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Christ and Nothing (Part III)

By David Bentley Hart, October 2003 We are still at war, of course, but the situation of the Church has materially altered, and I suspect that, by comparison to the burden the First Commandment lays upon us today, the defeat of the ancient pantheon, and the elemental spirits, and the demons lurking behind them will prove to have been sublimely easy. For, as I say, we moderns believe in nothing: the nothingness of the will

Focusing On One’s Own Sins. The Corporate Life of the Church.

By Abbot Tryphon, October 10, 2019 If you are to win the battle, focus only on your own sins When we take our eyes off our own sins we focus only on the sins of the other.  As we allow their sins get our attention, we fail to struggle with the passions that keep us from the wholeness that God intended, and we move ever closer to the abyss of our own fall. Ignoring our

THE PARISH ASSEMBLY IS SCHEDULED FOR JUNE 23, 2020 at 7:00 PM

PARISH ASSEMBLY JUNE 23, 2020 * 7:00 PM AGENDA  VIRTUAL ZOOM MEETING CLICK HERE TO REGISTER A VIRTUAL MEETING LINK WILL BE EMAILED TO YOU ONCE YOU HAVE REGISTERED! Thank you   Opening Prayer Election of Meeting Chair Approval of Minutes of the November 3, 2019 Parish Assembly Treasurer’s Report 2019 Year-end Financial Statements Committee Reports  Cathedral Update  Membership  Garfield Properties  Special Events  Cathedral Ministries  Facilities Preserve and Protect Capital Projects Old/New Business Adjournment Closing

Image and Likeness: In the Beginning and the End

God said, “Let us make humans in our image, according to our likeness.” —Genesis 1:26 Let the one who is thirsty come; and let the one who wishes take the free gift of the water of life. —Revelation 22:17 Centuries of Christian theology confirm that the “image” described in Genesis refers to our eternal essence in God which cannot be increased or decreased. It is the soul’s objective union with God. You (and every other created thing) begin with

Rational Sheep and the Word of God

By Fr. Stephen Freeman, July 13, 2015 I’m in a bit of a hiatus point in my summer. I am traveling and working, and even a little distracted. I will be posting a selection of articles reflecting on the nature of our humanity (in keeping with recent articles). For the doctrine of what it means to be human (anthropology) is as central to the Orthodox faith as the doctrine of God (theology). It is doubtless

Observing the Apostles’ Fast

SSCORRE! Saint Sophia Cathedral Online Resources for our Religious Edification TOPIC OF THE WEEK: Observing the Apostles’ Fast “…For faithful Orthodox today, the Fast of the Apostles can be an occasion for reflection upon the lives and example of the Holy Apostles. On the Sunday of All Saints (June 14), we remember and celebrate the lives of all those who have gone before us in the faith: our fathers, forefathers, the apostles, preachers, evangelists, teachers, hierarchs

The Voice of the Natural Will

By Fr. Stephen Freeman, July 10, 2015 Now the Lord is the Spirit; and where the Spirit of the Lord is, there is liberty. (2Co 3:17) Though many speak of the “free will” of human beings, this is largely a misnomer, or misapplication of the phrase. The choosing that we experience is not the same thing as the will. It is the product of a fracturing of the will and a manifestation of a fundamental

Ancient Biblical Wisdom on global pandemics: How Covid19 has tested our faith, resiliency, and community.

  CLICK HERE TO REGISTER TODAY!    DIGITAL EVENT: CLICK HERE FOR ZOOM WITH PASSWORD ENABLED Join Zoom Meeting https://us02web.zoom.us/j/82151472758?pwd=TlRmSk8xdzNIcE5HL3lKRGR0Rzl4dz09 Meeting ID: 821 5147 2758 Password: 866521 One tap mobile +13017158592,,82151472758#,,1#,866521# US (Germantown) +13126266799,,82151472758#,,1#,866521# US (Chicago) Dial by your location         +1 301 715 8592 US (Germantown)         +1 312 626 6799 US (Chicago)         +1 929 205 6099 US (New York)        

Christ and Nothing (Part II)

By David Bentley Hart, October 2003 Even our ethics are achievements of will. And the same is true of those custom-fitted spiritualities — “New Age,” occult, pantheist, “Wiccan,” or what have you—by which many of us now divert ourselves from the quotidien dreariness of our lives. These gods of the boutique can come from anywhere—native North American religion, the Indian subcontinent, some Pre-Raphaelite grove shrouded in Celtic twilight, cunning purveyors of otherwise worthless quartz, pages

Becoming a Philanthropist

By Abbot Tryphon, October 7, 2019 The act of giving can change everyone’s life for the better As any history buff knows, these times we are living in can sometimes seem like reruns. News reports are filled with stories of wars, disasters, dictators, attacks on the innocent, increased crime, and the ever present persecution of Christians in various parts of the world. We’ve witnessed increased attacks against Coptic Christians in Egypt, as well as the