Day Thirty-one – Idolatry

This may come as a shock to some folks, but Christians generally accept the notion that there are many gods.   In the Hebrew Old Testament, the Hebrew word "elohim" is used to represent the One True God, angels, the sons of God, the gods of foreign … [Continue reading]

Day Thirty – S’Mores

S'Mores are so over the top sweet that no one in my family can eat more than a bite before we get too yucked out to eat any more.  Despite that, when we mention a campfire to our kids, they can't think of anything else!  They start dancing around and … [Continue reading]

Press Release

PRESS RELEASE:  Fr. Anthony Perkins, Vocations Director of the UOC-USA, is the new webmaster of "Good Guys Wear Black", the premier website on Orthodox Christian Vocations   Fr. John Peck, the creator of the "Good Guys Wear Black"(GGWB) website, … [Continue reading]

An Introduction to Vocations I: Every soldier is a rifleman…

  An Introduction to Vocations, Part One; Every soldier is a rifleman; every clergyman is a Christian I have been crucified with Christ; it is no longer I who live, but Christ lives in me; and the life which I now live in the flesh I live … [Continue reading]

Day Twenty-nine – Saint Herman of Alaska

God is glorified in His saints! Along with a prayer book, one of the immediate blessings becoming an Orthodox catechumen brought me was bringing the saints into my life, mainly in the form of a used copy of The Prologue from Ochrid.  I love that … [Continue reading]

Day Twenty-Eight – Monastics

Monastics are the institutional and spiritual heart of Orthodoxy.  I had a wonderful interview with Priest-monk Peter Preble yesterday.  One of the things we agreed on was that we need to do a better job making monasticism real to our parishioners. … [Continue reading]

Day Twenty-seven – Deborah, Judge of Israel

Deborah was a hero. A bit of historical context: Moses led the Israelites out of Egypt.  As preparation for leading them into the Promised Land of Canaan, he sent twelve spies into Canaan to find out the enemy's disposition.  Of the twelve, ten came … [Continue reading]

Day Twenty-six – Oil Lamps

Tending the Flame of Anor I'm pretty granola when it comes to certain things.  This is especially the case when it comes to church.  Being crunchy and being Orthodox go together like cream in coffee.  Because the Glory of God resonates throughout … [Continue reading]

Day Twenty-five – The Snowflake

We woke up to first covering of snow this morning.  It's funny how different the reactions in our house were: Our middle children: yippee there's snow! (this would have been followed by the words; "do we have school today?!", except that we … [Continue reading]

Day twenty-four – The Zygote

On the New Calendar, today (12/8) celebrates the conception of the Birthgiver of God, when Joachim and Anna conceived Mary, the girl who would grow up to become the Mother of God. How hard it must be for modern men and women to understand the beauty … [Continue reading]