Displaying 21 - 40 of 91 in total
The Freedom to Love
There’s an old saying, “You are what you eat.” But, during Lent, the Christian tradition is to fast from meat, wine, dairy, and oil. Is the Church worried we’re go...
When We Want to Be Treated Unfairly: The Story of the Fathers’ Unacceptable Behavior
If you’re like most kids, you probably had arguments with your parents when you were a kid, and I bet those arguments intensified when you became a teenager. As ...
The Lie of the Boot Straps
In America, we have a saying, “Pull yourself up by your own bootstraps.” This saying encompasses the attitude that one will get ahead in life through education and a ...
A Woman's Faith and the Disciples' Shame
It’s one thing to be rejected by a stranger, but it’s another thing entirely to be rejected by a friend or a family member. It hurts. But what happens when you’re reje...
Christ and the Mask Challenge
Living according to the instruction of the gospel is always hard, especially when that instruction challenges our way of life or our perspective of the world.
"Thank you, O Lord!"
As many of you probably know, one of the most famous Orthodox theologians of the 20th century was Fr. Alexander Schmemann. He was dean of the seminary I went to (St. V...
The Impossible Burger and the Fast
This week, the Nativity Fast began for Orthodox Christians around the world. This 40-day period, is a time in which we prepare for the Nativity of our Lord according t...
Theophanies (Type-Scene 4)
If I were to ask you what feast Christians celebrate on January 6th, what would you say? It probably depends on which Christian tradition you were brought up in. I...
The Woman at the Well (Type-Scene 3)
In the Gospel of John, we hear the story of Jesus meeting a Samaritan woman at a well. Most sermons focus on the foreignness of the Samaritan woman: her identity as a ...
The Barren Women in Scripture (Type-Scene 2)
One motif that appears over and over again in the Bible is the image of the barren woman. All the matriarchs of Genesis had problems having children: Sarah, Rebeka...
The Cross, Archaeology, and Orthodox Hymns
If you could go back in time and speak with a 1st-century Roman about crucifixion and how the empire used them, what would they say? They might say that "... By [t...
The Annunciation Convention (Type-Scene 1)
One of the first type-scenes, or conventions, in scripture that we’re going to look at is Annunciations. “Annunciation” is a Latin word that essentially means, “ann...
Translating the Scene Instead of the Words
We all know that the Bible was originally written in Hebrew, Aramaic, and Greek, and, if we want to understand the Bible, we either need to learn the original language...
The Strange Readings for the Dormition
For every feast, the Orthodox Church has special readings. For most feasts, those readings tell the story of the feast. For example, at Christmas, we hear the story...
It Isn't Just Bread, Dear Disciples!
When is a story not just a story? When is bread much more than water, yeast, and salt? When is the command to “feed” someone more than a command to give some...
Regulations for the Gentiles?
In today’s podcast, we continue our exploration of the Law and its relationship to Christians. However, this week we get a twist. Though the early Jewish-Christi...
Which Law Are you Talking About?
This week, we continue our exploration of the Law and its relationship to us as Christians.But, before we go further, we should pause and define what we mean by the La...
Jesus as the Summary Argument
Last week we looked at how the Old Testament is a mosaic in which Jesus can found. We learned that we can encounter Christ through the text of the Hebrew Bible.But, do...
The Old Testament: Not What, But Who!
Perhaps one of the most confusing parts of the Bible is understanding the relationship between the New Testament and the Old Testament. And, in turn, understanding our...
God Bless America by Reorienting our Ideals!
One function of scripture is to tear down our idols, our premeditated perception of God or those things we submit to in place fo God. This frees us so that we can wors...