Category: Church
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To Know Even As We Are Known
The Scriptures bid us to “taste and see that the Lord is good.” On its face, it is an odd statement. In a number of languages, the word for knowing is related to the word for seeing. Again, there is a sensory element (taste and see) in the acquisition of knowledge. “Adam knew his wife,…
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Our Conciliar Existence – Love
We all live in an ecumenical council. We are not all bishops summoned by an Emperor, nor are we great fathers of the Church gathered to declare the deepest wisdom. Nevertheless, we live in an ecumenical council – every minute of every day – and the same test that ever faced the luminaries of the…
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The Pilgrimage We Must Learn to Make
There is a short comment in a letter by St. Gregory of Nyssa that has raised eyebrows for centuries on the topic of pilgrimages. Going to a holy place was big business in the Middle Ages (cf. The Canterbury Tales). Thus this epigrammatic thought of a Church Fathers, who carried the titled, “The Father of…
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Bearing Shame With Christ
Public shaming is a commonplace in our culture. Public stocks and tar-and-feathering have disappeared, but shaming itself is as up-to-date as the internet itself. I well imagine that some view the use of ridicule and derision as an inherent part of public life. Those who enjoy the accolades of crowds must be prepared to endure…
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Screwtape and the Wisdom of a Four-Year-Old Boy
When my son was four, he wrote a prayer to St. Michael. We had placed a small statue of St. Michael on his chest-of-drawers. It was classic: St. Michael in Roman soldier’s outfit with a drawn sword, and the devil beneath his foot. It seemed to have made a strong impression on my son. His…
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When Your Ancestors Came to Church
Human beings carry within them a burden of time. We are not “fresh starts” as we come into existence. There is an inheritance that seems to carry even more than our genes. Some few years ago, I visited with my father’s oldest surviving cousin. She had known both of my parents across the years, and…
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The Abbreviated God
When an Orthodox Christian is asked questions about the faith, there is often a hesitation. The questions that come to mind (for me) are: “Where do I begin?” and “How much do I try and tell them?” For, in many ways, the amount of information includes about 2,000 years of history and an encyclopedia’s worth…
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“That Which Is Lacking” – Is Jesus Enough?
Recent questions on the blog make this article worth re-visiting. I pray you find it of interest. The average Christian, reading his Bible in happy devotion, stumbles across this passage: Now I rejoice in my sufferings for your sake, and in my flesh I am filling up what is lacking in Christ’s afflictions for the…
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The Ascetic Imperative – A Matter of Communion
Among the more interesting experiences in my life was the two years spent in a Christian commune. It was not West Coast fancy, much less connected to anything historic such as the Bruderhof. It started with two very zealous Jesus freaks (myself and a friend), an apartment, and something of a necessity thrust on us…
Spencer, I think you’re on the right track. I will say (generously) that all forms of Christianity have at least…