It's just who I am. I remember my time at an Evangelical Protestant school for my undergraduate degree, and the 2 years of homiletical classes (how to give a sermon). It was a bit gruelling and my professor was particularly tough on me. One day, I was walking with another seminarian and he overheard our…
There is a story about a great man. He had searched the world over for wisdom. He had gone to gurus, and sought out great religious leaders and learned philosophers. But still his heart ached for more. Sure, he learned great and awesome ideas, and heard wonderful words, but still he felt empty from the…
I love the scene in "A Few Good Men" when Jack Nicholson's character looks at the military lawyer questioning his leadership of his troops in Guantanamo. It's at a pivotal part of the drama. The commandant, Colonel Jessup, was a rough and tough Marine leader. He was a strong man, and he didn't have any…
"Why do your disciples transgress the tradition of the elders?" You can almost hear the sneer in this question to Jesus in the passage for today! And, frankly, it's a good question. You see, as a Church, we Orthodox place a great deal of confidence in the consistent witness of the Faithful through the centuries.…
I know it is a bit "old fashioned" and it may be hard for those of this generation to understand, but the timeless message of the Faith is that we are called to battle and tame the passions SO THAT they are our servants and never our masters! So what are the passions? Some may…
I can't tell you how many times I've had to "eat crow" over some idea I had or position I held that turned out to be, oh not necessarily "wrong" but "too small" or "too narrow" for the subject at hand. It's made me a bit gunshy at times to make a definitive statement before…
He looked at me right in the face and said the words I will never forget: "When you're ready to 'sell all you have' to have this faith, then, and only then will you be ready!"
Whoa, wait a minute, let's talk about this! Everything? Yep, everything.
It was a turning point in my own spiritual journey…
OK, let me confess something; I am not very talented when it comes to growing things. In fact, every time I've tried to plant and tend a garden, it has ended up either overrun by weeds or eaten by critters or over watered or under watered! I just don't have the proverbial "green thumb."
I don't…
My grandfather was an amazing storyteller. He was always a larger than life figure in my eyes as a boy and still is even as a grown man. He had this ability to mesmerize us grandkids with his stories of being a police officer in Atlanta, and his stories of his adventures with his friends.…
My daughters and I have this little game we play. I ask them "How much do you love me?" And they, giggling and smiling, try to stretch their little arms as wide as they can and say "This much, daddy!" Of course then they ask me how much I love them and I make as…