The Inheritance of death rather than the firstborn’s sin That the Orthodox Church does not accept the doctrine of original sin as espoused in the West, in no way suggests we do not need to be born anew. Orthodoxy continues the teaching of the Early Church that we inherit only
Author: Abbot Tryphon
I am abbot of All-Merciful Saviour Orthodox Monastery (ROCOR) on Vashon Island, WA. The island is a twenty minute ferry ride from West Seattle, and a fifteen minute crossing from Tacoma.
Surrounded by the Salish Sea, the island is some 87% undeveloped forest, with a rural population of around eleven thousand citizens. If you wish to contact me personally, you can email me at: abbottryphon@vashonmonks.com
The grass is not greener on the other side An Elder said: “Just as a tree cannot bear fruit if it is often transplanted, so neither can a monk bear fruit if he frequently changes his abode.” In an age when people change addresses as often as those in past
Putting off the old man as we put on Christ At the moment we’ve committed ourselves to a life in Christ, change takes place. We begin walking the path of repentance, putting off the ‘old man’ and putting on Christ. The waters of baptism began this change, and the life
Centers for spiritual healing and intercessory prayer Monastics are an integral part of the Church and should not be seen as independent of the Church Universal. Monks are bound by the same Gospel as other Christians and need to avail themselves to the missionary and pastoral needs of the Church,
Returning to the place where it all began During a trip to Northern Idaho to spent time with my brother a number of years ago, we both decided to visit a remote portion of Priest Lake, where our grandfather had built a lake cabin. It was the first time I’d been
The Eucharist transmits to us divine life Food had always sustained the earthly existence of everyone, but in the Eucharist the Lord gave us a distinctively unique human food – bread and wine – that by the power of the Holy Spirit, has become our gift of life. Consecrated and
Faith without works is dead The very moment faith enters the soul is that moment when we turn toward God in repentance and recognize we can not live without Him. As we grow in our faith we come to realize we must remain in a continual state of repentance, for
Avoiding the stagnation of this present world For those who embrace the enjoyment of partying and entertainment, all in an attempt to avoid the hardships and life struggles that make great souls, they will have failed to embrace the essential element that makes this life journey salvific. They will have
The necessity of a pastor’s freedom to preach The adoption of the Johnson Amendment in 1954 was the moment the Internal Revenue Service was given the power to dictate what could and could not be preached from American pulpits. With the threat of fines, or even losing tax exempt status
Blessed is the Kingdom of the Father and the Son and the Holy Spirit The Divine Liturgy begins with the words, Blessed is the kingdom of the Father and the Son and the Holy Spirit, now and forever and to the ages of ages. This kingdom is our true home