The Veneration of the Holy Virgin in the Ancient Church All the early reformers, including Luther and Calvin, believed Mary to be Ever Virgin. The practice at the time was to refer to all cousins as siblings, and none of the early Christians believed Mary had born any children other
Righteousness is not a part time job Teachers and parents routinely remind children of the importance of refraining from giving in to peer pressure, knowing that good behavior can often be undermined by the desire to fit in with their friends and school mates. We adults need to remember is
The aggressive secularization of the United States As an American I have watched with sadness, the eroding of our Christian values and standards of living. When I was in grade school, each day was begun with the reading of the Bible, broadcast over the intercom system (yes, we had the
The importance of a disciplined life of prayer One medicine for the heart, is the use of a “Prayer Rule.” This “Rule” is of the utmost importance, for the prayer rule helps develop the discipline we all need to progress, spiritually. It is one of the great tools the Orthodox
Therapeutic Tradition of the Church Most of us have been asked the question, “are you saved?”, at least once in our life. Having it’s origin in the protestant soteriology (doctrine of salvation), this question has clearly become part of our American cultural lexicon. The question is often asked by Evangelical
Our annual International Conference of Police Chaplains seminar As we are about to begin this year’s Northwest Regional Seminar of the International Conference of Police Chaplains, we’ve all marveled at the beauty that surrounds us. The location of the conference center is Cannon Beach, Oregon. The main building sits right
vs contemplating our passions As Orthodox Christians we are instructed by the Fathers to not look upon our supposed virtues, but to contemplate our passions and sins. We are instructed by the gospels to keep the commandments of Christ, and not allow ourselves to think we are near the perfection
Beware of false idols Idolatry is a pejorative term for the worship of an idol, a physical object worshiped as though it were a god. Idolatry can also involve objects, persons, entertainment, even self. Anything that replaces the centrality of God in our life can be a form of idolatry.
The revived and thriving Moscow Patriarchate Sometimes in our media in the west, we find Russia portrayed in a less than friendly light, almost as if we were still in the dark days of the Cold War and the Nuclear Arms Race. But the Soviet regime has fallen. And it’s
The God of Christianity is one Who invites us into a relationship One of the primary differences between Islam and Christianity has to do with the basic view of the nature of God. Islam teaches total surrender to a god who demands submission. There is no invitation to enter into