Background. The kefir “grains” are small beads of good bacteria that change milk into kefir at room temperature. The longer the milk is allowed to change, the more sour and (eventually) solid it gets. I like mine at two days. Three days and it’s a bit too sour. Four days and I can’t use it. […]
Specialization as a threat to spiritual growth
February 8, 2016 By
One of the problems I have seen in Orthodoxy is [excessive] clericalism, the idea that religious experts are responsible for our spiritual needs. We are all members of the royal priesthood! Bishops and priests provide necessary sacramental services, grace, and guidance [etc.] … but we are all responsible for the state of our souls and the health […]
The Joy of Baking Prosphora
December 11, 2015 By
I love baking phosphora. I’ve worked at it and learned what I can from my betters, but I certainly can’t claim to be great at it… so it’s all the more humbling to realize how this offering is transformed into something so glorious (a prefect metaphor for the Christian life!). Here’s my current approach. It […]
The Illiberal Demand for Kosher and Halal Bacon
April 2, 2015 By
The Joy of BaconWith just a few days left before Pascha, the dominant logismoi distracting me from proper prayer (and analysis) is … bacon. I love it. I especially love the really fatty kind that just melts in your mouth. The best of the best is fried salo, a sort of bacon cut so that it […]
Fast Mimicking Diet (dry eating)
March 20, 2015 By
From https://www.quora.com/What-is-an-example-of-fasting-mimicking-diet Grocery List Quick oats Wheat bread Baby carrots Broccoli Bananas Blueberries Strawberries Avocado V-8 Juice (normal) Macadamia nuts (unflavored) Dry roasted almonds Peanuts Recipe One: Easy Mode Day 1 Water 1 cup dry quick oats, ample water, pinch of salt, 2 teaspoons of butter (10g protein, 12g fat, 54g carbs) 3 ounces carrots (~9 […]
Nazerite Vow Completed – anybody have 2 bits?
January 2, 2015 By
The Setting: the church fire brings new challenges At four-thirty in the morning of the feast of St. Michael, the police came to the rectory bearing some terrible news: the church was on fire. It had obviously been burning for several hours; fire was coming out of the roof and windows. In that moment, I […]
40 Days of Blogging: Bread or Beer? Or Bozhe?!
November 20, 2014 By
Today’s topic is “bread or beer”? I’m writing from Constantinople (Istanbul), a country that was once the heart of a vibrant Christian empire… but is now 99% Mulim. It’s a shock. But I’ve seen it before even in my lifetime: so many Christian youth give up their baptismal garment to pursue demonic idols (“the gods […]
40 Days of Blogging: The Mighty Chicken
November 17, 2014 By
Day 3 of The 40 Days Blogging Challenge. We’ve really lost something in separating ourselves from the land. I know men who can maintain a mean lawn, but can’t be bothered to plant a garden. What does it say about us that we put resources into landscaping using ornamental grasses, plants, and trees… then go […]
Podcast: Rapturemania and the Underground Church w/ Fr. John Peck
October 2, 2014 By
20140929 Rapturemania and the Underground Church The rapture: why are people excited about it and what’s it all about? Why is the Church facing hard times and how can/should it respond? Fr. John Peck and I talk about these things, an alternative approach to catechizing and doing missions, and the best Nicolas Cage movies […]
A Meditation on MLK Jr and Our Own Cowardice
January 25, 2014 By
The Lord God stands in the midst of the Divine Council and judges among the gods.”How long will you rule unjustly, and show partiality to the wicked?Defend the poor and fatherless, maintain the rights of the afflicted and the destitute. Rescue the weak and needy; deliver them from the hand of the wicked.” (Psalm 82:1-4) […]
