I truly gave of myself. Of...
Giving Tuesday
As we enter into the holiday season, I want to thank you and ask for your help. "Thank you" because of your faithful partnership since 2014 when we launched this Daily Devotional and we continue to see people's lives encouraged to be Orthodox on Purpose! And to ask you to renew...
The Light of God’s Judgement
It has been said that God at His angriest is kinder to us than men at their kindest. What a lovely thought. But what are we to do with all those passages in the Bible that talk about God's anger and His wrath? I mean it isn't like they are...
So Thankful
Dear Friends of Faith Encouraged, Just a quick note to remind you about our Annual Support Campaign that's going on now, and focused on Giving Tuesday! When you support Faith Encouraged Ministries, you make notes like this possible! Please consider us in your Year-End giving. Just click the link below, and...
Here Comes The Bridegroom
The notice I received had this heading: "Attention" as a Cultural Problem and the Possibilities of Education. It was a notice of a lecture being held at a major university and it certainly caught my attention. One of the most consistent messages in all the writings of the Fathers is...