Dear Friends in Christ, 2009 has been a tough year for many of us, financially, socially, and spiritually. We are living in an era of great change, which leaves us often feeling unnerved and unsure. While affirming the difficulty that many of us are in, we also are nearing the time of Thanksgiving, when we… Continue reading Thanksgiving Even in Hard Times
Stepping Outside of Time
Dear Friends in Christ, We’ve entered Fall, a time when things should be starting to unwind. We’ve heard about the lazy days of Summer, but how many of us actually had a time to relax? All the things we end up doing make the time fly by. Soon, we will begin the Holiday Season, with… Continue reading Stepping Outside of Time
Our One Year Anniversary
Dear Friends in Christ, September 2009 marks the first anniversary of Nativity of the Holy Theotokos Orthodox Church here in Greenville! On September 20 of last year we gathered for that first Vespers service, and joined together again the next morning for our first Divine Liturgy. Since that time, we have become an active part… Continue reading Our One Year Anniversary
The Dormition of the Theotokos
Dear Friends in Christ, It’s hard to believe that we’re in August already, and we are almost about to celebrate the one year anniversary of the founding of our mission here in Greenville! One of the highlights of the month of August is the feast day of the Dormition of the Theotokos, which we celebrate… Continue reading The Dormition of the Theotokos
Trusting in God
A few days ago, my dog developed an itch and it became apparent that she needed to go to the veterinarian for treatment. It’s a recurring problem, completely minor, which takes less than a minute to alleviate. For my dog, however, it’s a traumatic experience on two counts; the first is that she hates traveling… Continue reading Trusting in God
An Orthodox Take on Death
Dear Friends in Christ, With the recent passing of several celebrities, we are once again confronted with the reality of death. Whenever someone famous dies, the response is predictable; the modern world has developed its own set of funeral customs for the famous. Our first hint of the news is often from a gossip site;… Continue reading An Orthodox Take on Death
On the Practical Effects of Baptism
The Scriptures have laid the foundation of baptism, and the Church Fathers and serious theologians through the ages have expounded extensively on the subject, such that anything I could say on the matter would be redundant and insufficient. However, as a pastor, I have the opportunity to relate the theory to the practice for the… Continue reading On the Practical Effects of Baptism
The Orthodox Church in Raleigh, North Carolina
St. Mark the Evangelist Orthodox Church was founded in 2006 to serve traditional Orthodox Christians in Raleigh, North Carolina. Anyone familiar with the Raleigh area, or who has performed an internet search for Orthodox Churches in Raleigh, knows that there are other parishes in the area, which are well-established and active. Some might therefore question… Continue reading The Orthodox Church in Raleigh, North Carolina
Righteousness Then and Now
“Believest thou not that I am in the Father, and the Father in me? the words that I speak unto you I speak not of myself: but the Father that dwelleth in me, he doeth the works.” John 14:10. Dear Friends in Christ, In this passage from the Gospel of John, which we read at… Continue reading Righteousness Then and Now
Eastern Orthodox, Greek Orthodox, Orthodox Christian?
Different people use different names to describe the Orthodox Christian Church: Orthodox, Greek Orthodox, Orthodox Christian, and Eastern Orthodox are just some of the terms employed. They all actually refer to the same Church, but the different terms owe mostly to the different perspectives of those describing the Church. At its most basic level, the… Continue reading Eastern Orthodox, Greek Orthodox, Orthodox Christian?