Dormition of the Theotokos Lyuba Yatskiv (Ukraine) I really like this icon. As is to be expected, all the apostles are mourning her passing. And why not? Scripture lists her as among the people present during the first Baptism of the Holy Spirit after Jesus’ Baptism. While nothing is found written in Scripture after that […]
The First Rule of Fight Club
Fight Club Watercolor by theonlybriman47 on DeviantArt “The first rule of Fight Club is: You do not talk about Fight Club. The second rule of Fight Club is: You do not talk about Fight Club.” — from the movie Fight Club Both the conservatives and the progressives have a secret that must be kept. Each has a violent wing that […]
Poetry, a neglected part of Christianity
Tomorrow is the Feast of the Dormition of Virgin Mary (of the Theotokos). But, this post is not so much about the Dormition as about the poetry associated with the Dormition. It is an Eastern tradition to sing three sets of Lamentations about the death of Mary. If you have ever been to a Middle […]
Motivations make a difference
Is suicide ever ethical? Well, let me ask you some questions. Is it appropriate for a member of the military to dive on a grenade? Is it appropriate for a person to jump in front of a speeding car to push a child out-of-the-way, knowing that they will die? Are these not merely examples of […]
There is a difference between right and wrong
“Popular culture notwithstanding, there is a difference between right and wrong.” — Jessica Fletcher, main character in series Murder She Wrote We were watching Murder She Wrote tonight. The main character uttered the line above when she was asked why she did not let a friend get away with murder. The case that was set up was […]
Spiritual transformation = Theosis
“Make no mistake: maturing as a Christian is a process. It is not a second step, a higher plane, a sacred blessing, or a lightning bolt moment when God invades and brings the christian to a perfected place. A lifelong transformation is set into motion when one places his or her faith in Jesus Christ […]
Ghastly Old Testament regulation
The quote below comes from Numbers 5. It is an absolutely ghastly procedure that is so incredibly sexist and chauvinistic that not even the most fundamentalist of Christians would even consider putting it into effect. Frankly, this law is so ghastly that it is difficult to read for a person today. And the Lord spoke to Moses, […]
The (challenge of) the care of bivocational ministers
Bivocational ministry is on the increase. There are many people who see this as a positive thing. And, many of those people are not pastors. Bivocational ministry raises many challenges to those who are involved in it. On the one hand, it sounds great. What is not to love about bivocational ministry, particularly if you […]
Praying to God as to a slave
“The custom of speaking to God Almighty as freely as with a slave – caring nothing whether the words are suitable or not, but simply saying the first thing that comes to mind from being learnt by rote by frequent repetition – cannot be called prayer: God grant that no Christian may address Him in […]
All that is needed is the will to love
La Santa Teresa de Ávila is a most interesting saint. She had many quotable sayings. Among them is, “Prayer is an act of love; words are not needed. Even if sickness distracts from thoughts, all that is needed is the will to love.” She actually makes the same point that many of the Desert Fathers […]
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