The Church, like a forest, provides needed oxygen Growing up in Northern Idaho, I was surrounded by mountains and forests. I don’t remember a time when forests did not tug at my heart and fill my imagination with thoughts of adventure. As a small child my parents took my brother
Photo: Keagan Latrell and Edwin Baxter have been spending time with us. Sunday December 16, 2018 / December 3, 2018 29th Sunday after Pentecost. Tone four. Nativity (St. Philip’s Fast). Fish Allowed Prophet Zephaniah (Sophonias) (635 B.C.). Venerable Sabbas, abbot of Zvenigorod, disciple of St. Sergius of Radonezh (1406).
We are both soul and body Unlike angels, who are entirely spiritual beings, God has made each of us as creatures dwelling in a material world. To be whole, we must worship God both in body and soul. This teaching is central to our Christian faith and is an affirmation
Cruel and depraved is the killing of the unborn child “Those who use abortifacients commit homicide.” Saint Clement We are living in a period of history that has seen the cause of human rights take the forefront as never before. We champion the cause of equality under the law for
The enemy of faith is pride “Jesus answered and said to them, “This is the work of God, that you believe in Him whom He sent.”” (John 6:29). The absolute necessary element for salvation is faith. Faith alone will save us, for only faith brings us into communion with God.
Correcting the stumbling of others The use of force in the correction of those who are living in opposition to the laws of God is often a temptation for Christians, yet it must be remembered that the sins of others is better corrected by lovingly demonstrating their value in God’s
We are all in this struggle together, united in Christ As we struggle in this life, it is good to remember that we are not alone, but together with countless others in this life. We find our place of silence, where we encounter God, but even in this place set
The formula for happiness When suffering hardships and sadness, we must remember that we have much to rejoice about. We should rejoice that God had given us life, and that we were baptized into the Orthodox Church. We must remind ourselves that as believers we should embrace pain and suffering,
Orthodoxy is about Christ, not religion Orthodoxy is not a religion, but a way of life that is centered in Jesus Christ. Orthodoxy, as a way of life, has the cure to what ails us and can return us to that state of wholeness that was God’s original intent for
We Christians must be a compassionate people It is right that we consider the teachings of the Orthodox Church concerning our duties to those who have less then we. Saint John Chrysostom taught that, “the poor are not the spectacle of human misery and suffering that evokes compassion or disgust,