Blog entries - November 2008

Law and Freedom in Christian Living

Priest Matthew Jackson — Sun, 30 Nov 2008 01:00:00 +0100

In the Gospel reading this morning, we have a scene that's not so unusual for Christ in the Gospels. He takes pity on an ill person and he heals them; he has a run in with the religious authorities of His day. These things come together several times in the Gospels, and they happen separately on many occasions. Our Lord uses these confrontations with the leaders of the Temple to try and show them how they've come to worship the things of God's law, and they no longer care for the Read More...

The Subtle Struggle with Pride

Priest Matthew Jackson — Sun, 23 Nov 2008 01:00:00 +0100

This is a very sobering Gospel reading we have this morning (reading can be found at the end of this entry), especially relevant to this "financial crisis" that our nation finds herself faced with (what's happening to all of our wealth?--is the commentary we hear constantly right now).

The rich man in the parable is already wealthy, he already has land and barns and goods. And this particular year the Lord blesses the ground, and his crops yield plentifully-he has more than he kRead More...

Do I Tithe?

Jason Barker — Fri, 21 Nov 2008 01:00:00 +0100

Click here to listen to this week's episode of Jason's Get Wisdom podcast, and click here to download the free study guide for this episode.

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There are few areas of life that are more problematic for the spiritual life than those that involve money. St. Paul teaches that the love of money is the root of all evil, “for which some have strayed from the faith in their greediness, and pierced themselves through with many sorrows&Read More...

The Orthodox Faith: The True Full Gospel Church

Seraphim Dankaert — Tue, 18 Nov 2008 01:00:00 +0100

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Father Hopko on Christianity and Armageddon

Sat, 15 Nov 2008 01:00:00 +0100

This is a great video on the teaching of the Orthodox Church on the nature of the Gospel, the End of the Age, the nature of Israel, and Armageddon. American Orthodox tend to absorb Protestant views of all these topics from our environment. The truth of the Orthodox Church is very different from what most of think we know about all these topics.

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Is God Unfair?

Jason Barker — Fri, 07 Nov 2008 01:00:00 +0100

Click here to listen to this week's episode of Jason's Get Wisdom podcast, and click here to download the study guide for this episode.

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Romans chapter nine deals with the issue of God’s fairness: is it fair for God to extend His mercy to some people, but refuse to extend it to others?

It may be easy for you to read St. Paul’s explanation that God is free to bring anyone He chooses into relationship with Him, and to condemn anyRead More...

Orthodox TV: The Island (Ostrov), An Award-Winning Russian Film

Seraphim Dankaert — Wed, 05 Nov 2008 01:00:00 +0100

There aren't many situations in which it's good to be called a fool — except in one little-known category of the Christian spiritual tradition: The fool for Christ.

This sort of social-misfit-turned-holy-man hearkens back to a 10th century Constantinoplitan saint named Andrew the Fool-for-Christ, who lived most of his life in poverty as a beggar. Although a long-time target of abuse because of his extreme behavior — which Andrew adopRead More...

Metropolitan Kallistos Ware: Salvation in Christ - The Orthodox Approach

Seraphim Dankaert — Tue, 04 Nov 2008 01:00:00 +0100

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His Excellency's lecture delivered at Seattle Pacific University.