Glory to God For All Things

March 20, 2021

Pay Attention! See What You See!

It has been said that the whole of Orthodox theology and teaching can be found in a single, well-executed icon. I believe it to be true. Over the years, I have found that certain icons have been invaluable in efforts to teach a class of inquirers or catechumens about certain aspects of the faith. Those […]
Read more: Pay Attention! See What You See!
Icons, Modernity, Reflections
March 15, 2021

Naked and Ashamed: Dealing with It

The Scriptures record that Adam was ashamed and hid. It’s a primal response. Shame is experienced as a burning sense of exposure and vulnerability. It begs to be clothed upon and hidden. It is possible to say that human beings have been playing “dress-up” ever since. This can be understood in a literal manner as […]
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Forgiveness, Knowledge of God, Reflections, Repentance, Salvation
March 12, 2021

Right Glory – Orthodoxy in Its Own Language

When I was in grad school, I had a term paper graded and returned to me. In it, was a phrase, circled in red, with an explanation and an exclamation mark. It read: “Double modal!” The offending phrase was “might could.” I looked at the phrase, which seemed perfectly acceptable to my ear, and puzzled […]
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Orthodox Christianity, Reflections, Tradition
March 10, 2021

Forgiveness – Give an Enemy a Cup of Cold Water

There is a story related in Dostoevsky’s The Brothers Karamazov about an old woman who was quite wicked. She dies and goes to hell to the great distress of her guardian angel. The angel searches for any possible good deed to plead on her behalf and finds a rotten onion – something the old woman […]
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Forgiveness, Reflections, Thankfulness
March 5, 2021

Mystery as Reality

C.S. Lewis once discussed the question of how angels (and such things) could pass through a wall. His response was intriguing: he suggested that they could do so not because they were less substantial, but because they were more substantial. Just as a rock is more substantial than water or air, so, he posited, an angel […]
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Modernity, The Sacraments, Union with God
March 1, 2021

The Mystery of “Mystery”

Few words can be more misleading to the modern ear than the Orthodox use of the word “mystery.” It’s a fine New Testament word and is (technically) the proper name for the sacraments in Orthodoxy (though we most often say ‘sacrament’ in English). Its root meaning is that of something “hidden.” In our culture’s language, […]
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Mystical Theology
February 25, 2021

Healing the Inner Pharisee

I cannot remember the name of my kindergarten teacher. I cannot remember the names of any of my first grade classmates. However, I have a very vivid memory of the only word I messed up in a first grade reading group: cupboard. I read, “Cup board.” Old Mother Hubbard would have been dismayed. In the […]
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Knowledge of God, Morality, Mystical Theology, Reflections, Salvation
February 18, 2021

Hope: The Unashamed Virtue

This past year, my wife and I developed a delightful habit of “Monday’s with Eli.” He is my soon-to-be 5 year-old grandson. He has a nearly 4 month-old baby brother, whose time in the womb was the occasion for our weekly baby-sitting duties. With my retirement, his presence was a new challenge to “find things […]
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Modernity, Reflections, Salvation
February 15, 2021

The Religious Nature of Modern Life

On a daily basis, I have become increasingly aware of the “religious” nature of almost the whole of modern life. That might seem to be an odd observation when the culture in which we live largely describes itself as “secular.” That designation, however, only has meaning in saying that the culture does not give allegiance […]
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Modernity, Reflections, Salvation, Secularism
February 8, 2021

The Essential Goodness of All Things

There are certain foundational matters within the Orthodox teaching of the faith that should be settled in our hearts as we think about the faith, or even as we go through our day. Among those is the simple affirmation that all of creation is inherently and essentially good. We hear this first from the lips […]
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Existence, Reflections, Thankfulness

Hello Dee. Funny you should mention American Thanksgiving … Normally I don´t celebrate it, but this year a friend has…

Thank you so much Matthew! I know you’re in Germany and may not celebrate American Thanksgiving, but I pray that…

Thanks for your thoughts Dee. Be blessed.

Thank you so much Michael. May He also bless you with His Grace!

Thank you, Dee. May the Lord’s blessing continue for you.