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Christ is risen! "They have to keep the rules, just like us!" Yeah, that's true. We should all be held to the same standard. But wait a tick, have you kept the "rules" you expect others to keep? I know it's hard to get your mind to shift from "what should be" to "what is,"…

The Seal of the Holy and Great Council Christ is risen! "We have to protect our distinctives!" What, was this man serious? He was actually arguing to preserve some ideas and actions that were separating us from another group that wanted to merge with us. The two companies did the same thing. We offered the same…

Christ is risen! I love the word "exhort." We don't use it much or hear it much today, especially when the very idea of having firm beliefs and settled wisdom is in such disfavor. We live in the day and age where most people much prefer to see "gray" everywhere instead of "black and white."…

Christ is risen! Let's face it, ideas matter. And the reason they matter is because ideas have consequences. Ideas flow from a mindset, a way of looking at the world and organizing the multitude of stimuli we receive through our senses every day. So, when you have an idea or an attitude or an opinion,…

Christ is risen! It was exasperating! I tried to get my buddys' attention but they were too busy enjoying building a fire in the woods near our neighborhood where we were going to camp out for the night. Never mind that it was the dry part of summer. Never mind that there was a "burning…

Christ is Risen! It's always a bit amusing, and even a little sad, to watch some people's expressions when someone who doesn't fit their idea of who should attend church strolls into their church building. I watched one woman, desperately try not to appear visibly upset when a black family came to church one Sunday.…

Christ is risen! "You're making a spectacle of yourself!" I remember when I first heard those words from a relative. You see, I'd just discovered that I could make people laugh, and I remember feeling the thrill at that ability. So, I started being a clown all the time. But an uncle, watching me carry…

Christ is risen! The other day a friend of mine sent me a video with this note: "When you feel like complaining about how hard life is, watch this." The video showed a young boy with prosthetic legs and no hands kicking a soccer ball around on a field with some pro soccer players. He…

I always tell folks that God has four basic answers to our prayers: Yes, No, Wait a while, and "You've got to be kidding Me!" I confess I've heard that last one from the Lord on more than one occasion. But what interests me the most is a prayer I pray in the Divine Liturgy…