relationships Archives - Page 2 of 3

The Third Wednesday of Great Lent. The Spiritual Fruits of Lent.

03/31/2021

+ DEMETRIOS Archbishop of America This month…we entered the sacred period of Holy and Great Lent, a season of the Church that accords us with splendid opportunities to prepare ourselves for the glorious feast of the Resurrection of Jesus Christ, which we celebrate this year in April. Our journey throughout these next few weeks is, thus, of extraordinary significance for our spiritual lives. During this time, our occasions for prayer and worship are greatly increased,

Church as Living Organism

10/07/2020

The Apostle Paul’s teaching is deeply incarnational, yet this has often not been recognized. Paul sees that the Gospel message must have concrete embodiment, which he calls “churches.” Jesus’ first vision of church is so simple we miss it: “two or three gathered in my name” (Matthew 18:20), “and I am with you” (which is just as strong a statement of presence as in the bread and wine of communion). This is surely why Jesus insists

Taking the Sting out of Death. Living Our Passages Well. The Quality of Life.

07/30/2020

Taking the Sting out of Death Dying is returning home. But even though we have been told this many times by many people, we seldom desire to return home. We prefer to stay where we are. We know what we have; we do not know what we will get. Even the most appealing images of the afterlife cannot take away the fear of dying. We cling to life, even when our relationships are difficult, our

Thoughts on Service. Thoughts on Spiritual Sensitivity and Discernment

09/11/2019

By Michael Haldas Thoughts on Service, May 30, 2016 “God values self-control, a spirit of generosity, and a commitment to humble service…The trials and hurts we experience for Christ’s sake build our character, demonstrate our faith, and prepare us for further service to the Lord.” (Life Application Study Bible, 1 John 2:15,16, 2 Corinthians 11:23-29) “Whatever struggles we have on our plate will seem like nothing once we’ve given ourselves over in service to others.

Society: Compassion (Part III)

02/08/2018

It is helpful to observe that repentance through compassion is perhaps nowhere more available to us than in our mediated relationships with society. Living in the world, we are surrounded constantly by stories of awful vice and sin, found in the news, on the web, told through friends and the like. Our usual instinct, which is one strongly encouraged in the secular world, is to sit in judgment of the wrongs we hear about on

The Goal of Life in Society: Cultivating Love, Assuaging Anger (Part II)

11/01/2017

Abba Joseph now expands on his teaching by identifying six key foundations for this kind of true friendship. I) Detachment with regard to all earthly possessions and wealth. 2) Not considering oneself wise, but deferring to the point of view of the other. 3) Seeking love and peace above all. 4) Refraining from anger at all times. 5) Calming the anger of the friend should it arise. 6) Constant reflection on the coming of death.3

The Goal of Life in Society: Cultivating Love, Assuaging Anger (Part I)

10/24/2017

Because we are exploring life in society as a web of relationships, it is important to establish from the outset a picture of what the fathers of the Conferences thought relationships should be like for Christians. No matter how deep into the desert they went, none of the fathers was under any illusion that a human being can live free from relationships with others. What is more, the fathers did not consider a life of

Society

10/17/2017

Love has been perfected among us in this: that we may have boldness in the day of judgement; because as he is, so are we in this world. I John 4.17 In many ways the word “society” serves to summarize most or all of that which a non-monastic Christian encounters on a daily basis, but which a desert monk seeks to avoid as a general rule. This includes constant interaction with other human beings, as

You Are Not Important

08/28/2017

I think there are basically two paths of spiritual transformation: prayer and suffering. The path of prayer is taken by those rare people who consciously and slowly let go of their ego boundaries, their righteousness, their specialness, their sense of being important. In the journey of prayer, as you sink into the mystery of God’s perfect love, you realize that you’re nothing in the presence of God’s goodness and greatness, and that God is working

Orthodoxy Versus Christian Materialism (Part II)

06/15/2017

By Fr. Stephen Freeman The Orthodox View of the World As noted earlier, there are certainly Orthodox whose ideas differ little from this “materialist” Christianity. Their sacramental view is just as external as other materialists, their understanding of relationships just as psychological. They defend the Orthodox “meaning” but see this as simply correct thought. They can be highly moralistic and deeply committed to God as the cosmic enforcer. Many are as defensive of the historically

Archive

The Third Wednesday of Great Lent. The Spiritual Fruits of Lent.

Church as Living Organism

Taking the Sting out of Death. Living Our Passages Well. The Quality of Life.

Thoughts on Service. Thoughts on Spiritual Sensitivity and Discernment

Society: Compassion (Part III)

The Goal of Life in Society: Cultivating Love, Assuaging Anger (Part II)

The Goal of Life in Society: Cultivating Love, Assuaging Anger (Part I)

Society

You Are Not Important

Orthodoxy Versus Christian Materialism (Part II)

Categories

Archives

View Our Live Stream Services

Keep In Touch

Stewardship Application

Daily Meditations

Worship Schedule

Light a Virtual Candle

Text-to-Give in 2 easy steps!

1) Text 202-899-7801 to include your donation amount

2) Follow the link to complete the one-time registration