Glory to God For All Things

June 2, 2015

A Tendency to Beauty

Evolutionary theorists have a very difficult time suggesting a mechanism for life. How do plain chemicals – minerals and dissolved substances – combine in a manner that constitutes a living thing? In fact, why would they? I have no interest in discussing the pro’s and con’s of evolutionary theory. It is not interesting to me […]
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Beauty, Icons, Reflections, Union with God
May 31, 2015

The Last Pascha – A Reverie

I had a reverie around the time of Pascha. My life has had many chapters. I have loved friends and lost friends. My memory is filled with much that is bittersweet – not my favorite flavor. But my reverie was a dream of Pascha – the Last Pascha. I wrote this in a Facebook post […]
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Last Things, Pascha, Reflections
May 31, 2015

The Lord and Giver of Life

The opening verses of Genesis offer the mysteries of creation for our consideration. Of particular note is the primary role of the Holy Spirit. “The Spirit of God moved over the face of the waters… “ Light and dry land are made to appear and then, the miracle of life: “Let the earth bring forth…” […]
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Beauty, Reflections
May 28, 2015

Weak, Sick, Poor and Tired: A Story for Losers

The American Dream is embodied in strength. Gen. George Patton famously said, “America loves to win and cannot abide a loser.” The spirituality of winning is probably the fastest growing and most attractive version of “Christianity” to be found on the American scene. Mega Churches, seating 10’s of thousands have sprung up as temples of success. […]
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Reflections, Salvation, Union with God
May 25, 2015

Is Hell Real?

Because sometimes the people of God need a basic lesson in the nature of existence… On one of the roads leading into my small city a billboard has recently appeared. It is part of a larger campaign by a nationally known evangelist who is to have a revival in Knoxville. The sign is simple. In […]
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Last Things, Reflections, Salvation
May 23, 2015

The Cruciform Human

In my March lecture in San Francisco, I made an assertion that is worth isolating for an article. That assertion is that we are created in the image of the Crucified Christ, and that this is essential in understanding what it means to be human. I have been asked where I got such an idea. […]
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Cross, Reflections, Salvation
May 20, 2015

History’s Detectives

The search for the historical anything is an exercise in fantasy and imagination, a good movie, but not good for much else. C.S. Lewis noted that reviewers of his books, speculating on how they were written and other such intimate historical matters, were almost universally wrong. He wondered out loud why we should presume historical […]
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Modernity, Reflections, Scripture, Time, Tradition
May 19, 2015

The Difficult Task of True Theology

Nothing is as difficult as true theology. Simply saying something correct is beside the point. Correctness does not rise to the level of theology. Theology, rightly done, is a path towards union with God. It is absolutely more than an academic exercise. Theology is not the recitation of correct facts, it is the apprehension and […]
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Beauty, Knowledge of God, Reflections
May 18, 2015

What the Devil Doesn’t Know

I have been reading (more like imbibing) the transcript of a talk by Fr. Jonathan Tobias. It will bear re-reading several times. I was deeply struck by these two paragraphs: What is utterly shocking here about these events is, as a kid I always wondered: Why did the devil let Jesus down there in the […]
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Beauty, Knowledge of God, Pascha
May 15, 2015

Fr. Stephen in San Francisco – Running on Empty in the Abundant Life

I spoke in March at the Cathedral of the Mother of God, Joy of All Who Sorrow in San Francisco. A number of people have seen these video’s (the lecture and the question and answer section). I’ve posted them here at a general request. “Running on Empty in the Abundant Life” is the lecture. “Life […]
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Reflections

Fr. Stephen wrote: “Whatever form will be revealed in our final state of being, when all creation is set free…

Dear Father, Thank you for these beautiful words. May we willingly take up the Cross of Christ, in and through…

Thank you so much Byron!

Praying for you, Dee! May God hold you close.

Father, I so appreciate your words. I’ve been suffering a lot over the last night and today. It helps to…