Dear Friends, In a recent Gospel reading, we heard the Parable of the Sower (Luke 8:4-15). The Sower cast seed on the ground, and it landed in various places. Some of the seed fell to the side, and was devoured by birds. Other seed landed on rock, grew immediately, but then lacking a source of… Continue reading Patience and the Harvest
Our Missions in North Carolina
When I meet people from our more established parishes, they are often curious to hear about our missionary endeavors in North Carolina. Coming from parishes that have been in existence for some time, which gather to worship in full-fledged church buildings with chanters and a congregation made up of many mature Orthodox families, mostly of… Continue reading Our Missions in North Carolina
Introduction to Our Mission
Dear Friends, It is a great blessing and honor that we recently celebrated our first cycle of worship services at the newly formed Orthodox mission in Greenville, NC. Our inaugural liturgy was celebrated on our parish feast day: The Nativity of the Holy Theotokos. Normally we celebrate a saint on his or her date of… Continue reading Introduction to Our Mission
What Is a Mission Parish?
When someone says the word church, the most common image is of the building in which the members gather to worship. However, not all communities, especially those starting out, are able to purchase and maintain a building and land on which to hold their services. Others may have a building but may not have a… Continue reading What Is a Mission Parish?
What Is the Orthodox Church?
The Orthodox Church is the original Church founded by Jesus Christ on the day of Pentecost, when the Apostles were gathered and received the gift of the Holy Spirit. For many modern Christians, there is little knowledge of what happened after the Bible was completed and the last Apostle died. A common idea is that… Continue reading What Is the Orthodox Church?
St. Markella’s Reflection
I really like our Cathedral, St Markella’s, in Astoria, NY. It always seems so alive, with things going on every day all day long. One thing that is different about a church in the middle of the city is it is open all day every day for people to go and pray. You don’t get… Continue reading St. Markella’s Reflection
The Relationship Between Sickness and Sin
The question before us today is the nature of the relationship between sickness and sin in the Orthodox understanding. The Holy Bible is the first place we will turn in order to understand this relationship. The Orthodox Church also has a service, which is understood to be a sacrament, called Unction. This service includes many… Continue reading The Relationship Between Sickness and Sin
Authority in the Early Church and the Modern Church of Greece
The following reflection was a seminary paper I did for my Introduction to the Canonical Tradition class, where we were to reflect on a paper by Archbishop Christodoulos of Athens (of the New Calendarist State Church of Greece) about the role of the primate in that Local Church, comparing it to what the canons themselves teach… Continue reading Authority in the Early Church and the Modern Church of Greece
Canons Are Not Arbitrary Rules
The following is a seminary mini-essay I wrote in the form of a letter for an assignment; it is not an actual piece of correspondence. The goal is to elucidate the nature of the canons. In this case, a man was denied ordination because of an impediment (certain sins bar a man from being ordained… Continue reading Canons Are Not Arbitrary Rules