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The Transfigured Beauty of the Crucified God
Read more: The Transfigured Beauty of the Crucified GodOn the Mountain Thou wast Transfigured, O Christ God, And Thy disciples beheld Thy glory as far as they could see it; So that when they would behold Thee crucified, They would understand that Thy suffering was voluntary, And would proclaim to the world, That Thou art truly the Radiance of the Father! Kontakion of the Feast of […]
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The Mystery of Beauty
Read more: The Mystery of BeautyThe great mystery of Beauty is that its most profound statement in all of human history is the crucified Christ. The human experience of that Beauty is well described by Isaiah: Who has believed what we have heard? And to whom has the arm of the LORD been revealed? For he grew up before him […]
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Christ Crucified
Read more: Christ CrucifiedWriting to the Corinthians, St. Paul makes one his most famous statements: “For I decided to know nothing among you except Jesus Christ and him crucified (1Cor. 2:2). It is among the clearest definitions of the apostolic preaching to be found anywhere in the New Testament, or perhaps I should say, “everywhere in the New […]
Conversion, Fathers, Knowledge of God, Liturgy, Orthodox Christianity, Scripture, Tradition, Union with God
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Where I Saw Beauty
Read more: Where I Saw BeautyBeauty is a deeply theological word. In both Hebrew and Greek, when God creates the world He says: “It is good (beautiful).” The word carries both meanings. I believe that to encounter Beauty is, in some way to encounter God, for it simply transcends our ability to comprehend, to challenge or even to recreate. I have […]
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God is Wonderful in His Saints
Read more: God is Wonderful in His SaintsThe painting of St. Sergius as a youth by Mikhail Nesterov is one of my favorites. Just a bit more beauty to share.
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All Things Work Together for Good
Read more: All Things Work Together for GoodThe doctrine of Divine Providence, stated in various fashions, has always been problematic for me. Years ago it was problematic because I wrestled with issues of human freedom and how they related to God’s good provision. Today it is less an issue of freedom and more an issue of faith. Simply believing on a day […]
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Revisiting the Problem of Goodness
Read more: Revisiting the Problem of GoodnessI first wrote and published this reflection back in May. It seemed relevant to recent discussions. I have added an additional reflection at the end that I think is worthwhile. I hope you find this useful. From my first class in Philosophy 101 in college, the so-called “Problem of Evil” has been tossed up as […]
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Music from Another Room
Read more: Music from Another RoomIn the 1998 Jude Law film Music from Another Room, the lead character makes an argument for love, describing it as being like “music from another room.” Whether you saw the film or liked it, there is something in the metaphor of music from another room that has stayed with me. There is something about […]
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Music and Scenes from Georgia (the Old One)
Read more: Music and Scenes from Georgia (the Old One)I think of our young Church member who is living and working in Georgia this summer and pray he has such beauty around him many times. The richness of the Orthodox faith has such a depth that very little has been seen in the outside Western world. Enjoy the day.
I know all are far ahead of me here, as I thought I should go slower, being most familiar with…