The Christmas hymns talk about the Three Youths in the fiery furnace, but what does that story have to do with Christmas? How does it illuminate the Mystery of God becoming man? Let’s find out!
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WHEN THE VIRGIN WAS ON FIRE!
THE ESSENTIAL CAVE, OR WHY THE STABLE MAY BE HERETICAL?
Right now in America there’s a cultural war happening. One battlefield is the Feast of the Nativity – commonly called Christmas. Slogans such as, “Keep ‘Christ’ is Christmas,” or “Keep the ‘Mass’ in Christmas” permeate social media. However, has the
Read moreWhy Is the Christmas Icon so Busy?
In my last post, I spoke about how the meaning of Christmas is intimately related to the Eucharist, as the Orthodox Church celebrates it. (Click here to read it). In this post, I want to turn to the icon of
Read moreWhy Christmas Isn’t Complete without the Eucharist
Sorry for my absence lately. I was traveling all over the country for over a month, largely for church-related actives. At any rate, it’s good to be back. I think I’ll start with some thoughts on Christmas – after all,
Read moreApproaching the Awesome Eucharist, part 3
In part 1 (click here to read it) I encouraged active preparation to receive Christ in the Eucharist. However, it’s very easy to misunderstand the rules for communion preparation. Some ways people have misunderstood the rules include: A question of power A question
Read moreChristians Behaving Badly
Being a priest puts me in a position to have many interesting conversations with people. One topic that seems to come up quite a bit is: Christians behaving badly. SOME CHRISTIANS DON’T KNOW HOW TO ACT! Some people I speak
Read moreIt’s OK, I’m Spiritual!
As I go around town and I meet new people, one of the first questions I get asked is, “what do you do for a living?” I usually respond with, “I’m the priest at the Orthodox Church in town.” After
Read moreWEDDINGS AND WINE
Last Sunday I had the privilege of marrying a wonderful couple. At the wedding service, I read from the Gospel of St. John, chapter 2. You probably know this story, and you’re probably not surprised that this is the one
Read moreBECOMING CHRIST!?!
Yesterday I had the privilege of receiving two people into Holy Orthodoxy. Since they had been previously baptized (outside the Orthodox Church), they were received by anointing only. This ceremony is called chrismation (it’s typically done as a part of the
Read moreExiled Into the Desert
Lately my time has been taken up by a capital campaign to rebuild the church I pastor, St. Elias Orthodox Church. About a year ago we discovered that three of the four trusses that hold up our building’s roof had
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