Category: Orthodox Christianity
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Mission and Worship – America and the Orthodox
The following post is an expanded version of a comment I wrote in a recent thread. The question to which it responds is the Scriptural mandate of St. Paul (1 Cor. 9:19-23): For though I am free from all men, I have made myself a slave to all, that I might win the more. To…
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Monday – the Day of the Holy Angels
Yesterday I set out to write a short piece on each day of the week. In the Orthodox calendar, each day of the week has its own particular dedication – an aspect of the life and ministry of Christ or of our life as Christians. Monday is remembered as the Day of the Angels. The…
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Safe Return
Thank you for your prayers. We have returned safely home – just in time for the weekend’s services. I’ll return to the conversation Sunday evening or Monday morning. Many thanks to all. It looks like there is plenty to look at when I return to my desk.
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America and the Church – More Thoughts
Getreligion.org recently drew attention to a New York Times article on modern evangelicalism and the role that various forms of music are playing in their current configuration. The article contained this striking quote and observation from an interview with Tom Mercer, senior pastor of the evangelical church featured in the article: “When you start a…
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A Little Child Enters the Temple
The story in the gospel of Christ’s visits to the Temple in his childhood – the first at 40 days of age (marked by the Feast of the Presentation and the occasion of prophecy by the Elder Simeon and Hannah the Prophetess) and at age 12 when He is lost and later found giving instruction…
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What Faith Shall I Defend?
Contemporary challenges to the Christian faith, whether from children’s writers such as Pullman or various scientific voices in the world of mass media, are frequently not challenges to the Christian faith but attacks on the misperceptions of the Christian faith. By the same token, many professions of the Christian faith are not professions of the…
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Where Do the Children Play?
I recall an old Cat Stevens song from the early 70’s, Where Do the Children Play? It runs through my head from time to time when I think about the adult world interacting with children. I had the phrase somewhat in mind when I reacted to the recent invasion of Harry Potter’s world by JK…
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Another Milestone – with Thanks
Sometime tomorrow (here in Tennessee) or this evening (if something unusual happens) Glory to God for All Things will reach another milestone in its young life. We will cross 400,000 “views” since the blog’s debut in October last year. Readership has continued to grow (slowly but steadily) which is encouraging. In general, I think we’ve…
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A Faith Worth Believing
In the past month of more I have been working from time to time on posts about a “One-Storey Universe” versus a “Two-Storey Universe.” The comments and the readership have said to me that I am writing about a topic that touches many. Perhaps the most poignant responses I have had have been those who…
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St. Ignatius Brianchaninov on Prayer and the Fire of the Spirit
St. Ignatius Brianchaninov was an early 19th century Russian Bishop and saint. His teachings on prayer, drawn from the fathers are among the best modern commentaries. His work, The Arena, is a must-read on the subject of spiritual delusion. The following excerpt is from his book, On the Prayer of Jesus, in which he draws…
I agree that Fr Stephen’s words are so edifying! Even better to listen to him speak. Watching videos of him…