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Implications for Orthodox Psycho-Theology by Fr. George Morelli In this essay, Fr. Morelli masterfully expresses the depth of Incarnational theology - the teaching of Orthodox Christianity about God, man, and spiritual reality - and the dangers of departing, even apparently, from its foundational truth. We are approaching the Nativity of our Lord Jesus Christ, the feast of the Incarnation, making this essay essential reading, in my opinion, … [Read more...]
by St. Leo the Great Our father among the saints, Leo the Great was the bishop of Rome during difficult times. He was an eminent scholar of Scripture and rhetoric. During an invasion by Attila the Hun, St. Leo met him outside the gates of Rome. After some short words, to everyone’s surprise, Attila turned and left. Three years later, during an invasion by Genseric the Vandal, St. Leo’s intercession again saved the Eternal City from … [Read more...]
by Fr. John A. Peck The art and craft of sermon evaluation is a necessary part of improving one's preaching. Sadly, there are few opportunities for serious preachers to learn about evaluation and practice it. Opportunities are even more scarce for the Orthodox preacher. That being said, we are approaching some important holy days in the Church, and though things get busy, little is more important than sermon preparation for these important … [Read more...]
WASHINGTON, Nov. 20, 2009—Today a group of prominent Orthodox, Catholic and evangelical Christian clergy, ministry leaders and scholars released the Manhattan Declaration, which addresses the sanctity of life, traditional marriage and religious liberty. The 4,700-word declaration issues a clarion call to Christians to adhere to their convictions and informs civil authorities that the signers will not - under any circumstance - abandon their … [Read more...]
Now that we have entered Advent/Nativity Fast, and many of us have begun the 2009 New Testament Challenge (some will begin on Dec. 1st), I'd like to make a simple offering about the actual reading of the Holy Scriptures. When I am teaching my parishioners or catechumens to read the Bible, few actually ask how one does this in the Orthodox way, but I believe this is an important idea, and in the spirit of giving, I always offer it to them. I … [Read more...]
by Fr. John A. Peck We have been getting ready for a solid 30 (40) Days of Blogging and today is the day we begin. Let me begin by wishing you all a blessed and fruitful Nativity Fast. This is a busy time for pastors, but it is also a time laden with unexpected opportunities. Many souls are seeking answers that only Christ can give. It is a time of evangelism! The goal of our 30 (40) Days of Blogging is to encourage and assist bloggers to blog … [Read more...]
Discourse on the Feast of the Entry of Our Most Pure Lady The Theotokos into the Holy Of Holies by St. Gregory Palamas A week from today we celebrate this great feast of our Christian faith. Our father among the saints Gregory Palamas (1296-1359), Archbishop of Thessalonica, was a monk of Mount Athos in Greece (at Vatopedi and Esphigmenou Monasteries), and later became Archbishop of Thessalonica. His feast days in the Church are Nov. 14 and the … [Read more...]
Well, we have reached the big day. Tomorrow begins our 30 (40) Days of Blogging. I wish you all the very best in this endeavor and hope that the articles we posted in the days leading up to Nov. 15th have been at least useful, and perhaps even provided you with material for your own blog, or perhaps an idea that led to a blog post. Blogging can seem intimidating at first, and even more so when you come to realize that a few people are regularly … [Read more...]
Look at this picture. I spent some time pondering it. It defies simple categorization, in my humble opinion. A girl wrapping herself in the flag? A green-eyed patriotic American muslim? A young woman afraid of what too much patriotism can effect? Is this a statement on encroaching Shariah law?What is this photo saying? In truth, I selected it because I found it uncategorizable. That is, it doesn't fit into any clearly defined category. Now, I'm … [Read more...]
Blogging on the writings of the Fathers offers some unique things to the prospective blogger! First, the writings of the Fathers are a treasury of theology, truth, wisdom, instruction, and just plain old fashioned good advice. They offer to the reader a chance to see a reflection of the Gospel teachings as expressed in different ages, in different struggles. Readers will see that the more things change, the more they stay the same. The condition … [Read more...]
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