Blog

The Third Day of Christmas Advent. An Illegal Christmas

By Father Stephen Freeman The great advantage to thinking about God in legal terms, is that nothing has to change. If what happens between us and God is entirely external, a matter of arranging things such as the avoidance of eternal punishment or the enjoyment of eternal reward, then the world can go on as it is. In the legal model that dominates contemporary Christian thought, the secular world of things becomes nothing more than

The Second Day of Christmas Advent. Jesus was Born that He Might Die

By Hierodeacon Herman Majkrzak In many European cultures, and in America too, singing and listening to carols is a well-loved Christmas tradition. And many Orthodox communities in the West have admirably incorporated some of the best of these carols into their Nativity celebrations. Often, though, for Orthodox and non-Orthodox alike, our knowledge of this rich repertoire does not extend much beyond the first couple verses of a dozen or so of the most famous carols.

The First Day of Christmas Advent. Fasting from the Sentiments of the Feast

By Father Stephen Freeman I have a favorite Joni Mitchell song. In her very mournful style she sings about the season before Christmas: It’s comin’ on Christmas, They’re cuttin’ down trees, They’re puttin’ up reindeer and singin’ songs of joy and peace. Oh, I wish I had a river I could skate away on…I would teach my feet to fly! It is a melancholy tune, echoing the bittersweet experience of the culture Christmas. We love

Nativity Devotion, November 14: In the Beginning

By Fr. Stavros Akrotirianakis in The Prayer Team In the beginning, God created the heavens and the earth.  The earth was without form and void, and darkness was upon the face of the deep; and the Spirit of God was moving over the face of the waters.  And God said “Let there be light”; and there was light. Genesis 1:1-3 Good morning Prayer Team! Unlike our American culture which celebrates from now until Christmas, with celebrations ending promptly on December 26,

Nativity Devotion, November 13: Our Advent Journey Begins

By Fr. Stavros Akrotirianakis in “The Prayer Team” Now faith is the assurance of things hoped for, the conviction of things not seen. Hebrews 11:1 Good morning Prayer Team! We are about to take a journey.  Whether one is a devout Christian or doesn’t know Christ at all, we are all about to take a journey that will see Christmas decorations go up, lines at the malls get long, and stress levels go up.  Such

Does It Matter How I Feel?

By Father Stephen Freeman It is common to hear complaints about the materialism of our modern culture. For it is certainly the case that much attention is given to “things” – whether making them, purchasing them, wearing them, or simply owning them. The modern world enjoys material wealth beyond anything ever imagined in human history. But it is a mistake to describe us as materialists. Materialism professes a certain concept of material goods. Atheist materialism,

Stillness and Silence: Stillness Is the Colleague of Prayer

The tranquility born of stillness is the grace of God present in a person’s life. This leads us away from the vanity and futility of material pleasures, unhealthy relationships and the struggle of our egos to control our lives. How does this happen? Abba Moses said to Abba Poemen, “If a man’s deeds are not in harmony with his prayer, he labours in vain.” The brother said, “What is this harmony between practice and prayer?”

Inner Stillness: How Synergy Operates

WE MUST COOPERATE WITH GRACE. All the good is from Christ. Yet, in the deep mystery of synergy, we have a strategic part to play. I am reminded of the story of the six-year-old boy who went to the department store with his dad to buy a Christmas present for his mother. The dad said, “I think Mom would like slippers for Christmas. What do you think? Let’s go to the slipper department. Mom likes

The Goal of Life in Society: Cultivating Love, Assuaging Anger (Part III)

Abba Joseph teaches that a Christian’s first priority is to prevent anger from arising in a relationship. By this teaching, Abba Joseph does not mean simply that we should avoid open conflict with other people, which is to say, avoid anger ‘s most obvious outward symptoms. Indeed, pretending one has ceased to be angry by doing things like isolating oneself, stewing in silence, or being what we moderns might describe as “passive aggressive” and trying

The Last Will Be First

The message of falling down is very counter-intuitive, yet it is found in most of the world’s religions, especially Christianity. We grow spiritually much more by doing it wrong than by doing it right. That might just be the central lesson of how spiritual growth happens, yet nothing in us wants to believe it. I actually think it is one of the only workable meanings of “original sin.” There seems to have been a fly