Glory to God For All Things

June 26, 2007

Ars Gratia Artis

This is for my daughter – who is a young artist and in the Governor’s School for the Arts this summer. I say this is for her – though I’m not sure she reads the blog everyday – and, of course, I’m letting the rest of you thousand or two people read it, too, so […]
Read more: Ars Gratia Artis
Culture, Icons, Knowledge of God, Music, Orthodox Christianity
June 25, 2007

Fools for Christ – Remembering What Matters

I have been viewing the movie, Ostrov, which I reviewed here, simply because watching it feeds me where watching something else would not. I think I have been particularly fed by mediatating on the actions of the character of Fr. Anatoly, who is something of a “fool for Christ.” He is not the most learned […]
Read more: Fools for Christ – Remembering What Matters
Knowledge of God, Orthodox Christianity, The Journey of Faith, The Sacraments, Union with God
June 23, 2007

On a Birthday – Many Years!

Please indulge me in a personal post – I will be in Murfreesboro, TN, visiting with my youngest daughter who is in Governor’s School this summer on Saturday of this week, and on Sunday, my family and I will observe the birthday of my wife. My wish for “Many Years!” is for my wife for […]
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Family, Orthodox Christianity
June 23, 2007

The Struggle in Prayer

Prayer is infinite creation, the supreme art. Over and over again we experience an eager upsurge towards God, followed only by a falling away from His light. Time and again we are conscious of the mind’s inability to rise to Him. There are moments when we feel ourselves on the verge of insanity. ‘Thou didst […]
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Orthodox Christianity, Prayer, The Journey of Faith
June 22, 2007

John the Baptist and Forerunner of the Lord

We approach the feast of the Nativity of the Forerunner of Christ – a feast noted around my household for also being the birthday of my wife (and of her brother). Thus we celebrate and are sometimes slightly distracted from the ecclesiatical meaning of the day. But a family cannot be faulted for the joy […]
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Evangelism, Orthodox Christianity, Saints
June 21, 2007

Orthodoxy and Torture

I generally try to respond to questions, when asked, though my main guidance in writing is to follow what seems good to me and that which I have some experience in. Therefore the limited range of topics… However in one of the comments recently, I was asked to consider a post on the Orthodox Church’s […]
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Culture, Orthodox Christianity
June 20, 2007

To Know God

I have had some correspondence recently on the subject of knowing God. The knowledge of God, generally spoken of in a very experiential manner, is an absolute foundation in Orthodox theology. Nothing replaces it – no dogmatic formula – no Creed – not even Scripture – though Orthodoxy would see none of these things as […]
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Fathers, Knowledge of God, Orthodox Christianity, Prayer, Saints, The Journey of Faith, Tradition, Union with God
June 19, 2007

The Church of the Unanxious God

The story of the conversion of Metropolitan Kallistos Ware to Orthodoxy has more or less passed over into modern Orthodox legend. He accidentally stumbles into a Vigil service in order to get out of a rain storm. Discovering Orthodoxy and its beauty he begins to inquire into conversion only to be told to go back […]
Read more: The Church of the Unanxious God
Conversion, Evangelism, Orthodox Christianity, The Church, The Journey of Faith
June 18, 2007

Moses and the Unknowable God

Last week, while conducting a retreat for youth at Sts. Mary and Martha monastery, we concentrated on the topic of “Who Am I?” It seemed to me an appropriate topic for an age where youth are frequently struggling with issues of identity. They live in a socially dangerous world – the cruelty of young teenagers […]
Read more: Moses and the Unknowable God
Conversion, Family, Orthodox Christianity, Scripture, The Journey of Faith
June 18, 2007

Now Lay Aside All Earthly Cares

This youtube video has the music of Tchaikovsky’s Cherubimic Hymn. Let us who mystically represent the Cherubim and sing the thrice holy hymn to life-creating Trinity, now lay aside all earthly cares that we may receive the King of All who comes mystically upborne by the angelic hosts. Alleluia. Alleluia. Alleluia.
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Music, Orthodox Christianity

Jenny, So glad to hear this news of your daughter! Thanks be to God! May He continue to heal her…

Bonnie, That both Lewis and Tolkien were veterans of the Great War (WWI), and veterans of the trenches as well.…

Both Tolkien and Lewis were of a generation of young men immersed in studies of literature. They and their peers…

Dee, That truly is fascinating about gaining insight into chemistry through prayer! When I first took algebra, I struggled to…

Father, I love that small slice of English society during that period of history, and I would be tempted to…