Proper etiquette upon entering an Orthodox temple From ancient times, the traditional posture for prayer and worship in the Orthodox Church has been to stand. Traditionally Orthodox churches have no pews, but do provide chairs or benches on the side walls reserved for the elderly and infirm. When worshiping in
Category: The Morning Offering
The Orthodox view of the Sabbath Day The Orthodox Church does not see an obligation for her people to follow the Saturday Sabbath. Just as her faithful are not obligated to follow the Old Testament dietary restrictions, upon which our Jewish friends hold to Kosher laws, or the required practice
The Ancient Christian Church in the modern world We are part of the worldwide Orthodox Church – the oldest Christian Church in the world. This is not a theological statement, it is an historical one. In every part of the world there are Orthodox churches, missions, and monasteries. They are
And a new beginning Today we celebrate the beginning of 2019, a New Year, and with it a chance to recommit ourselves to working harder at making changes in our lives that will lead to spiritual growth. The Lord’s patience never runs out, so we always have the invitation to
We Orthodox are Duty Bound to Share the Faith As we usher in a new year, we Orthodox Christians are duty bound to share our faith with others. Christ is for everyone, but with all the bad press Christianity has been getting during the past decade, it is especially important
I am humbled by your feedback I am humbled by the feedback I’ve received from so many of you, telling me you are blessed by my blog articles and podcasts. “The Morning Offering” was born out of my deep love for all of you, and my desire to share the
Without winter there will be no spring Like many of my readers, I’ve experience much pain and sorrow over this past year. But a beloved bishop friend gave me this sound advice: “The grass is greener where the manure is thickest.” The devil, warring against us, would have us believe
As the Living Word, God was born into our midst As the Living Word, God became one of us, taking on the condition of our flesh in every way, yet remaining sinless. In doing so, God has invited us to come out from the darkness that is our fallen nature,
Where the temporal and the eternal are connected We can be rich in liturgical correctness and wealthy in traditions, but if we do not have love and mercy, we are in reality bankrupt. Our Lord Himself made love and mercy the chief criterion whereby we will be judged on the
Taste the presence of Christ within you We all need a good dose of silent prayer each and every day. Finding that perfect place in your home that can become your cave, or prayer closet, will afford you that sacred space where you can go deep into the heart and