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Orthodoxy Versus Christian Materialism (Part III)

06/16/2017

By Father Stephen Freeman Time is not Time-Bound Among the least appreciated aspects of classical Christian thought is its treatment of time. It is an understanding that is necessitated by the treatment of time within the Scriptures themselves and not by some alien metaphysic. It is Christ Himself who most reveals time in its proper perspective. He is both Beginning and the End (Rev. 1:8). This is not at all the same thing as saying that He

Orthodoxy Versus Christian Materialism (Part II)

06/15/2017

By Fr. Stephen Freeman The Orthodox View of the World As noted earlier, there are certainly Orthodox whose ideas differ little from this “materialist” Christianity. Their sacramental view is just as external as other materialists, their understanding of relationships just as psychological. They defend the Orthodox “meaning” but see this as simply correct thought. They can be highly moralistic and deeply committed to God as the cosmic enforcer. Many are as defensive of the historically

Orthodoxy Versus Christian Materialism (Part I)

06/14/2017

By Father Stephen Freeman Over the years I find myself coming back to a number of ideas within the modern world that differ markedly from Orthodox thought. These are ideas that are imbedded so deep within our culture that they seem self-evident to most people. Many Orthodox believers hold to one or more of them, distorting their understanding of the faith. This article is an effort to create a list and address each one. If

PRAYERS OF ST. ISAAC THE SYRIAN

06/13/2017

As my soul bows to the ground I offer to you with all my bones and with all my heart the worship that befits you. O glorious God, who dwell in ineffable silence, you have built for my renewal a tabernacle of love on earth where it is your good pleasure to rest, a temple made of flesh and fashioned with the most holy oil of the sanctuary. Then you filled it with your holy

Unitive Consciousness

06/12/2017

After conversion, self-consciousness (in the negative sense) slowly falls away and is replaced by what the mystics call pure consciousness or unitive consciousness–which is love. Self-consciousness implies a dualistic split. There is me over here, judging, analyzing, labeling that or me over there. The mind is largely dualistic before spiritual conversion and even foolishly calls such argumentation “thinking.” In true conversion the subject-object split is overcome at least for a moment. You can’t maintain this

Feast of All Saints. The End Goal for Everyone-Numbered Among the Saints

06/11/2017

Jesus said: “Everyone who acknowledges Me before men, I also will acknowledge before My Father who is in heaven; but whoever denies Me before men, I also will deny before My Father who is in heaven. Matthew 10:32-33 He who loves father or mother more than Me is not worthy of Me; and he who loves son or daughter more than Me is not worthy of Me; and he who does not take his cross

Friday after Pentecost. “Common” is the Root of “Community”

06/09/2017

And fear came upon every soul; and many wonders and signs were done through the apostles. And all who believed were together and had all things in common; and they sold their possessions and goods and distributed them to all, as any had need. Acts 2:43-45 In the Old Testament, we were introduced to the concept of the tithe, which is that ten percent of everything a person had was given to the temple, in

Thursday after Pentecost. The Purpose of the Church

06/08/2017

And they devoted themselves to the apostles’ teaching and fellowship, to the breaking of bread and the prayers. Acts 2:42 Many times, even those who are very involved in the church (this includes priests, Parish Council members, Sunday School teachers and others in church leadership) forget about the true purpose of the church. As we continue to discuss the life of the early church, today’s verse mentions the main activities of the early church, activities

Wednesday after Pentecost. Three Thousand Souls in One Day!

06/07/2017

So those who received his word were baptized, and there were added that day about three thousand souls. Acts 2:41 That oration of St. Peter must have been pretty incredible, if it converted three thousand souls in one day! I often think about church growth-it is part of my “ministry” as a priest and part of my “job” as an administrator of a parish. Why is it that some churches are growing and others are

Tuesday after Pentecost. The Shortest Distance Between Two Points is a Straight Line

06/06/2017

For the promise is to you and to your children and to all that are far off, every one whom the Lord our God calls to Him.” And he testified with many other words and exhorted them, saying, “Save yourselves from this crooked generation.” Acts 2:39-40 There is no question that the shortest distance between two points is a straight line. That’s one of the reasons why the interstate freeway system was created, to get

Blog

Orthodoxy Versus Christian Materialism (Part III)

Orthodoxy Versus Christian Materialism (Part II)

Orthodoxy Versus Christian Materialism (Part I)

PRAYERS OF ST. ISAAC THE SYRIAN

Unitive Consciousness

Feast of All Saints. The End Goal for Everyone-Numbered Among the Saints

Friday after Pentecost. “Common” is the Root of “Community”

Thursday after Pentecost. The Purpose of the Church

Wednesday after Pentecost. Three Thousand Souls in One Day!

Tuesday after Pentecost. The Shortest Distance Between Two Points is a Straight Line

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