Cry in the Beginnings so You Can Smile in the End

When the whole nation of Israel entered the Promised Land, God provided a liturgy for the reaffirmation of the Covenant (found back in Deut. 28) complete with 49 (7 x 7) blessings and 49 curses, by the count of the Rabbis. We find the reaffirmation liturgy in Josh. 9. The imagery of the location is …

Technology Is not the Problem – Nature Is not the Solution

I recently started listening to the Amon Sûl podcast, an Orthodox thematic exploration of Middle Earth. That has led to poking around other Lord of the Rings related things. I have been disturbed (but not surprised) by the discussion around Tom Bombadil (an ancient nature sprite, as old as Middle Earth itself) who appears in …

Facts Aren’t the Half of It

I want to revisit an incident that I’ve commented on before, but add a new chapter. It was the 90s. I was on staff at 1,600 member church. It was well known as a congregation where both theological and political liberals and conservatives sat and studied side by side with relative comfort. That was achieved …

The Downside of Freedom

Some time ago I read a sermon on an Orthodox parish website. Unfortunately, I don’t know which parish. The sermon was about liberty (as the French would say) or freedom (as we Americans would say), putting it in context of the larger scheme of salvation. The fourfold path of liberty is as follows:: From Slavery …