Approaching the Theophany of the Lord, we are again before the intersection of time and eternity. In the Apolytikion for Epiphany we sing “At your baptism in the Jordan O Lord, the Worship of the Trinity was made manifest…” There is a story from II Kings, chapter 6 in which the prophet Elisha invites some people to go to the Jordan river and build … [Read more...]
My God, My God, Why have we abandoned Thee?
Today I sat in one of my favorite spots in the middle of my walk around Cooper Creek. It's a stone picnic table sheltered under some tall pine trees overlooking the lake. Carolina Tarheel sky blue above with a whisp of clouds over the green earth and the undulating brown waters of the lake. Light infuses everything and as I collect my attention … [Read more...]
The Icons Tell Me…
Our five-year-old grandson Collin Thomas, told his mother that his father didn't say prayers with him the previous night after he read a story to him. His mother usually reads to him at bedtime. She asked him how he had noticed this. “Has Yia Yia been praying with you when you spend the night with her?” He said, “No, it wasn't there.” Sometimes … [Read more...]
Intentional Mary Moments
It is well known in the emerging field of epigenetics that conditions of stress, abuse, neglect and trauma in a person''s family of origin can seriously affect our physical and mental health as adults. But it also plays a significant role in our religious life. I have known more than one person who has sought refuge in the Orthodox faith only … [Read more...]
Treasure in Earthen Vessels: Prayer and the Embodied Life
Treasure in Earthen Vessels “In the following pages, Fr. Stephen Muse provides us, not with a manual of prayer, but with an opening into the life of prayer by unveiling for us “the mystery of embodied life and the uncreated divine life.” He provides an entryway for us, as human beings with all our brokenness, weakness and fear, to dialogue … [Read more...]
Created for a Communion of Love
It is written, “And the Lord God formed man of the dust of the ground, and breathed into his nostrils the breath of life; and man became a living soul.”[1] What is a “living soul”? Moreover, “What is man that Thou art mindful of him? [2] The ancient Hebrew word translated as “living soul” is nephesh. It is the same word used for all “life” brought … [Read more...]
St. Nilus Abba-tizer: embracing involuntary suffering
Abba Nilus said, “Do not be always wanting everything to turn out as you think it should, but rather as God pleases, then you will be undisturbed and thankful in your prayer.”[1] "Undisturbed and thankful" is something we usually associate with enjoying the blessings of life--good food, good reputation, financial resources, health and the … [Read more...]
