I love learning big words. Ever since I watched “Mary Poppins” so many years ago and “learned a word to spite me aching nose” I have been fascinated with vocabulary. So, when I heard the word “epistemology” I was over the moon to learn all I could!
Epistemology is “the theory of knowledge, especially with…
Fr. Barnabas Powell
There’s one sure way for any politician to get an applause line in a stump speech. All he or she has to do is say “I support our troops!” And rightly so. The brave men and women who serve in our military perform a vital function in the preservation of our liberty, and we, as…
St. John Chrysostom called the faithful “reason-endowed sheep.” Not having a lot of experience with sheep being raised in the rural American South (Now ask me about pigs, cows, and chickens and we got something there), I had to look up what is it about sheep that made this statement make so much sense to St. John’s congregation.
First, sheep…
One of the most powerful prayers and hymns I've ever sung says "...For behold, through the cross joy has come into all the world. Ever blessing the Lord, we praise his Resurrection: for by enduring the cross, he has destroyed death by death.”
Imagine that something as horrible as the cross producing such joy as a…
As a "son of the South" I've heard people say "Bless your heart" all my life. And the irony is that this phrase that almost sounds like a prayer, is really a versatile phrase American Southerners use to both bless AND curse.
And it all depends on how it's used. It can be a genuine expression…
Do you mind if I get on a soapbox today? Thanks!
Someone can be truly sincere AND sincerely wrong. It doesn’t help good people to be more concerned about their fragile feelings and ignore the danger they are in by heading in the wrong direction. Sometimes, speaking the truth in love is unpleasant and unwelcomed. But…
Folks, there’s just one use for a cross. No ambiguity. No “shades of meaning.” The only use for a cross is to kill someone. Sorry for the stark language right off the bat, but there’s just no way to dress this up to make it more palatable. Crucifixion means somebody is going to die!
No wonder…
St. Paisios said, “Sometimes the devil deceives us and makes us unable to be pleased with anything; however, one can celebrate all things in a spiritual manner, with doxology, and secure God’s constant blessing.” The older I get, the more I see gratitude and the cultivation of gratitude that is the key to spiritual peace. The ability…
You remember this, don’t you: “If you love something, set it free. If it comes back to you, it’s yours forever. If it doesn’t come back, it never was.” While I find this sentiment a bit saccharine for my tastes (I have a deep suspicion of sentiment since I am convinced it is more akin to emotional “candy” than…
What if every time you turn around, no matter what happens, it ends up helping you? It seemed like it was one of those days. All the traffic lights were green. Even the cars in front of me were moving along at a good speed. My favorite song came on the radio in just enough…