Bound together in a community of sorrow Many years, ago, I met Richard, Rose, Savannah, and Ryan on a forest trail, where we discovered to our joy, we had many connections: we were connected in very general ways as people who live on Vashon Island. We were connected more intimately
Category: The Morning Offering
Leaving the ninety-nine for the one The work of the Church is to seek out the lost sheep, and bring them into the fold. The modern mission of the Church is to go out into the community and find those who are lost. Many who were previously Orthodox, but never
Let my prayer arise as incense before Thee From Old Testament times believers have burned incense as an offering when worshiping God. The ancient temple in Jerusalem even had priests whose sole duty was to keep the censer burning twenty-four hours a day. Ancient pagan kings were often escorted with
Mercy and legality in one soul is like a man who worships God and the idols in one house. — Saint Isaac the Syrian I think it should be part of catechetical instruction, as demonstrated in the Didache, be left up to the individual convert to implement, or not, the
And the clock is ticking At seventy-one I am no spring chicken, as the saying goes, and I realize I need to be prepared for my own inevitable demise. The clock is ticking for all of us, but once you have experience heart troubles, your own eventual end can no
Displaying the symbol of our faith Christians must not remain passive in response to the vandalism against our cultural and theological inheritance. It is not about being in opposition to the rights of others, but in standing tall in the face of increased Christophobia. Perhaps it is time for all
Judging divides us As members of the Body of Christ, we must resist speaking against other members of the Church. If we judge each other it is because Satan wishes to divide us. The best defense against the Evil One is to stand united in prayer with one another. We
Also known as the Feast of Lights The Feast of the Holy Theophany of our Lord God and Savior Jesus Christ is celebrated each year on January 6 (18 New Style). The Feast commemorates the Baptism of Christ and the divine revelation of the Holy Trinity. At the Baptism of
Humans are a microcosm of the whole universe It has been said that humans are a microcosm of the whole universe because we have within ourselves the entire material world and with it all the noetic powers of the cosmos. Created as we were for immortality, it is our fallen
When we experience the “dark side” of the Church For those who have experienced what has been called the “dark side” of the Church, the struggle to remain faithful to the Orthodox Faith can seem daunting. The dark side is the result of the sinful, fallen nature of all of