Parish Politics Threaten Evangelism – A Parable (2024)

In today's epistle reading from Romans 15:1-7, we are told to bear the burdens of those weaker than us for Christ's sake and God's glory. In his homily, Fr. Anthony expounds on the humility we must cultivate so we can carry the weak. He speaks of how we must set aside our ego to successfully bear with one another in patience - so that we may receive each other for God's glory. Enjoy the show!

Romans 12:6-14. In today's homily, Fr Anthony speaks on rules of engagement for living in community. He reflects on the importance of spiritual development in overcoming division, and discusses how continual repentance encourages fellowship. Enjoy the show!

For today's "Father Speak a Word", Fr. Anthony talks with Fr. Gregory about the beauty and challenge of being Orthodox in a liberal (i.e. capitalist) democracy. We use his substack essay "Magisterial Orthodox Social Teaching; Some preliminary thoughts." This is the first essay in a planned series triangulating off of the MP's "Social Doctrine" and the EP's "Social Ethos" to discuss Orthodox morality and ethics. We look forward to your questions - enjoy the show!

Romans 10:1-10. Fr. Anthony continues his series on relationships, describing the grace that can abound when they are developed in Christ. He used St. John Chrysostom's homily as a guide (and perhaps should have followed it more closely). Enjoy the show!

St. Matthew 8:5-13. Fr. Anthony waxes enthusiastic on the mystery and wonder of theology and love. [He forgot to explain how it ties into the Gospel reading, but he was on a roll!]. Enjoy the show!

Sunday of the Fathers of the Fourth Ecumenical Council.
Matthew 5:14-10.

Fr. Anthony continues his Summer sermon series on relationships, this time focusing on what healthy Christian relationships do do improve discernment. Enjoy the show!

In today's homily, Fr. Anthony gives a lesson on spiritual development (Conscience, Law, Grace) inspired by St. Paul's Letter to the Galatians (3:23-29; 4:1-5);
Brethren, before faith came, we were confined under the law, kept under restraint until faith should be revealed. So that the law was our custodian until Christ came, that we might be justified by faith. But now that faith has come, we are no longer under a custodian; for in Christ Jesus you are all sons of God, through faith. For as many of you as were baptized into Christ have put on Christ. There is neither Jew nor Greek, there is neither slave nor free, there is neither male nor female; for you are all one in Christ Jesus. And if you are Christ's, then you are Abraham's offspring, heirs according to promise. I mean that the heir, as long as he is a child, is no better than a slave, though he is the owner of all the estate; but he is under guardians and trustees until the date set by the father. So with us; when we were children, we were slaves to the elemental spirits of the universe. But when the time had fully come, God sent forth his Son, born of a woman, born under the law, to redeem those who were under the law, so that we might receive adoption as sons. Enjoy the show!

PS. The homily got the sisterly seal of approval!

In this homily offered on the Sunday of the Synaxis of the Holy Apostles (and All Saints!), Fr. Anthony talks about the need for all of us to cherish our loved ones (to include our bishops, the heirs of the Apostles!), noting that gossiping is antithetical to this. Enjoy the show!

St. John 17:1-13. Fr. Anthony continues his series of pithy homilies on relationships, this time describing how the sin of Arius (DON'T BE ARIUS!) destroys the possibility of healthy unity. Enjoy the show!

Gospel: John 9:1-38.

Summer brings heat to Anderson SC... it also brings shorter homilies! Fr. Anthony continues his summer homily series on relationships by looking at what the blind man can teach us about living with and loving one another. Enjoy the show!

In today's edition of "Father, Speak a Word," Fr. Gregory Jensen and Fr. Anthony Perkins talk about the temptation of betraying their own callings by idealizing a romantic vision of monasticism and either trying to impliment it in their parishes or "wagging their tales" after it. They use Fr. Gregory's "Father, speak a word" substack article "Puppies Wagging Their Tales; Some thoughts about the lack of vocational fidelity" as a springboard. There's also some rank punditry towards the end that some listeners might find interesting. Enjoy the show!

The Way of Ascetics; Tito Colliander
Chapter Twenty-Six: ON THE PEARL OF GREAT PRICE

... The narrow way has no end: its quality is eternity. There every moment is a moment of beginning-the present includes the future: the day of judgment; the present includes the past: creation; for Christ is timelessly present everywhere, both in hell and in heaven. With the coming of the One, plurality disappears, even in time and space. Everything happens simultaneously, now and here and everywhere, in the depths of your heart. There you meet what you sought: the depth and height and breadth of the Cross: the Saviour and salvation. ...

Recorded at Christ the Savior, Anderson SC.

Homily on the Sunday of St. Mary of Egypt

Fr. Anthony compares the lives of the Theotokos and St. Mary of Egypt, noting that our path looks much more like that of the latter, especially given our culture's immersion in social media, consumerism, aggressive politics, and p*rnography. Thank God that he has given us His Way of salvation despite all this!

In this edition of "Father, Speak a Word" Fr. Anthony Perkins and Fr. Gregory Jensen talk about the joy of evangelizing a world full of people seeking something real. Enjoy the show!

Homily of the Sunday of St. John of the Ladder

Today Fr. Anthony riffed on this gem, found towards the beginning of The Ladder. He describes the beautiful way of perfection in Christ planned for all those who do not live in monestaries.

Step One: On Renunciation
21. Some people living carelessly in the world have asked me: ‘We have wives and are beset with social cares, and how can we lead the solitary life?’
I replied to them: ‘Do all the good you can; do not speak evil of anyone; do not steal from anyone; do not lie to anyone; do not be arrogant towards anyone; do not hate anyone; be sure you go to church; be compassionate to the needy; do not offend anyone; do not wreck another man’s domestic happiness; 3 and be content with what your own wives can give you. If you behave in this way you will not be far from the Kingdom of Heaven.’

Way of Ascetics; Tito Colliander
Chapter Twenty-Five: ON THE JESUS PRAYER

... Especially should the beginner beware of everything that has the slightest tendency to mysticism. The Jesus Prayer is an activity, a practical work and a means by which you enable yourself to receive and use the power called God's grace-constantly present, however hidden, within the baptized person-in order that it may bear fruit. Prayer fructifies this power in our soul; it has no other purpose. It is a hammer that crushes a shell: a hammer is hard and its stroke hurts. Abandon every thought of pleasantness, rapture, heavenly voices: there is only one way to the kingdom of God, and that is the way of the Cross. And to hang crucified on a tree is horrible torment. Expect nothing else. ...

Recorded at Christ the Savior in Anderson SC.

Homily of the Sunday of the Cross

From Bishop Nicholas (DOMSE Newsletter):

The Church has placed the Cross in the middle of Great and HolyLent, the third Sunday of the Fast, for a very specific reason!

The Church has placed the Cross in the middle of Great and Holy Lent, the third Sunday of the Fast, for a very specific reason! By the third Sunday of the Fast, most of us have been abstaining from eating prescribed sumptuous foods for three weeks, participating in many services each week at inconvenient times of the day after having worked long hours, expanding our prayer rules, and reading spiritual books. Having done ascetical deeds, some of us are weary, tired, and may feel unsettled.

Prior to Christ being crucified, the cross was a sign of disobedience, a sign of unlawful activity, a sign of damnation, and a sign of condemnation. Thieves and criminals died on the cross so that society was “cleansed.” Jesus was considered one of those unlawful people despite the fact He had healed the sick, raised the dead, and performed miracles that had not been done by anyone else prior to His incarnation. He did not fit their earthly expectations with His divine plan! Therefore, He was crucified.

But after His resurrection, the Disciples, who effectively became apostles at Pentecost (Acts 2:14-42), began to change the common perception of the Cross as they began preaching the resurrected Jesus Christ. Having received the Holy Spirit, Peter’s sermon (Acts 2:14-39) was emotionally moving and thought-provoking to the crowds. Thousands were baptized and started following Christ and His teachings through the words of the Apostles. The faithful’s view of the Cross began to change from a condemnation interpretation to a salvational reality, from a discouraging truth to an encouraging certainty, from a despair mentality to a hope mindset, and from a life destroying event to a life-giving actuality.

Such a change in demeanor toward the Cross urged the Church to utilize its power to inspire the faithful to take up the whole armor of God that they may be able to withstand in the evil day (Ephesians 6:13). That is why the Feast of the Cross has been celebrated on the third Sunday of Great and Holy Lent.

May God bless you and may the Holy Trinity protect you all!
+ Bishop Nicholas

Today we cover Chapter 24 ofWay of Ascetics, "On an Interpretation of Zacchaeus." It has some beautiful imagery. This class was accompanied by Thai Tofu Fresh Rolls and Gypsy soup. If you are ever in the Anderson area, come and visit!

Today Fr. Anthony wanted to share some ideas he's been playing with, resulting from his study of St. Gregory Palamas, theology (e.g. essence and energy), and relationships. Enjoy the show!

Marriage as a Metaphor for Orthodoxy
Homily of St. Gregory Palamas

Today we celebrate the life and teachings of someone who really got it? St. Gregory Palamas; he experienced God's love for him in a real and tangible way, and he reflected that love back at God and on all those around him.

That's what we are to do, as well. To open ourselves up to the deifying warmth and light of God; and then to send our thanksgiving and praise back up to Him and to use the energy of His grace to serve those around us.

The Good News of the Gospel is that this is made possible and real through the life, death, and resurrection of the God-man Jesus Christ.

Although this Gospel really is simple, it has been elaborated with so many words and celebrated, confirmed, and taught (if not gilded) with so many rituals and denied by so many lies that it is understandable if we sometimes end up misunderstanding, judging, and even venerating the cup rather than that which it holds.

Perhaps a metaphor will help.

I have met at least two sets of people who think they understand the joy and transformation that marriage can bring.

One set thinks they know it because, while not married, they have their own version of it that seems to enjoy some of its benefits - most notably sex - without any institutional commitment. The availability of internet p*rn means that this can even be done without the bother of having a partner. No one can deny the reality of such experiences, but such experiences have precious little to do with the enduring joy of marriage. Such people claim that they do not need to be married to experience the joy of sex - the physical part of "one-fleshedness"; but even when it comes to that (ie to sex), they have settled for something less satisfying than the real deal. And while intimacy is a powerful and even necessary part of marriage, it is hardly the primary source of the transformative joy that marriage brings. They think they understand things it well enough to do them their own way, but they don't, and their improper understanding leads them to accept something less than they should.Something that is actually counterproductiveand harmful.

A second set which is equally troubling think they understand marriage because they have submitted themselves to the institution of marriage. They have had their ceremony, they wear their rings, and they share a house. But when you start speaking to them about the joy that comes from sharing a life with another person, you learn that their experience is quite different. Shallow. Weak. Joyless. They are living the rituals of marriage, but they are missing the very thing those institutions are meant to hold and protect. They think they get it, but they don't, and their improper understanding leads them to accept something less than they should.

This is a great and wonderful mystery but, as with St. Paul, I speak not of marriage, but of the Church. (Ephesians 5:32)

St. Gregory Palamas fought against both of these misunderstandings about God.

On the one hand, there were people (like the Bogamils - basically medieval Pentecostals) who thought they could really experience God without the institution and sacraments of the Church. This is like having sex without marriage or even without a partner; it may be real in some sense, but it is not healthy nor is it real in the way that a committed sacramental relationship with God in Church is real. These heretics thought they got it, but they didn't, and their improper understanding led them to accept something less than they should have. Something that is actually counterproductive and harmful.

On the other hand, there were those (like Barlaam and the Churchians) who thought that the rituals and sacraments of the Church were the only way to know God. They did not believe that it was possible to experience God. They believed that the teaching that we are to enjoy union with God through Christ was just a metaphor for belief. And they believed that the noetic experience of God that monastic ascetics had when they opened themselves up to the Divine Nature of God was just a simple emotion and not a metaphysical or supernatural reality. They thought they got it, but they didn't, and their improper understanding led them to accept something less than they should have. It was a joyless religion, lacking the possibility of deeper union with God.

God is real and we were meant to become partakers of His divine nature (2 Peter 1:4). We are Orthodox Christians. We have not settled for something less than we should. We are not just going through the motions when we pray and participate in the rituals of the Church; we are opening ourselves up to God. We allow His grace to heal and transform us, and then we offer and share this transforming grace with the world.

Today, Fr. Anthony covers Chapter Twenty-Three: ON TIMES OF DARKNESS with the faithful of Christ the Savior in Anderson SC. We changed the format a bit, having the class as we enjoyed our after-Presanctified collation of PB&J's, PB&B's, collard greens, and tobouli. Enjoy the show!

Chapter Twenty-Two: ON THE USE OF MATERIAL THINGS

WE are made up of soul and body; the two cannot be separated in our conduct. Let the physical therefore come to your aid: Christ knew our weakness and for our sake used words and gestures, spittle and earth as media. For our sake He let His power flow from the fringe of His garment (Matthew 9:20; 14:36), from the handkerchiefs or aprons that were carried away from the apostle Paul's body (Acts I9:I2), yes, from the shadow of the apostle Peter (Acts 5:I5).

Therefore use all that is of earth as a staff of remembrance on your troublesome wandering along the narrow way. May the whiteness of the snow and the blue of the heavens, the jewelled eye of the fly and the scorching of the flame, and all of creation that meets your senses, remind you of your Creator; but make use especially of what the Church offers you to help you yield your members servants to righteousness unto holiness (Romans 6:19). First of all, the Lord's Holy Communion. But likewise the other mysteries, or sacraments, and the holy Scriptures. And the Church offers you also the holy icons of the Mother of God, the angels and the saints; and prayer before them, and candles and incense, holy water and the gleam of gold, and singing. Receive all this with gratitude and use it all for your upbuilding and encouragement, improvement and benefit as you travel further.

Give free outlet to your love for the generous Lord of love, kiss the Cross and the icons, adorn them with flowers; if only evil be crushed with silence, the good will be allowed to breathe freely. If what is given in love is received with love, the scope of love is increased and enlarged, and this is the aim of your work. The greater the river, the wider the delta.

Use your own body, too, as an aid in the struggle. Trim it down and make it independent of earthly whims. Let it share your trouble: you wish to learn humility, so let the body also be humble and bow to the ground. Fall on your knees with your face to the earth as often as you can in privacy, but get up at once, for after a fall follows restoration in Christ.

Make the sign of the Cross assiduously: it is a wordless prayer. In a brief moment, independent of sluggish words, it gives expression to your will to share Christ's life and crucify your flesh, and willingly, without grumbling, to receive all that the Holy Trinity sends. Moreover, the sign of the Cross is a weapon against evil spirits: use this weapon often and with reflection.

A house is never built until the scaffolding is raised. Only the strong man has no need of outward support. But are you strong? Are you not the weakest among the weak? Are you not a child?

Matthew 6:14-21
Romans 13:11-14:4

In today’s Gospel, the Lord tells us to lay up treasures in heaven, how do we do that?

It’s not hard. And it’s, it’s actually a lot easier than fully investing in your 401k. Because the amount of love that is available to your heart, to share with others, that will then compound back into your own heart has no limit – its source is unending. The problem is that we are so often closing our hearts.

One of the things that I study as a political scientist is polarization. And there is no doubt – the data are clear – that our society is plagued by polarization. We have lost the ability to see the good in people who do not think, look, or move like we do. This is a problem.

It’s not just a problem when we’re on-line or when we’re watching the news where so much of this feeds to our hearts. The problem is that we take in this spirit of the world; we take in the spirit of division. This spirit is diabolical.

And we bring it into our own hearts where it sows confusion. We bring it into our families. We let it affect our friendships. And heaven forbid, it even affects us here [in the Church]. That is not the way it should be.

It should go the other way. We should seek peace within our hearts. We should let go of all of the words the world has given for us to judge one another. And to justify ourselves, and demonize “them”. We [should let those words] go. And then we should live in the love … and let the grace of God transform our hearts. So that then when we relate to our family, when we relate to our friends … there’s something magical that happens; there’s a transformation that occurs.

People who have suffered from the divisions of the world then find healing. The grace that you have in Christ, you bring to them and there’s a resonance of your heart with theirs. And in that time, you remember who you are. And we remember who we are collectively. All of our lives, our friendships, our families, our parishes, then become an alternative to the world. They look at us and they say; “how is it that those people despite their differences, love one another.” And they will desire the same.

Every moment gives us so many opportunities to offer this way of abundant grace. One of the words that we use to describe the mechanisms of this process. Is patience. You cannot love people that are different than you without patience.

And when we offer that patience to someone else. That’s grace. That’s God operating through you and blessing your relationship with someone else; and then when you receive that patience as a gift. I’m blessed every day with the patience of the people in my life.

Another one, though, is the one that we’re focusing on today. And relationships cannot endure without it. That is forgiveness. [I like to joke with the parishes that I serve that I just show them pretty quickly, how fallible I am. So that I can show them the ability and give them an opportunity to forgive.] So often our relationships are based on our ability to project perfection. As a priest, I convince everyone of my holiness and my ability to do everything perfectly. But it breaks down eventually; your relationship with your wife, your husband, your kids, your parents, cannot be based on that kind of artificial mask, because the mask will be shown to have no relationship to the broken person you need to allow to breath and speak in order for grace to abound. We have to allow people – people that we can trust - to see that we are vulnerable, let them see our brokenness. So that they can offer forgiveness and pour their love in. So the grace can grow. And then a mistake becomes an opportunity for God to manifest himself in this world, and for the world to become just a little bit better. Because when we forgive someone, we are acting in Christ; we are bringing his love and his way into it.

When on the other hand, we do as the world has taught us – and we see the very worst in everyone. And we focus on that and bring that up. The devil rejoices, division grows in the world a bit further, it grows; and we end up supporting the one we reject – that we ceremonially spit on and then turn around and commit to the way of patience of the forbearance of forgiveness, of looking for that good in the other, and allowing that to define our relationship. And then as they do that back towards us, we are both reminded whom we are in and in whom we live and love and life no longer becomes this drudgery of one bit of pain followed by the next with no promise of anything. And instead it becomes an opportunity to get this… [and it’s all] thanks to our own brokenness, of moving in love from grace to higher grace. This is the way that the Lord has established for us. Let us rejoice.

Bible Study – Job
Class Six: Job 8:1-11:1; 11:1-42:22
From the Orthodox Study Bible.

JOB 8: [Bildad’s nonsense]

TO THE EARS OF BILDAD, JOB’S SECOND RESPONDENT, a man even less tolerant than Eliphaz, the foregoing lament seems to be an attack on the justice of God and the entire moral order. Unlike Eliphaz, however, Bildad is able to make no argument on the basis of his own personal experience. He is obliged to argue, rather, solely from the moral tradition, which he does not understand very well. Indeed, Bildad treats the moral structure of the world in a nearly impersonal way. To the mind of Bildad, the effects of sin follow automatically, as the inevitable effects of a sufficient cause. The presence of the effect, that is, implies the presence of the cause.

If Eliphaz’s argument had been too personal, bordering on the purely subjective, the argument of Bildad may be called too objective, bordering on the purely mechanical. In the mind of Bildad the principle of retributive justice functions nearly as a law of nature, or what the religions of India call the Law of Karma.

Both Eliphaz and Job show signs of knowing God personally, but we discern nothing of this in Bildad. Between Bildad and Job, therefore, there is even less of a meeting of minds than there was between Eliphaz and Job.

We should remember, on the other hand, that Job himself has never raised the abstract question of the divine justice; he has shown no interest, so far, in the problems of theodicy. Up to this point in the story, Job has been concerned only with his own problems, and his lament has been entirely personal, not theoretical.

Bildad, for his part, does not demonstrate even the limited compassion of Eliphaz. We note, for example, his comments about Job’s now perished children. In the light of Job’s own concern for the moral wellbeing of those children early in the book (1:5), there is an especially cruel irony in Bildad’s speculation on their moral state: “If your sons have sinned against [God], He has cast them away for their transgression” (8:4). What a dreadful thing to say to a man who loved his sons as Job did!

Like Eliphaz before him, Bildad urges Job to repent (8:5–7), for such, he says, is the teaching of traditional morality (8:8–10).

Clearly, Bildad is unfamiliar with the God worshipped by Job, the God portrayed in the opening chapters of this book. Bildad knows nothing of a personal God who puts man to the test through the trial of his faith. Bildad’s divinity is, on the contrary, a nearly mechanistic adjudicator who functions entirely as a moral arbiter of human behavior, not a loving, redemptive God who shapes man’s destiny through His personal interest and intervention.

Nonetheless, in his comments about Job’s final lot Bildad speaks with an unintended irony, because in fact Job’s latter end will surpass his beginning (8:7), and “God will not cast away the blameless” (8:20—tam; cf. 1:1, 8; 2:3). On our first reading of the story, we do not know this yet, of course, because we do not know, on our first reading, how the story will end (for example 42:12).

So many comments made by Job’s friends, including these by Bildad in this chapter, are full of ironic, nearly prophetic meaning, which will become clear only at the story’s end, so the reader does not perceive this meaning on his first trip through the book. As Edgar Allen Poe argued in his review of Bleak House by Charles Dickens, the truly great stories cannot be understood on a single reading, because the entire narrative must be known before the deeper significance of the individual episodes can become manifest. As Poe remarked, we do not understand any great story well until our second reading of it. This insight is preeminently helpful in the case of the Book of Job.

JOB 11 [Zophar’s nonsense]

WE NOW COME TO THE FIRST SPEECH OF ZOPHAR, Job’s most strident critic, a man who can appeal to neither personal religious experience (as did Eliphaz) nor inherited moral tradition (as did Bildad). Possessed of neither resource, Zophar’s contribution is what we may call “third-hand.” He bases his criticism on his own theory of wisdom. Although he treats his theory as self-evidently true, we recognize it as only a personal bias.

Moreover, Zophar seems to identify his own personal perception of wisdom as the wisdom of God Himself. Whereas Bildad had endeavored to defend the divine justice, Zophar tries to glorify “divine” wisdom in Job’s case. If it is difficult to see justice verified in Job’s sufferings, however, it is even harder to see wisdom verified by those sufferings.

Like the two earlier speakers, Zophar calls on Job to repent in order to regain the divine favor. (This is a rather common misunderstanding that claims, “If things aren’t going well for you, you should go figure out how you have offended God, because He is obviously displeased with you.”)

Zophar also resorts to sarcasm. Although this particular rhetorical form is perfectly legitimate in some circ*mstances (and the prophets, beginning with Elijah, use it often), sarcasm becomes merely an instrument of cruelty when directed at someone who is suffering incomprehensible pain. In the present case, Job suffers in an extreme way, pushed to the very limits of his endurance. It is such a one that Zophar has the vile temerity to call a “man full of talk” (11:2), a liar (11:3), a vain man (11:11–12), and wicked (11:14, 20).

The final two verses (19–20) contain an implied warning against the “death wish” to which Job has several times given voice. This very sentiment, Zophar says, stands as evidence of Job’s wickedness.

The author of the Book of Job surely understands this extended criticism by Zophar as an exercise in irony. Though the context of his speech proves the speaker himself insensitive and nearly irrational in his personal cruelty, there is an undeniable eloquence in his description of the divine wisdom (11:7–9) and his assertion of the moral quality of human existence (11:10–12). Moreover, those very rewards that Zophar promises to Job in the event of his repentance (11:13–18) do, in fact, fall into Job’s life at the end of the book.

In this story of Job, men are not divided into those who have wisdom and those who don’t. In the Book of Job no one is really wise. There is no real wise man, as there is in, say, the Book of Proverbs. While wisdom is ever present in the plot of the story, no character in the story has a clear grasp of it. True wisdom will not stand manifest until God, near the end of the narrative, speaks for Himself. Even then God will not disclose to Job the particulars of His dealings with him throughout the story.

From St. Gregory the Great

Ver. 3. Doth God pervert judgment? Or doth the Almighty pervert justice?

xxxvi. 59. These things blessed Job had neither in speaking denied, nor yet was ignorant of them in holding his tongue. But all bold persons, as we have said, speak with big words even well known truths, that in telling of them they may appear to be learned. They scorn to hold their peace in a spirit of modesty, lest they should be thought to be silent from ignorance. But it is to be known that they then extol the rectitude of God’s justice, when security from ill uplifts themselves in joy, while blows are dealt to other men; when they see themselves enjoying prosperity in their affairs, and others harassed with adversity. For whilst they do wickedly, and yet believe themselves righteous, the benefit of prosperity attending them, they imagine to be due to their own merits; and they infer that God does not visit unjustly, in proportion as upon themselves, as being righteous, no cloud of misfortune falls. But if the power of correction from above touches their life but in the least degree, being struck they directly break loose against the policy of the Divine inquest, which a little while before, unharmed, they made much of in expressing admiration of it, and they deny that judgment to be just, which is at odds with their own ways; they canvass the equity of God’s dealings, they fly out in words of contradiction, and being chastened because they have done wrong, they do worse. Hence it is well spoken by the Psalmist against the confession of the sinner, He will confess to Thee, when Thou doest well to him. Ps. 49:18. For the voice of confession is disregarded, when it is shaped by the joyfulness of prosperity. But that confession alone possesses merit of much weight, which the force of pain has no power to part from the truth of the rule of right, and which adversity, the test of the heart, sharpens out even to the sentence of the lips. Therefore it is no wonder that Bildad commends the justice of God, in that he experiences no hurt therefrom.

60. Now whereas we have said that the friends of blessed Job bear the likeness of heretics, it is well for us to point out briefly, how the words of Bildad accord with the wheedling ways of heretics. For whilst in their own idea they see the Holy Church corrected with temporal visitations, they swell the bolder in the bigness of their perverted preaching, and putting forward the righteousness of the Divine probation, they maintain that they prosper by virtue of their merits; but they avouch that she is rewarded with deserved chastisem*nts, and thereupon without delay they seek by beguiling words a way to steal upon her, in the midst of her sorrows, and they strike a blow at the lives of some, by making the deaths of others a reproach, as if those were now visited with deserved death, who refused to hold worthy opinions concerning God.

We have heard what Job, his wife, and his three friends have to say. They cycle through similar things several times. Next week, we will briefly see what a new speaker, Elihuh has to say and spend most of the class – the last one before Great Lent – to look at God’s conversation with Job. During Great Lent, we will work through chapters of Tito Coriander’s Way of Ascetics.

Scriptural review

Mentioned historically as Jobab in Genesis (4), Joshua (1), and 1 Chronicles (5)

Ezekial 14:20. Though Noah, Daniel, and Job were in it, as I live, saith the Lord God, they shall deliver neither son nor daughter; they shall but deliver their own souls by their righteousness.

James 5:11. Behold, we count them happy which endure. Ye have heard of the patience of Job, and have seen the end of the Lord; that the Lord is very pitiful, and of tender mercy.

Liturgical review

Mentioned (through James) at Holy Unction; “You have heard of the patience of Job.”

From the Funeral for a Priest

Beatitudes: Blessed are they that are persecuted for righteousness’ sake, for theirs is the Kingdom of Heaven.

“Why do you lament me bitterly, O men? Why do you murmur in vain?” he that has been translated proclaims unto all. For death is rest for all. Therefore, let us listen to the voice of Job saying, “Death is rest unto man.” But give rest with Thy Saints, O God, unto him whom Thou hast received.

Ode Six:

I remind you, O my brethren, my children, and my friends, that you forget me not when you pray to the Lord. I pray, I ask, and I make entreaty, that you remember these words, and weep for me, day and night. As said Job unto his friends, so I say unto you: Sit again and say: Alleluia.

Forsaking all things, we depart, and naked and afflicted we become. For beauty withers like grass, but only we men delude ourselves. Thou wast born naked, O wretched one, and altogether naked shall you stand there. Dream not, O man, in this life, but only groan always with weeping: Alleluia.

If thou, O man, hast been merciful to a man, he shall be merciful there unto thee. And if thou hast been compassionate to any orphan, he shall deliver you there from need. If in this life thou hast covered the naked, there he shall cover thee, and sing the psalm: Alleluia.

Triodion

Wednesday of Cheesfare Week; Matins Canticle Eight

Let us preserve these virtues: the fortitude of Job, the singlemindedness of Jacob, the faith of Abraham, the chastity of Joseph and the courage of David.

Saturday of Cheesefare Week; Matins; Canticle Two

… a second Job was Benjamin in his constancy …

Thursday of Clean Week (and Thursday of the Fifth Week); Great Canon Ode 4

Thou hast heard, O my soul, of Job justified on a dung-hill, but thou hast not imitated his fortitude. In all thine experiences and trials and temptations, thou hast not kept firmly to thy purpose but hast proved inconstant.

Have mercy on me, Oh God, have mercy on me.

Once he sat upon a throne, but now he sits upon a dung-hill, naked and covered with sores. Once he was blessed with many children and admired by all, but suddenly he is childless and homeless. Yet he counted the dung-hill as a palace and his sores as pearls.

Have mercy on me, Oh God, have mercy on me.

A man of great wealth and righteous, abounding in riches and cattle, clothed in royal dignity, in crown and purple robe, Job became suddenly a beggar, stripped of wealth, glory and kingship.

Have mercy on me, Oh God, have mercy on me.

If he who was righteous and blameless above all men did not escape the snares and pits of the deceiver, what wilt thou do, wretched and sin-loving soul, when some sudden misfortune befalls thee?

Have mercy on me, Oh God, have mercy on me.

I have defiled my body, I have stained my spirit, and I am all covered with wounds: but as physician, O Christ, heal both body and spirit for me through repentance. Wash, purify and cleanse me, O my Saviour, and make me whiter than snow.

Read at Vespers/PSL on Monday of Holy Week: Job 1:1–12.

Read at Vespers/PSL on Tuesday of Holy Week: Job 1:13–22.

Read at Vespers/PSL on Wednesday of Holy Week: Job 2:1–10.

Read at Vespers/Vesperal Liturgy on Thursday of Holy Week: Job 38:1–21; 42:1–5.

Read at Vespers on Friday of Holy Week: Job 42:12–17 (LXX ending)

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Job 38 FROM FR. PATRICK REARDON

NOW THE LORD HIMSELF WILL SPEAK, for the first time since chapter 2. After all, Job has been asking for God to speak (cf. 13:22; 23:5; 30:20; 31:35), and now he will get a great deal more than he anticipated. With a mere gesture, as it were, God proceeds to brush aside all the theories and pseudoproblems of the preceding chapters.

… [Whirlwind, Lord] …

At this point, all philosophical discussion comes to an end. There are questions, to be sure, but the questions now come from the Lord. Indeed, we observe in this chapter that God does not answer Job’s earlier questions. The Lord does not so much as even notice those questions; He renders them hopelessly irrelevant. He has His own questions to put to Job.

The purpose of these questions is not merely to bewilder Job. These questions have to do, rather, with God’s providence over all things. The Lord is suggesting to Job that His providence over Job’s own life is even more subtle and majestic than these easier questions which God proposes and which Job cannot begin to answer, questions about the construction of the world (verses 4–15), the courses of the heavenly bodies (verses 31–38), the marvels of earth and sea (verses 16–30), and animal life (38:39–39:30). Utterly surrounded by things that he cannot understand, will Job still demand to know mysteries even more mysterious?

If the world itself contains creatures that seem improbable and bewildering to the human mind, should not man anticipate that there are even more improbable and bewildering aspects to the subtler forms of the divine providence? God will not be reduced simply to an answer to Job’s shallow questions. Indeed, the divine voice from the whirlwind never once deigns even to notice Job’s questions. They are implicitly subsumed into a mercy vaster and far richer.

Implicit in these questions to Job is the quiet reminder of the Lord’s affectionate provision for all His creatures. If God so cares for the birds of the air and the plants of the fields, how much more for Job!

39 - 41. On the Behemoth and the Leviathan

Both behemoth and Leviathan are God’s household pets, as it were, creatures that He cares for with gentle concern, His very playmates (compare Psalms 104[103]:26). God is pleased with them. Job cannot take the measure of these animals, but the Lord does.

What, then, do these considerations say to Job? Well, Job has been treading on some very dangerous ground through some of this book, and it is about time that he manifest a bit more deference before things he does not understand. Behemoth and Leviathan show that the endeavor to transgress the limits of human understanding is not merely futile. There is about it a strong element of danger. A man can be devoured by it.

It is remarkable that God’s last narrative to Job resembles nothing so much as a fairy tale, or at least that darker part of a fairy tale that deals with dragons. Instead of pleading His case with Job, as Job has often requested, the Lord deals with him as with a child. Job must return to his childhood’s sense of awe and wonder, so the Lord tells him a children’s story about a couple of unimaginably dangerous dragons. These dragons, nonetheless, are only pets in the hands of God. Job is left simply with the story. It is the Lord’s final word in the argument.

42. Finale

THE TRIAL OF JOB IS OVER. This last chapter of this book contains (1) a statement of repentance by Job (verses 1–6), (2) the Lord’s reprimand of Eliphaz and his companions (verses 7–8), and (3) a final narrative section, at the end of which Job begins the second half of his life (verses 9–17). The book begins and ends, then, in narrative form.

First, one observes in Job’s repentance that he arrives at a new state of humility, not from a consideration of his own sins, but by an experience of God’s overwhelming power and glory. (Compare Peter in Luke 5:1–8.) When God finally reveals Himself to Job, the revelation is different from anything Job either sought or expected, but clearly he is not disappointed.

All through this book, Job has been proclaiming his personal integrity, but now this consideration is not even in the picture; he has forgotten all about any alleged personal integrity. It is no longer pertinent to his relationship to God (verse 6). Job is justified by faith, not by any claims to personal integrity. All that is in the past, and Job leaves it behind.

Second, the Lord then turns and deals with the three comforters who have failed so miserably in their task. Presuming to speak for the Almighty, they have fallen woefully short of the glory of God.

Consequently, Job is appointed to be the intercessor on their behalf. Ironically, the offering that God prescribes to be made on behalf of the three comforters (verse 8) is identical to that which Job had offered for his children out of fear that they might have cursed God (1:5). The Book of Job both begins and ends, then, with Job and worship and intercession. In just two verses (7–8) the Lord four times speaks of “My servant Job,” exactly as He had spoken of Job to Satan at the beginning of the book. But Job, for his part, must bear no grudge against his friends, and he is blessed by the Lord in the very act of his praying for them (verse 10).

Ezekiel, remembering Job’s prayer more than his patience, listed him with Noah and Daniel, all three of whom he took to be men endowed with singular powers of intercession before the Most High (Ezekiel 14:14–20).

The divine reprimand of Job’s counselors also implies that their many accusations against Job were groundless. Indeed, Job had earlier warned them of God’s impending anger with them in this matter (13:7–11), and now that warning is proved accurate (verse 7). Also, ironically, whereas Job’s friends fail utterly in their efforts to comfort him throughout almost the entire book, they succeed at the end (verse 11).

Third, in the closing narrative we learn that Job lives 140 years, exactly twice the normal span of a man’s life (cf. Psalm 90[89]:10). Each of his first seven sons and three daughters is replaced at the end of the story, and all of his original livestock is exactly doubled (Job 1:3; 42:12). St. John Chrysostom catches the sense of this final section of Job:

His sufferings were the occasion of great benefit. His substance was doubled, his reward increased, his righteousness enlarged, his crown made more lustrous, his reward more glorious. He lost his children, but he received, not those restored, but others in their place, and even those he still held in assurance unto the Resurrection (Homilies on 2 Timothy 7).

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Saint Gregory the Great, Morals on the Book of Job, vol. 1 (Oxford; London: John Henry Parker; J. G. F. and J. Rivington, 1844), 83.

Robert Charles Hill. St. John Chrysostom Commentaries on the Sages, Volume One – Commentary on Job. Holy Cross Orthodox Press.

Patrick Henry Reardon, The Trial of Job: Orthodox Christian Reflections on the Book of Job (Chesterton, IN: Ancient Faith Publishing, 2005), 22.

Manlio Simonetti and Marco Conti, eds., Job, Ancient Christian Commentary on Scripture (Downers Grove, IL: InterVarsity Press, 2006), 4–5.

Orthodox Church, The Lenten Triodion, trans. Kallistos Ware with Mother Mary, The Service Books of the Orthodox Church (South Canaan, PA: St. Tikhon’s Seminary Press, 2002), 222.

Mother Mary, Metropolitan Kallistos of Diokleia, trans., The Lenten Triodion: Supplementary Texts, The Service Books of the Orthodox Church (South Canaan, PA: St. Tikhon’s Seminary Press, 2007), 60.

Orthodox Church, The Lenten Triodion, trans. Kallistos Ware with Mother Mary, The Service Books of the Orthodox Church (South Canaan, PA: St. Tikhon’s Seminary Press, 2002), 559.

St. Tikhon’s Monastery, trans., The Great Book of Needs: Expanded and Supplemented, vol. III (South Canaan, PA: St. Tikhon’s Seminary Press, 2002), 283.

Homily – Prejudice, Objectivity, and Grit
St. Matthew 15.21-28

Gospel:Then Jesus left and withdrew to the district of Tyre and Sidon. And behold, a Canaanite woman from that region came out and cried; “have mercy on me, O Lord, Son of David; for my daughter is severely possessed by a devil.” But Jesus did not answer her at all. So his disciples came and pleaded; “send her away, for she is crying after us.” Jesus replied; “I was sent only to the lost sheep of the house of Israel.” Then she came and knelt before him saying; “Lord, help me.” And Jesus answered; “it is not right to take the children’s bread and throw it to the dogs.” Then she said; “yes, Lord, yet even the dogs eat the crumbs that fall from their masters’ table.” Then Jesus answered her, “O woman, great is your faith! Be it done for you as you desire.” And her daughter was healed from that moment.

Are we ashamed of the Christ? Should we be?

If you were not jarred by the language of this Gospel lesson, then I am not sure that you were paying attention. Did you hear what Jesus said to this poor woman? She came to him with a terrible problem, and how did he respond? First, he ignored her! Then, as if that was not bad enough, he told her that he did not come to help “her kind.” And then, to top it off, he pretty much called her a “dog” and told her that she was not worthy of his help! How can we deal with this? How are we to understand the rudeness that Christ exhibited to this brokenhearted and suffering mother?

It is a point of fact that when the Scriptures surprise or offend us (and it often does… or should!), that we should react with joy rather than sadness, anger, or disbelief – for we are about to have our understanding enlarged! That is certainly the case with today’s lesson. The fact that Christ’s words are so offensive is part of the point, part of the lesson. So what are we to learn from it?

Some theologians would explain that we have to look at the cultural context of the reading: Jesus was a Jew, and that this was how Jews thought about and treated the Gentiles. This is what some theologians say, but they are wrong. In charity, I should give them more credit: they are only mostly wrong. They are right in teaching that we should look at the cultural context of scripture, but they are completely wrong in believing that Jesus was shaped by it: Christ is utterly BEYOND culture. Remember: he was the Logos before time began. As a human, he was affected by his time and place, but as the source of wisdom he transcended the bigotries and prejudices of the world. Ironically, it was this very transcendence that led to his offensive treatment of the Canaanite woman. Let me explain.

Jesus recognized that there were aspects of worldly cultures that were literally demonic (e.g. Psalm 81; Psalm 95:5 1 Corinthians 10:20) and, as such, they were a serious obstacle to satisfying his desire that all men be saved. Through his language, he was awakening his audience to the absurdity of treating people based on their group rather than as unique persons in need of our love and attention. The disciples could not help but notice the huge gulf between what morality required and the way their prejudices would have them act. There is no room for prejudice or division in God’s love. Those who serve him must rise above their worldviews and see the world in the light of pure love and objectivity.

Again, Christ was using this encounter to teach his audience that love requires that we serve everyone who comes into our midst, regardless of the color of their skin, where they or their babas were born, or how much money they make.

So what about the poor woman? What if she had given up? Remember, we are not dealing with a common man here, but with the eternal God incarnate. He knew the woman’s heart in its entirety; not just the love she had for her daughter or the trust she had in the power of God to heal her, but also her grit. He knew that she would do anything within her power to save her daughter. She would persevere. She would overcome.

This is the second lesson I would have you learn today: the virtue of perseverance and grit.

On perseverance.

[Persistence – examples from regular life (including studies on the relative importance of “grit”)]

If perseverance matters for all these other parts of our lives, why shouldn’t we expect it to affect our spiritual life?

If we are persistent, if we persevere, then the changes we make in our lives – eating well, exercising, being more patient with our families, dealing properly with our addictions, praying and worshipping more, being more serious in our Orthodoxy – will become less about the goals we want to achieve and more an expression of who we are.

• We would no longer eat well because we wanted to become healthy, we would eat well because we WERE healthy.
• We would no longer exercise regularly because we wanted to become more fit, we would exercise regularly because we WERE fit.
• We would no longer be more patient and loving with our families because we wanted our family life to be more enjoyable, we would be patient and loving with our families because our family life WAS more enjoyable.
• We would no longer be more diligent in our prayer and worship life because we wanted to reduce stress and help others, but because we WERE LIVING stress-free and helpful lives.
• We would no longer be more serious in our Orthodoxy in order to get into heaven or to become more holy, but because, through Holy Orthodoxy, we WERE ALREADY BECOMING holy and more worthy of a place in heaven.

Then we will have been transformed:

• From dieters to health eaters.
• From out of shape to fit.
• From casualties of broken families to beneficiaries of healthy ones.
• From stressed out and powerless, to peaceful and powerful.
• From part-time Christians into saints.

While each of these begins with a single decision, a decision on its own is not enough. In order to change our habits we have to exhibit enough grit and determination to make our decisions real in our lives. People who are serious about making changes rededicate themselves to their decisions every morning, then take stock of their efforts every evening. Moreover, they constantly ask God for his strength and support and that he remove the stains their weakness has caused. This is true whether we are talking about food and exercise or the even more important decision to give our lives over to The Way Christ established for the healing and salvation of all his people; it takes grit to make it real. It takes determination.

A Warning

We have to be careful: the world is full of snake-oil salesmen who will try to sellusshortcuts to health and perfection, and our egos are the most convincing charlatans of the lot. But there are no shortcuts. A pill cannot make up for laziness.We cannot eat junk and lay around all the time and expect to be healthy.We cannot ignore your family and be a blessing to them.We cannot skip prayer and find lasting peace.We cannot forsake The Way of Orthodoxy and live a holy life. Andwe cannot do anything worth doing without groundingourselves completely in Jesus Christ, the very source of all power and perfection. Anyone who tellsus differently – to includeour own egos or “consciences” – is setting usup for failure. We have to ignore them, roll upoursleeves, and get serious.

Conclusion

It takes a lot of effort to gain anything worthwhile. In his interaction with the Gentile woman in today’s Gospel, Christ was showing us that salvation and the qualities needed to obtain it are not limited to any race, class, or nationality. It is ours to take no matter the color of our skin or where we were born. Christ came to save us all. In him and his love – that is to say, in his Holy Orthodox Church – there are no Gentiles or Jews, no Americans or Syrians, no rich or poor. Only those who are alive in Christ. Remember, God is not a respecter of persons. He desires that all be saved. He is knocking at the door of every heart. We must all let him in. We must accept him as our Lord, God, and Savior. And this is more than a one time promise. We cannot just say a “sinners prayer” and expect to be saved. The kingdom of heaven is taken by force and we must constantly strive – dare I say “work!” for our salvation. But do not despair: through Christ and the gift of the Holy Spirit, we all have access to the strength we need to persevere.

And the road that we must walk, the very “Way” that the persistent must follow is found in its fullness here at this parish and in this community of Christ the Savior in Anderson, SC.

Bible Study – Job
Class Five: Job 2:16-7:14
The trial of ideas begins.

Homily on the Talents

Main point:What do we with the riches God has given us? Multiply them! How? By investing all those riches in spiritual activities that provide a strong return on investment and having enough self-discipline not to waste them on activities that cause spiritual harm.

There are many kinds of riches that the Bible and Tradition teach about; today we’ll talk about spiritual and monetary riches.

How to Get a Good Return on Spiritual Riches

• Baptized Christians have all received riches (the grace of Baptism – a life in Christ!): what do we do with them?

• We do not all start with the same – we all have abilities and weaknesses

• But all are called to grow that which God has planted in our hearts

How do we grow them? It’s all about Orthopraxis. Discipleship. Evangelism. Everyone has to be involved in the ministries of the Church – and our parish must be set up to enable and encourage this.

How do we bury our talents? Not just by squandering them, but by refusing to develop and use them. By sitting on our hands. By seeking the minimum standard.

We need to grow the grace God has put into our hearts so that it overflows and brings comfort, joy, and healing to all those around us. We have to grow the investment of grace God made within our hearts. Orthodoxy is not about rules – Americans hate rules – it’s about getting a good return on the spiritual investment God made in us. Americans understand investments (and, while it may seem crass, it follows from the parable that Christ gave us). So…

• Encouraging us to pray in the morning and evening and at every meal time is sound spiritual investment advice;

• Encouraging us to come to services every Sunday and Feast Dayis sound spiritual investment advice;

• Encouraging us to read scripture and edifying literature everyday is sound spiritual investment advice.

• Encouraging every parish member should offer up their time in both worship AND ministry is sound spiritual investment advice.

• Extolling the benefits of tithing is giving us sound spiritual advice.

• Warning us that things like gossip, p*rnography, self-indulgence, hard-heartedness, and adultery are wicked sins and to be avoided, is sound spiritual investment advice.

Some people hear this – and I mean good people! – and they say “but Father… I don’t need to do all these things to be good. I’m nice. I already love people. I know that it is my duty to help my friends and my family and that is what I do. It comes naturally. I don’t need fasting and all that other stuff.” I LOVE hearing this! It is great to meet people who are born with such wonderful gifts. But being born with gifts doesn’t get them off the hook. My response to the way they rationalize their slothfulness goes something like this; “wonderful! God gave you FIVE TALENTS instead of just one or two – now you need to fast and do all that other stuff to invest those five and get five more!”

No one should mistake a naturally pleasant disposition or other natural attributes as some kind of grace they earned: these things are gifts from God and they must be developed. That’s what he is telling us today about getting into heaven. God expects more from those to whom He has given more – so get to work!

How to Get the Best (Spiritual Return) on Monetary Riches

But the Lord isn’t just teaching us about how to grow the grace He has given us. There is a lot to learn here and throughout the scriptures about what to do with our money. He tells us that everything that we have was given to us is for one purpose: growth in perfection. Growth in Christ. The healing of this world. The spreading of the Gospel. The increasing and superabundance of grace in our lives, our parish, and this world. As with spiritual gifts, not all of us are given the same gifts … but we are all called to grow what we have been given to the glory of God.

• Ten talents: These people have the possibility/ability to give up all their money and possessions and follow Christ. (e.g. the holy disciples and apostles). Not everyone has the ability to do this. Not everyone is strong enough. Thank God that some are. The witness of monks.

• Five talents: These people have too many God-blessed responsibilities to give up all their money and possessions, but they can offer up a large proportion of their income. Not everyone is strong enough to do this. This is only possible for people who have made a discipline of simplicity and budgeted towards giving and either have a large salary proportional to their needs or – much less likely - who have come into a windfall (joke about the lottery). Examples: Saint Joachim – 2/3; Zacheous: half plus; (and lest we think this is just for the rich) the widow’s mite.

• One talent – done right!!!: “what must I do to be saved” Orthopraxis! Follow the law and live a life a love. Give proportionally according to your income. Make sacrifices for the Gospel. Offer what you can and grow that grace!

Important caveat:for most of us, Orthodoxy requires balancing competing commitments. When it comes to money, it really comes down budgeting and making every dollar count. Family responsibilities and paying debts are Christian obligations. Duty done well is done to the glory of God. Our God is not a God of irresponsibility. We have to find the balance – but in finding that balance, we need to let Christian morality – and not vices like laziness, self-indulgence, or fear – be our guides. Saint Paul makes this clear in his second letter to the Corinthians (8:8-12 & 9:6-9; glossed a bit):

Now I want to tell you what God in his grace has done for the churches in Macedonia. Though they have been going through much trouble and hard times, they have mixed their wonderful joy with their deep poverty, and the result has been an overflow of giving to others. They gave not only what they could afford but far more; and I can testify that they did it because they wanted to and not because of nagging on my part. They begged us to take the money so they could share in the joy of helping the Christians in Jerusalem. Best of all, they went beyond our highest hopes, for their first action was to dedicate themselves to the Lord and to us, for whatever directions God might give to them through us.

[This reminds me of the statistics that show no correlations between wealth and the proportion that is given to charity – just look at the faithfulness of the people in “poor” churches!]

The people in this other church were so enthusiastic about helping out through sacrificial giving that we have urged Titus, who encouraged your giving in the first place, to visit you and encourage you to complete your share in this same ministry of giving. You people there are leaders in so many ways—you have so much faith, so many good preachers, so much learning, so much enthusiasm, so much love… Now I want you to be leaders also in the spirit of cheerful giving.

I am not giving you an order; I am not saying you must do it or how much you should give … But this is one way to show that your love and dedication is real, that it goes beyond mere words.

You know how full of love and kindness our Lord Jesus was: though he was so very rich, yet to help you he became so very poor, so that by being poor he could make you rich.

You were enthusiastic when you started down this path. Now let your early enthusiasm be equaled by your realistic action now.But hear this: if you are really eager to give, then it isn’t important how much you have to give. God wants you to give what you have, not what you haven’t.

But remember this—if you give little, you will get little. A farmer who plants just a few seeds will get only a small crop, but if he plants much, he will reap much. Everyone must make up his own mind as to how much he should give. Don’t force anyone to give more than he really wants to, for God loves the cheerful giver. God is able to make it up to you by giving you everything you need and more so that there will not only be enough for your own needs but plenty left over to give joyfully to others. It is as the Scriptures say: “The godly man gives generously to the poor. His good deeds will be an honor to him forever.”

God loves a cheerful giver, one who offers up gifts of his own free will – without compulsion. Our lives – and the life of our parish – have to be modeled around this fact. We don’t do dues. Dues are compulsory, whether they are a few hundred dollars or an imposition of the more biblical tithe. The extortion of income is the work of highway robbers and governments – not the parish. So while some of us have the ability, discipline, and JOY to budget around a tithe, not everyone can. The command is to offer up what you can to the glory of God and building up of joy in your life.

Let me conclude:

The point is that all we have been given – both our spiritual and material gifts – has been given to us one purpose: the one thing needful.

If we invest all those things that have been put into our care: our time, our abilities, and yes, our monetary treasures, into the service of the Most High, then in the day when we are called to account for the way we lived lives here on earth, we will hear those words that we know so well, “well done good and faithful servant – receive now your crown!’

And if not? God cannot force us into paradise against our will. If we decided in our lifetime to follow the example of the servant who hid his talent, then we will receive the same reward he did. That’s the Gospel.

No matter how much – or little - we have been entrusted with, we have a choice; it is the same choice all people of all places and times are given. Here is how Joshua put back in his day (Joshua 24:14-15; with glosses):

So revere the One True God and serve Him in sincerity and truth. Put away forever the idols of your ancestors. Worship the One True God and Him alone. But if serving the LORD seems undesirable to you, then choose for yourselves this day whom you will serve, whether the false gods your ancestors served or the false gods of the land in which you now live. It is your choice. But as for me and my household, we will serve the LORD.

The Christian parish must be full of men and women – no matter their station, sinfulness, or abilities – who have made that same choice.

“As for me and my household – that is to say, as for me and all of you – I know that we will serve the Lord.”

In this episode of "Father, Speak a Word," Fr. Gregory Jensen, PhD and Fr. Anthony talk about why we should celebrate our shortcomings (as we repent of our sin). The conversation is based on Fr. Gregory's substack article "It's Complicated; Thoughts On Falling Short of the Glory of God." [The audio has been corrected.]

Bible Study – Job
Class Four: Job 1:13 – 2:15

From the Orthodox Study Bible.

Job Loses His Children and Property

13. Now there was a day when Job’s sons and daughters were drinking wine in the house of their elder brother,

14. and behold, a messenger came to Job and said, “The yokes of oxen were plowing, and the female donkeys were feeding beside them.

15. Then raiders came and took them captive and killed the servants with the sword; and I alone have escaped to tell you!”

16. While he was still speaking, another messenger came and said to Job, “Fire fell from heaven and burned up the sheep, and likewise consumed the shepherds; and I alone have escaped to tell you!”

17. While he was still speaking, another messenger came and said, “Horsem*n formed three bands against us, surrounded the camels, took them captive, and killed the servants with the sword. I alone have escaped to tell you!”

18. While he was still speaking, another messenger came and said, “Your sone and daughters were eating and drinking wine with their elder brother,

19. and suddenly a great wind came from the desert and struck the hour corners of the house; and it fell on your children, and they died; and I alone have escaped to tell you!”

20. Then Job arose, tore his robe, and shaved off the hair of his head; and he fell to the ground and worshiped, saying,

21. “Naked I came from my mother’s womb, and naked shall I return. The Lord gave, and the Lord has taken away. As it seemed good to the Lord, so also it came to pass. Blessed by the name of the Lord.”

22. In all these things that happened, Job did not sin against the Lord or charge God with folly.

Let’s break this down.

St. Gregory the Great.

On the compounding of affliction.
Lo again, lest any thing should be wanting to his grief for the adversity that came of man, he brings tidings that bands of the Chaldeans had broken in, and lest the calamity that came from above should strike him with too little force, he shews that wrath is repeated in the heavens…
He who is not laid low by one wound is in consequence stricken twice and thrice, that at one time or another he may be struck to the very core. Thus the blow from the Sabeans had been reported, the Divine visitation by fire from heaven had been reported, tidings are brought of the plundering of the camels, by man again, and of the slaughter of his servants, and the fury of God’s displeasure is repeated, in that a fierce wind is shewn to have smitten the corners of the house, and to have overwhelmed his children. For because it is certain that without the Sovereign dictate the elements can never be put in motion, it is covertly implied that He, Who let them be stirred, did Himself stir up the elements against him, though, when Satan has once received the power from the Lord, he is able even to put the elements into commotion to serve his wicked designs.

On the timing of the attacks
We ought to observe what times are suited for temptations; for the devil chose that as the time for tempting, when he found the sons of the blessed Job engaged in feasting; for the adversary does not only cast about what to do, but also when to do it. Then though he had gotten the power, yet he sought a fitting season to work his overthrow, to this end, that by God’s disposal it might be recorded for our benefit, that the delight of full enjoyment is the forerunner of woe.

On Job’s response.
But in that it is added that he worshipped, it is plainly shewn that even in the midst of pain, he did not break forth against the decree of the Smiter. He was not altogether unmoved, lest by his very insensibility he should shew a contempt of God; nor was he completely in commotion, lest by excess of grief he should commit sin. But because there are two commandments of love, i. e. the love of God, and of our neighbour; that he might discharge the love of our neighbour, he paid the debt of mourning to his sons; that he might not forego the love of God, he performed the office of prayer amidst his groans. There are some that use to love God in prosperity, but in adversity to abate their love of Him from whom the stroke comes. But blessed Job, by that sign which he outwardly shewed in his distress, proved that he acknowledged the correction of his Father, but herein, that he continued humbly worshipping, he shewed that even under pain he did not give over the love of that Father.

But be it observed, that our enemy strikes us with as many darts as he afflicts us with temptations; for it is in a field of battle that we stand every day, every day we receive the weapons of his temptations. But we ourselves too send our javelins against him, if, when pierced with woes, we answer humbly.

Christological Interpretation
When his sons were destroyed in the ruin of the house, Job arose, because when Judæa was lost in unbelief, and when the Preachers were fallen in the death of fear, the Redeemer of mankind raised Himself from the death of His carnal nature; He shewed in what judgment He abandoned His persecutors to themselves. For His rising is the shewing with what severity he forsakes sinners, just as His lying down is the patient endurance of ills inflicted. He rises then, when He executes the decrees of justice against the reprobate. And hence He is rightly described to have rent his mantle. For what stood as the mantle of the Lord, but the Synagogue, which by the preaching of the Prophets clung to the expectation of His Incarnation? For in the same way that He is now clothed with those by whom He is loved, as Paul is witness, who says, That He might present it to Himself a glorious church, not having spot nor wrinkle; (for that which is described as having neither spot or wrinkle; ALLEG. Eph. 5:27. is surely made appear as a spiritual robe; and at once clean in practice, and stretched in hope;) so when Judæa believed Him as yet to be made Incarnate, it was no less a garment through its clinging to Him.

Job Loses His Health

2.1. Then again as it so happened another day, the angels of God came to present themselves before the Lord, and the devil also came among them to present himself before the Lord.

2. The Lord said to the devil, “Where did you come from?” Then the devil said before the Lord, “I came here from walking around under heaven and going about all the earth.”

3. Then the Lord said to the devil, “Have you considered my servant Job, since there is none like him on earth: an innocent, true, blameless, and God-fearing man, and one who abstains from every evil thing: Moreover he still holds fast to his integrity, though you told me to destroy his possessions without cause.”

4. Then the devil answered the Lord and said, “Skin for skin. Whatever a man has he will pay in full for his life.

5. Yet truly, stretch out Your hand and touch his bones and his flesh, and see if he will bless You to Your face.”

6. So the Lord said to the devil, “Behold, I give him over to you; only spare his life.”

7. Thus the devil went out from the Lord and struck Job with malignant sores from head to foot.

8. So he took a potsherd to scrape away the discharge and sat on a dunghill outside the city.

9. When a period of time passed, his wife said to him, “How long will you hold out, saying,

10. ‘Behold, I will wait a little longer, looking for the hope of my salvation’?

11. Listen, your memory is wiped out from the earth; your sons and daughters, the pangs and pains of my womb, which I suffered in vain and with hardships.

12. You yourself are sitting down, spending the nights in the open air among the rottenness of worms;

13. and I go about. As a wanderer and a handmaid from place to place and from house to house waiting for the setting of the sun, so as to rest from my labors and pains that now beset me.

14. But say a word against the Lord and die!”

15. Then Job looked at her and said, “You have spoken as one of the foolish women speaks. If we accepted good things from the Lord’s hand, shall we not endure evil things?” In all these things that happened to him, Job did not sin with his lips against God.

Let’s break this down.

St. John Chrysostom. The angels. Why does the author describe the angels in the act of presenting themselves daily before the Lord? He does so that we might learn no actual event is overlooked by God’s providence, and that the angels report what happens every day. Every day they are sent to settle some question, even though we ignore all this. That is the reason why they were created; that is their task, as the blessed Paul says, “They are sent to serve for the sake of those who are to inherit salvation.” “And the devil,” the text says, “also came among them.” You know why the angels are present. But why is the devil present? The latter is present to tempt Job; the former, in order to regulate our matters. Why is the devil questioned again before the angels themselves? Because he had said before them, “He will curse you to your face.” What a shameless nature! He has dared come back!

St. John Chrysostom. On the wife. Notes that a long time passed, and she was not able to handle the temptations. The devil hopes this will be like Eve.

Fr. Patrick Reardon.
Indeed, we do perceive a change in Job at this point. If he does not curse God, Job also does not explicitly bless God as he had done in his first affliction (1:21). Instead, he humbly submits to God’s will (2:10). In each case, nonetheless, God’s confidence in Job is vindicated. Satan has done his worst to Job, but Job has not succumbed. Like Abraham in Genesis 22, Job has met the trial successfully. Having done his worst, Satan disappears and is never again mentioned in the book. The rest of the story concerns only God and human beings.

St. Gregory the Great. On temptation.
The old adversary is wont to tempt mankind in two ways; viz. so as either to break the hearts of the steadfast by tribulation, or to melt them by persuasion. Against blessed Job then he strenuously exerted himself in both; for first upon the householder he brought loss of substance; the father he bereaved by the death of his children; the man that was in health he smote with putrid sores. But forasmuch as him, that was outwardly corrupt, he saw still to hold on sound within, and because he grudged him, whom he had stripped naked outwardly, to be inwardly enriched by the setting forth of his Maker’s praise, in his cunning he reflects and considers, that the champion of God is only raised up against him by the very means whereby he is pressed down, and being defeated he betakes himself to subtle appliances of temptations. For he has recourse again to his arts of ancient contrivance, and because he knows by what means Adam is prone to be deceived, he has recourse to Eve. For he saw that blessed Job amidst the repeated loss of his goods, the countless wounds of his strokes, stood unconquered, as it were, in a kind of fortress of virtues.

On the nature of evil.
See the enemy is every where broken, every where overcome, in all his appliances of temptation he has been brought to the ground, in that he has even lost that accustomed consolation which he derived from the woman. Amid these circ*mstances it is good to contemplate the holy man, without, void of goods, within, filled with God. When Paul viewed in himself the riches of internal wisdom, yet saw himself outwardly a corruptible body, he says, We have this treasure in earthen vessels. 2 Cor. 4:7. You see, the earthen vessel in blessed Job felt those gaping sores without, but this treasure remained entire within. For without he cracked in his wounds, but the treasure of wisdom unfailingly springing up within issued forth in words of holy instruction, saying, If we have received good at the hand of the Lord, shall we not receive evil? meaning by the good, either the temporal or the eternal gifts of God, and by the evil, denoting the strokes of the present time, of which the Lord saith by the Prophet, I am the Lord, and there is none else. I form the light, and create darkness; I make peace, and create evil. Is. 45:6, 7. Not that evil, which does not subsist by its own nature, is created by the Lord, but the Lord shews Himself as creating evil, when He turns into a scourge the things that have been created good for us, upon our doing evil, that the very same things should at the same time both by the pain which they inflict be to transgressors evil, and yet good by the nature whereby they have their being.

On how the Church responds to both kinds of “evil”
Holy men, when fastened upon by the war of afflictions, when at one and the same moment they are exposed to this party dealing them blows and to that urging persuasions, present to the one sort the shield of patience, at the other they launch the darts of instruction, and lift themselves up to either mode of warfare with a wonderful skill in virtue, so that they should at the same time both instruct with wisdom the froward counsels within, and contemn with courage the adverse events without; that by their instructions they may amend the one sort, and by their endurance put down the other. For the assailing foes they contemn by bearing them, and the crippled citizens they recover to a state of soundness, by sympathizing with them. Those they resist, that they may not draw off others also; they alarm themselves for these, lest they should wholly lose the life of righteousness.

And more on this
Holy men, when fastened upon by the war of afflictions, when at one and the same moment they are exposed to this party dealing them blows and to that urging persuasions, present to the one sort the shield of patience, at the other they launch the darts of instruction, and lift themselves up to either mode of warfare with a wonderful skill in virtue, so that they should at the same time both instruct with wisdom the froward counsels within, and contemn with courage the adverse events without; that by their instructions they may amend the one sort, and by their endurance put down the other. For the assailing foes they contemn by bearing them, and the crippled citizens they recover to a state of soundness, by sympathizing with them. Those they resist, that they may not draw off others also; they alarm themselves for these, lest they should wholly lose the life of righteousness.

___

Saint Gregory the Great, Morals on the Book of Job, vol. 1 (Oxford; London: John Henry Parker; J. G. F. and J. Rivington, 1844), 83.

Robert Charles Hill. St. John Chrysostom Commentaries on the Sages, Volume One – Commentary on Job. Holy Cross Orthodox Press.

Patrick Henry Reardon, The Trial of Job: Orthodox Christian Reflections on the Book of Job (Chesterton, IN: Ancient Faith Publishing, 2005), 22.

Manlio Simonetti and Marco Conti, eds., Job, Ancient Christian Commentary on Scripture (Downers Grove, IL: InterVarsity Press, 2006), 4–5.

What we will cover next week:

The trial of ideas begins. Job 2:16-7:14

Homily Notes on Zacchaeus Sunday:
What makes a home?

Walk in – can you tell (that a place is a home)?

The feeling?

· Feelings and intuition are unreliable; generally, they are the way the subconscious mind puts together other indicators

· But to the sense our feelings are reliable, some places are haunted by memories of being home

“The clutter?” There is something to this.

· Imperfect indicator (museums have lots of stuff… & I hear there are homes with no clutter)

· Points to something else that is often associated with clutter

The rituals? There is something to this, as well.

· All homes do have rituals, but they are similar to clutter (they ARE clutters of habits… and these habits form character)

· Imperfect indicator

*** A home is where love lives. ***

Zacchaeus had a nice house.

· But it wasn’t until Christ came that it was a place of love

· “Today salvation has come to this house”

· From the blessing of homes after Theophany; “O GOD OUR SAVIOR, the True Light, who wast baptized in the Jordan by John to renew all men by the laver of regeneration, andwho didst deign to enter under the roof of Zacchaeus, thereby bringing salvation to him and to all his house: do thou, the same Lord, keep safe from harm all who dwell here; grant them thy blessing, purification, and bodily health; grant all their petitions which are unto salvation and life everlasting. For blessed art thou, O Lord, together with thy Father who is without beginning, and thy most holy, good, and life-giving Spirit, now and ever and unto ages of ages. Amen.”

Lesson here

· Love blesses all things when it is present; friendships, teachers and students, workplace relationships…

· Why is this? Why aren’t the kind of relationships Zaccheaus had – ones based on exploitation – blessed?

· Because the God who created the rules is the One who is the source and animator of all love.

· This is why intentionally invoking Him in our relationships makes them so much stronger. Marriages, families, friendships… they are strengthened when they are done IN THE NAME OF CHRIST.

Most especially true of us here. This is THE place of power.

· Let us continue to bask in it.

· As Christ grows in our midst and remakes us into perfect bearers of that love.

Bible Study – Job
Class Two: Job 1: 6-12

From the Orthodox Study Bible.

Satan is Permitted to Test Job

6. Then as it so happened one day that behold, the angels of God came to present themselves before the Lord, and the devil also came with them.

7. The Lord said to the devil, “Where did you come from?” So the devil answered the Lord and said, “I came here after going about the earth and walking around under heaven.”

8. Then the Lord said to him, “Have you yet considered my servant Job, since there is none like him on the earth: a blameless, true, and God-fearing man, and one who abstains from every evil thing?”

9. So the devil answered and said before the Lord, “Does Job worship the Lord for no reason?

10. Have you not made a hedge around him, around his household, and around all that he has on every side? You have blessed the work of his hands, and his cattle have increased in the and.

11. But stretch out Your hand and touch all that he has, and see if he will bless You to Your face.”

12. Then the Lord said to the devil, “Behold, whatever he has I give into your hand; but do not touch him.” Thus the devil went out from the Lord.

Let’s break this down.

v. 6; why were the angels of God presenting themselves before the Lord?

Many angels surround Him continually;

· Anaphora of St. John Chrsysostom. For all these things we give thanks unto Thee, and to Thine only-begotten Son, and to Thy Holy Spirit; for all things of which we know and of which we know not, whether seen or unseen; and we thank Thee for this Liturgy which Thou hast willed to accept at our hands, though there stand by Thee thousands of archangels and hosts of angels (Daniel 7:10) the Cherubim and the Seraphim, six- winged (Isiah 6:2) many-eyed (Revelations 4:8) who soar aloft, borne on their wings: Singing the triumphant hymn, shouting, proclaiming, and saying: “Holy! Holy! Holy! Lord of Sabaoth! Heaven and earth are full of Thy glory’. (Isaiah 6:3) Hosanna in the highest! Blessed is He that comes in the name of the Lord! Hosanna in the highest. (Mathew 21:9, Mark 11:9-10, Psalms 118:26)

· Hebrews 12:22. But you have come to Mount Zion, to the city of the living God, the heavenly Jerusalem. You have come to thousands upon thousands of angels in joyful assembly,

Possibly – they are part of His Divine Council

· Psalm 81:1-2a; “God stood in the assembly of gods; He judges in the midst of gods,”

· Psalm 88: 9-13 (89:6-8). “The heavens shall confess Your wonders, O Lord, and Your truth in the church of the saints. For who in the clouds shall be compared to the Lord and who among the sons of God shall be compared to the Lord?”

More likely – they are ministering angels

· Hebrews 1:14. Are not all angels ministering spirits sent to serve those who will inherit salvation?

· Psalms 90:11. For he will command his angels concerning you to guard you in all your ways;

· Matthew 18:10. “See that you do not despise one of these little ones. For I tell you that their angels in heaven always see the face of my Father in heaven.

Hesychius of Jerusalem (5th Century - not recognized as a saint): Was there ever a time when the angels did not stand before the Lord? Was it not written about them that “a thousand thousands served him, and ten thousand times ten thousand stood before him”? (Daniel 7:11)But this coming, in our opinion, is that of the angels who had been sent to serve human beings. Paul actually says, “Are not all angels ministering spirits sent to serve those who will inherit salvation?” HOMILIES ON JOB 2.1.6.

More on v.6: why was the devil with him?

Note – the problem is why God would be talking with the devil, and why the devil could even stand to be in His presence.

One way to resolve this is to note that there are other places in scripture when God talks to the devil and demons (temptation in the wilderness, demons at Gardenes).

Another way is to say that it wasn’t really “THE Devil”, it was “The Satan”, which is a job title, “The Adversary.” This takes us back to the Divine Council. As Michael Heiser writes;

Evidence for exactly the same structures in the Israelite council is tenuous. Despite the fact that popular Israelite religion may have understood Yahweh as having a wife, Asherah (see Hess), it cannot be sustained that the religion of the prophets and biblical writers contained this element or that the idea was permissible. There is also no real evidence for the craftsman tier. However, the role of the śāṭān (see Satan), the accuser who openly challenges God on the matter of Job’s spiritual resilience, is readily apparent (Job 1:6–12; 2:1–6). In the divine council in Israelite religion Yahweh was the supreme authority over a divine bureaucracy that included a second tier of lesser ʾĕlōhîm (bĕnê ʾēlîm; bĕnê ʾĕlōhîm or bĕnê hāʾĕlōhîm) and a third tier of malʾākîm (“angels”). In the book of *Job some members of the council apparently have a mediatory role with respect to human beings (Job 5:1; 15:8; 16:19–21; cf. Heb 1:14).
M. S. Heiser, “Divine Council,” ed. Tremper Longman III and Peter Enns, Dictionary of the Old Testament: Wisdom, Poetry & Writings (Downers Grove, IL; Nottingham, England: IVP Academic; Inter-Varsity Press, 2008), 114.

However, these are not the tacts that St. John Chrysostom took. By his time, this Satan had been seen to be the same as the fallen angel in the garden etc.

· He had a lot to say about how angels and demons are mixed together here on earth (even remarking on the headcover passage 1 Corinthians 11:10). This has obvious implications for us and our spiritual lives!

· He also said that there was no way the devil could talk to God in this way, and that this is written for the sake of the story (page 24).

Also his comment on being rich already putting Job into the arena. [NOTE: I was kidding/prodding about St. John being woke, but he was/is supremely concerned for the poor and the obligations of the rich. Before the term became altered and politicized, this made him a strong promoter of social justice.]

v. 7–8 Where Have You Come From?

St Gregory the Great: Satan’s “going to and fro on the earth” represents his exploring the hearts of the carnal. In this way he is seeking diligently for grounds of accusation against them. He “goes round about the earth,” for he surrounds human hearts in order to steal all that is good in them, that he may lodge evil in their minds, that he may occupy completely what he has taken over, that he may fully reign over what he has occupied, that he may possess the very lives of those he has perfected in sin. Note that he does not say he has been flying through the earth but that he has been “walking up and down it.” For in fact he is never easily dislodged from whomever he tempts. But where he finds a soft heart, he plants the foot of his wretched persuasion, so that by dwelling there, he may stamp the footprints of evil practice, and by a wickedness similar to his own he may render reprobate all whom he is able to overcome. But in spite of this, blessed Job is commended with these words, “Have you considered my servant Job? There is no one like him on the earth, a blameless and upright man who fears God and turns away from evil.” To him, whom divine inspiration strengthens to meet the enemy, God praises as it were even in the ears of Satan. For God’s praise of Job is the first evidence of Job’s virtues, so that they may be preserved when they are manifested. But the old enemy is enraged against the righteous the more he perceives that they are hedged around by the favor of God’s protection. MORALS ON THE BOOK OF JOB 2.65.66.

v. 1:9–10 Does Job Fear God for Nothing?

St. John Chrysostom: Do you see that Job’s wealth was a gift from God? Do you see that it was not the fruit of injustice? How Job had to suffer in order to demonstrate to people that his wealth was not the fruit of injustice! And behold, the devil himself bore witness to him from above and did not realize that he praised Job as well by saying that he had not acquired that wealth through illicit trading and through the oppression of others. Instead, Job owed his wealth to God’s blessing, and his security came from heaven. You would have not rejoiced if Job had not been virtuous. But the devil praised and covered him with laurels without realizing what he was doing. COMMENTARY ON JOB 1:10.

Manlio Simonetti and Marco Conti, eds., Job, Ancient Christian Commentary on Scripture (Downers Grove, IL: InterVarsity Press, 2006), 4–5.

Robert Charles Hill. St. John Chrysostom Commentaries on the Sages, Volume One – Commentary on Job. Holy Cross Orthodox Press.

What we will cover next week:

Job loses his possessions, his children, and his health. Job 1:7-22

Homily – Bringing Grace to a Messy World
St Luke 18:35-43. The healing of the blind beggar.

Three points:

Jesus did not stay in one place.

Jesus Christ is and was God. It is fitting that He reside in the throne room of God, surrounded by the cherubim and seraphim, with His holiness reflecting off all the angels and archangels around Him. But as the being of perfect love, He had to act on behalf of his beloved children (US!). So He took flesh and became man.

Some would have expected Him to take up residence in the Temple or in the Governor’s House. But instead He lived among common men and women and, for the last three years of His life, went from town to town so that everyone would know the Good News of salvation. His body was the temple and He took His holiness, His healing love, and the truth of the Gospel everywhere He went.

We must do the same. God resides within us. We are called to love others as God loves us. We are more than just disciples, we are Christ to the world– we are members of His body, the Church. Others expect us to keep the reason for our joy and hope here in this building, but that is not how to love! Yes, we invite the world to be transformed by joining us here, but love requires that we share the reason for joy and hope in the world. We don’t hide it under a bushel (no!) we let it shine!

The Lord was traveling in today’s lesson, and we give a glimpse at what happened as He did. We see that it isn’t always neat.

Jesus – and his disciples – encountered the messiness of the world.

The world is a messy place. Look what happened in today’s lesson: Christ and His entourage are almost to Jericho, and a beggar disrupts their travel. This comes on the heels of other messy encounters: people having the nerve to bring their children up to Him to be blessed … a Rich Young Man questioning Jesus, and now this beggar! I am willing to guess that, in their weaker moments, the disciples would have preferred Jesus stay in a place where they could control Him. Then He could teach them – and anyone else who knew how to behave and knew what kind of questions were appropriate.

But that would have been a different God, the God of Ivan Karamazov’s “Grand Inquisitor”. Life is messy. People have real problems, questions, and needs that do not fit into neat little categories. And God goes out to meet them where they are. As with the Rich Man, He may not always tell them what they want to hear, but there is the real sense that love required meeting people where they are (out in the world)… and then leading them to the cross and, through that, to the Resurrection and life eternal.

We have to recognize the way our desire to control and mediate grace is more often a result of our own totalitarian pathology than a genuine desire to do God’s will. Yes, grace leads to harmony; but demanding harmony before offering grace is like withholding medicine until a patient is well enough to deserve it.

Everyone glorified God.

My final point may seem obvious, but it demands attention. How did the people respond to the blind man’s healing? Did they attack Jesus (they did in other places, as when He healed on the Sabbath)? Were they upset that He wasted His time and power on a simple beggar when He could have done something more important? Were they upset that they did not get their fair share of Jesus’ miracles on their own body (I bet all of them suffered from something!)?

No, the Gospel says; “And immediately he received his sight, and followed Him, glorifying God. And all the people, when they saw it, gave praise to God.”

This is the proper response to God’s love and power no matter how it matches our desires or expectations: glorification! When we glorify God, we become more human, more happy, more resilient. And when others see us glorifying God, not just here in the temple, but everywhere we see Him and His miraculous action in this world, they are naturally drawn to worship Him as well.

Yes, let’s continue to praise God and enjoy His miracles here within these walls, but let’s be like Jesus Himself and take the Good News out into the world and let our friends and neighbors – even our enemies – feel the healing grace that flows through our love for them. Yes, it’s going to be messy and it may well mean that more unworthy beggars than kings feel the benefit of this grace; and it may end up meaning that we bring more grace to the lives of the people in communities of the upstate than to those in the great halls of Washington D.C. (that may seem to need it more).

But Christ cured the blindness of the beggar on the way to Jericho despite the all terrible things the powerful were doing in Rome. Evangelism is local; it begins with the transformation of our hearts into overflowing fountains of grace that pour out to bless everyone we meet. May the Lord strengthen us as we spread His grace in a messy world.

Bible Study – Job
Class Two: Job 1: 1-5

From the Orthodox Study Bible.

1. Faithful Job and His Children

1 There was a man in the land of Austis, whose name was Job. That man was true, blameless, righteous, and God-fearing, and he abstained from every evil thing.

2 Now he had seven sons and three daughters,

3 and his cattle consisted of seven thousand sheep, three thousand camels, five hundred yoke of oxen, and five hundred female donkeys in the pastures. Moreover he possessed a very large number of house servants. His works were also great on the earth, and that man was the most noble of all the men in the East.

4 His sons would visit one another and prepare a banquet every day, and invite their three sisters to eat and drink with them.

5 When the days of their drinking were ended, Job sent and purified them; and he rose early in the morning and offered sacrifices for them according to their number, as well as one calf for the sins of their souls. For Job said, “Lest my sons consider evil things in their mind against God.” Therefore Job this continually.

From Fr. Patrick Reardon

The first chapter of Job describes him, in fact, as the embodiment of the ideals held out in the first psalm. Job “walks not in the counsel of the ungodly, / Nor stands in the path of sinners, / Nor sits in the seat of the scornful.” On the contrary, he is “like a tree planted by the rivers of water, / That brings forth its fruit in its season, / Whose leaf also shall not wither; / And whatever he does shall prosper.”

Whereas the “man” in the first psalm is clearly a Jew, whose “delight is in the law of the Lord,” Job is only a man—any just man, anywhere. St. John Chrysostom drew special attention to the fact that Job is only a man, not a Jew. That is to say, Job does not enjoy the benefits of the revelation made to God’s chosen people. The only revelation known to Job is that which is accorded to all men, namely, that God “is, and that He is a rewarder of those who diligently seek Him” (Hebrews 11:6).

The first verse of Job introduces the narrative prologue (1:1–2:13) preceding the lengthy and complicated dialogue that forms the long central core of the book. This prologue contains six scenes:

(1) an account of Job’s life and prosperity in 1:1–5;

(2) the first discussion in heaven in 1:6–12;

(3) Job’s loss of his children and possessions in 1:13–22;

(4) the second discussion in heaven in 2:1–7;

(5) Job’s affliction of the flesh in 2:7–10;

(6) the arrival of Job’s three friends in 2:11–13.

Chapter 1, then, contains the first three of these six scenes.

In the first scene (1:1–5) [this is the one we are covering today] Job is called a devout man who feared God, a man who “shunned evil.” He thus enjoyed the prosperity promised to such folk in Israel’s wisdom literature. As we have reflected in our introduction to this book, Job is the very embodiment of the prosperous just man held up as a model in the Book of Proverbs.

From the Orthodox Study Bible footnote

Note that Job was “blameless” and “abstained from every evil thing.” Does that mean he is perfect?

· Ecclesiastes 2:20/21. For there is not a just man on earth who does good and does not sin.

· Hebrews 4:15. For we do not have a High Priest who cannot sympathize with our weaknesses, but was in all points tempted as we are, yet without sin.

St. Gregory the Great (he does literal and then two allegoricals)

On the description of Job. But it is the custom of narrators, when a wrestling match is woven into the story, first to describe the limbs of the combatants, how broad and strong the chest, how sound, how full their muscles swelled, how the belly below neither clogged by its weight, nor weakened by its shrunken size, that when they have first shewn the limbs to be fit for the combat, they may then at length describe their bold and mighty strokes. Thus because our athlete was about to combat the devil, the writer of the sacred story, recounting as it were before the exhibition in the arena the spiritual merits in this athlete, describes the members of the soul1, saying, And that man was perfect and upright, and one that feared God, and eschewed evil; that when the powerful setting of the limbs is known, from this very strength we may already prognosticate also the victory to follow.

On sacrifices for his children (literal). This circ*mstance demands our discreet consideration, that, when the days of feasting were past, he has recourse to the purification of a holocaust for each day severally; for the holy man knew that there can scarcely be feasting without offence; he knew that the revelry of feasts must be cleansed away by much purification of sacrifices, and whatever stains the sons had contracted in their own persons at their feasts, the father wiped out by the offering of a sacrifice; for there are certain evils which it is either scarcely possible, or it may be said wholly impossible, to banish from feasting. Thus almost always voluptuousness is the accompaniment of entertainments; for when the body is relaxed in the delight of refreshment, the heart yields itself to the admission of an empty joy. Whence it is written, The people sat down to eat and drink, and rose up to play. Exod. 32:6.

More on the sacrifices (allegorical). For we rise up early in the morning, when being penetrated with the light of compunction we leave the night of our human state, and open the eyes of the mind to the beams of the true light, and we offer a burnt offering for each son, when we offer up the sacrifice of prayer for each virtue, lest wisdom may uplift; or understanding, while it runs nimbly, deviate from the right path; or counsel, while it multiplies itself, grow into confusion; that fortitude, while it gives confidence, may not lead to precipitation, lest knowledge, while it knows and yet has no love, may swell the mind; lest piety, while it bends itself out of the right line, may become distorted; and lest fear, while it is unduly alarmed, may plunge one into the pit of despair. When then we pour out our prayers to the Lord in behalf of each several virtue, that it be free from alloy, what else do we but according to the number of our sons offer a burnt offering for each? for an holocaust is rendered ‘the whole burnt.’ Therefore to pay a ‘holocaust’ is to light up the whole soul with the fire of compunction, that the heart may burn on the altar of love, and consume the defilements of our thoughts, like the sins of our own offspring.

Saint Gregory the Great, Morals on the Book of Job, vol. 1 (Oxford; London: John Henry Parker; J. G. F. and J. Rivington, 1844), 34.

St. John Chrysostom

On wealth and temptation. Do you not see that for people not on the alert wealth becomes the basis of falsehood. This man was not like that, however, though: although he was wealthy, it was for you to learn that had wealth as an inclination towards evil, and that it is not wealth that is responsible [for sin] but free will. [notes that later he also avoided the temptations of poverty]. Later, Job will explain how he came to be like this.

On harmony. Great harmony, the highest of goods; they were brought up to share their meals, keeping a common table, which makes no little contribution to good relations. Do you see, dearly beloved, enjoyment accompanied by security? Do you see family dining? Do you see the well-knit group?

On the purification. It was not from some bodily contamination, there being no Law by that stage, but from a mental one….: it was for sins that were hidden and not acknowledged [and he would certainly have done more if they were obvious]… This very process, in fact, became also instruction for his children, not only removal of their sins; people who are aware that punishment is God’s prerogative for both thoughts and sinful acts – their father, after all, would not have offered sacrifice if were not a sin he was anxious to cancel – and who constantly are instructed in this by sacrifices would be more hesitant if something like this happened in their case… Note how he gave them a lesson in harmony also in his sacrifice, offering one calf for them all as if for a single person… Which love in particular made him do it? In my view, love for God and then love for his children.

Robert Charles Hill. St. John Chrysostom Commentaries on the Sages, Volume One – Commentary on Job. Holy Cross Orthodox Press.

What we will cover next week:

Satan is Permitted to Test Job; Job 1: 6-12.

On Gratitude (with thanksto St. Nicholai Velimirovich)
Luke 17: 12-19 (The Ten Lepers, only one of whom returned)

[Started with a meditation on the virtues of hard work and gratitude; hard work so that we can be proud of what we have done and foster an appreciation for the amount of effort that goes into the making and sustaining of things. This makes us grateful for what we have, and especially the amount of effort that goes into gifts that we receive from others. But what if these virtues break down? What if there was a society where hard work was not required and gratitude was neither expected nor offered? What if everything was both easy and taken for granted? Would this be a society comprised of real men and women, or of spoiled children? Would those who understood the need for virtue – and who cultivated it within their own lives – [would they] not weep when they saw the corruption that surrounded them?]

We are taught through small things, not always being able to understand big ones.

• If we cannot understand how our souls cannot live for a moment without God, we can see how our bodies cannot live for a moment without air.
• If we cannot understand how we suffer a spiritual death when we go without prayer and the doing of good deeds, we can see how we suffer and die when we go without water and food.
• If we cannot understand why it is that God expects our obedience, we can study why it is that commanders expect obedience from their soldiers and why architects expect it from their builders.

So it is with gratitude. If we do not understand why it is that God seeks our gratitude – and why He seeks it in both thought and action – we can look at why parents demand gratitude from their children.

• We do parents require that their children thank them for everything, both large and small, that they receive from their parents?
• Are parents enriched by the gratitude of their children?
• Are they made more powerful?
• Is it to feed their egos?
• Does it give them more influence or status in society?
• No, parents are not enriched by their children’s gratitude, and it takes time and effort to cultivate it in them. So parents spend time and effort on something that brings them no personal enrichment. Why do they do it?
• They do it for love. They do it for the good of their children, so that they will grow up to be civilized and a benefit to society and their own families.
• “A grateful man is valued wherever he goes; he is liked, he is welcomed, and he people are quick to help him.”

What would happen if parents stopped teaching their children gratitude? How would their children turn out? How would society turn out? Isn’t it every parent’s obligation, then to demand gratitude from their children?

And so it is with God. He does not need our thanks. There is no way to add to His infinite power. There is no way to add to his glory. He in no way benefits from the thanks that we give Him.

• And yet He demands that we thank Him every morning for getting us through the night.
• And yet He demands that we thank Him at every meal for the food on our tables.
• And yet He demands that we thank Him that we thank Him every Sunday for the gift of His Son.

It seems like a lot, right? Couldn’t we just skip it? No. Not if we want to be human. Not if we want to be good.

• It isn’t just about doing things to please God (He is what He is regardless of our actions),
• and it isn’t really about doing things because we need to follow God’s rules.
• It is about being (and becoming) good and doing what is right.

God desires that we be His children, through Christ, He has made this possible. Through our baptism and through our confession that Jesus Christ is the Son of God, we can join the ranks of the saints. This is not something to be taken for granted.

• We are like the lepers who encountered Christ in today’s Gospel
• Because of our disease, we are not fit to join the the saints and angels of God.
• But Jesus Christ has healed us of our disease. He has nailed our sins to the Cross. He has restored our fallen humanity to a state of grace.
• This is not something we have earned, nor is it something we deserve, nor is it something that Christ had to do.
• All ten of the lepers received the gift of health and their ability to walk once more with those who are well in a healthy community. Only one was grateful.
• Christ God suffered and died so that all of humanity could receive the gift of healing and eternal life, and the ability to live in everlasting joy with all the saints and angels.
• What is our response?

Are we like the spoiled child that expects everything he receives (and more), that believes that everything is his due? If so, what kind of life can we expect to have? How can it not be stunted and incomplete? What kind of families and communities can we expect to grow around us?

Or are we like the the child who grows into the virtuous adult, the one who everyone likes to have in their company, who brings out the best in those around him? If so, will our lives not be better? Will our community not thrive? Will we not have shown – through God’s grace – that we belong with the saints?

We are not worthy of the gifts that God has given us. We accept them with open arms. We offer our thanks for them. And we join the ranks of holy ones and angels that continually proclaim His glory.

Bible Study – Job
Introduction

Job is the first book of the Wisdom genre in the Orthodox Bible. The others are The Proverbs of Solomon, Ecclesiastes, Song of Songs, the Wisdom of Solomon, and the Wisdom of Sirach.

Date and Authorship: Unknown, but Job lived during the time of the Patriarchs (about 1600 BC).

From Fr. Joseph Farley;

The story of Job is traditionally based on the life of Jobab, king of Edom, mentioned in Genesis 36:33. (This ascription is also reflected in the final verses of the book as found in the Septuagint.) The tale of Job contains some of the best poetry ever written, and it recounts the suffering of a man who suffers unjustly, though he is completely righteous. His acquaintances (famous proverbially as “Job’s comforters”) assume his great suffering proves he has committed a great sin, but Job continues to deny it and to insist on his innocence. At the end of the story, God appears on the scene in a whirlwind to confound the worldly “wisdom” of Job’s tormenting “comforters,” reveal His power, and show the folly of supposing human wisdom is adequate to question the providence of God. He then restores to Job all that he has lost. A Septuagintal addition to the Hebrew text adds, “It is written that he will rise with those whom the Lord resurrects” (Job 42:1–8 OSB). Suffering leads eventually to resurrection.

We read the story of Job as a model of the sufferings of Christ, a foreshadowing of His Passion and Resurrection. Like Job, Christ was innocent yet suffered greatly. Like Job, Christ was vindicated by God at His Resurrection. Along with the story of Joseph the patriarch, the tale of Job reveals that in this age God’s chosen ones suffer unjustly. That the Messiah, “the Righteous One,” would suffer on a cross does not defy historical precedent. A crucified Christ is not a contradiction in terms. God’s servants have always suffered unjustly and been misunderstood by their “pious” contemporaries before being vindicated by God. It is for this reason that the Book of Job is read in church at the Presanctified Liturgies during Holy Week. (Lawrence R. Farley, The Christian Old Testament: Looking at the Hebrew Scriptures through Christian Eyes (Chesterton, IN: Ancient Faith Publishing, 2012), 143–144.)

In Scripture

Genesis and the historical books (as Jobab).

Ezekiel 14:14. Though these three men, Noah, Daniel, and Job, were in it, they should deliver but their own souls by their righteousness, saith the Lord God.

Ezekiel 14:20. Though Noah, Daniel, and Job were in it, as I live, saith the Lord God, they shall deliver neither son nor daughter; they shall but deliver their own souls by their righteousness.

James 5:11. Behold, we count them happy which endure. Ye have heard of the patience of Job, and have seen the end of the Lord; that the Lord is very pitiful, and of tender mercy.

Liturgical Use

Holy Week. Monday (PSL): Job 1:1-12; Tuesday (PSL): Job 1:13-22; Wednesday (PSL): Job 2:1-15; Thursday (VDL): Job 38:1b-21); Friday (Vespers) Job 42:12-21. Up until then, we had been reading Proverbs in that place in the service (Exodus replaces Genesis and Ezekiel replaces Isaiah).

Great Canon of St. Andrew (Canticle Four; in between Esau and Christ).

Thou hast heard of Job, O my soul, who was justified on a dung heap; yet thou hast not imitated his courage nor hast thou shown any firmness of will in the face of thy trials and temptations but hast proved cowardly and weak. He that once sat upon a throne now lies naked on a dung heap, covered with his sores. He that had many children and was once admired by all is suddenly bereft of children and is left without a home; yet for him the dung heap is a palace, and his sores a chain of pearls.

Purpose: Wisdom.

Resources for our study.

Orthodox Study Bible; St. John Chrystostom’s commentary; St. Gregory the Great’s Commentary; Fr. Patrick Reardon’s The Trial of Job. Dictionary of Wisdom and the Psalms (IVP). Ancient Christian Commentary on Scripture.

Some initial thoughts:

It is about suffering, but mostly about how to relate to God in suffering. Losing faith in God is one of the biggest temptations that suffering can bring.

Parts of it are not easy to read (negativity; structure; poetry). Not always clear what is being taught.

Fr. Patrick refers to is as a "trial". That’s good. But who is on trial? Is it Job?

Three of his friends (pagan kings!), Eliphaz, Bildad, and Zophar, present traditional religious ways of relating to God (or the gods) during suffering (suffering is retribution; requires appeasem*nt). You may end up sympathizing with some of what they say, but their understanding of God and how to relate to Him is flawed.

Elihu, his fourth friend offers a more correct understanding of God, but his witness is tainted by His pride and by twisting the facts (even though he, unlike the others, wanted to present Job as righteous). He does seem to act as a sort of (an imperfect) prophet to Yahweh (who speaks right after his speech) not just by describing God’s glory but by holding Job accountable for the arrogance of his previous appeal. God condemns the other friends, but Elihuh is not mentioned. However, his theology is not reliable (it is really a reformulation of the same retribution principle).

Job’s continual defense of himself is his righteousness. He does end up needing to repent of his accusations against and doubts in God.

In the end, Job’s righteousness is affirmed, Job’s goods are restored, and God’s justice is confirmed.

Ephesians 4:7-13. In this homily (hostage situation?), Fr. Anthony talks about the temptations new technology brings for getting ecclesiology wrong. Noting that bad ecclesiology is bad theology, he offers to help everyone find their calling and develop their gifts, but warns that we need be careful to take our time and not fall into (or prey to!!!) prophecying, teaching, and preaching outside the blessing of the Church. Enjoy the show.

The Banquet

St. Luke 14:16-24

· Greatest tragedies in history

o Separation from God

o Separation from one another

· Two of the great epidemics of our time resulted from this

o Loneliness: we were made for community (yes, even introverts!)

o Meaning:

§ We were made for a home, with a strong and enduring identity

§ We were made for a purpose, with an important part to play, and given the gifts and potential to play that part well.

§ Last week: when we have our community, we know our part and are developing our gifts, the result is a symphony or beautiful transformation.

o Without community and a song, purpose, or being part of a plan, we are sure to suffer

· This is our experience of sin. We have missed the mark of our calling, of being part of the things for which we were made

· So what is the solution?

o A theological math problem, with the calculus of proper soteriology coming to rescue?

o A juridical problem, with a proper understanding of God’s justice and the role of His Son’s sacrifice in appeasing it?

· No, I framed the problem of sin the way I did so that we could approach it properly: we have a relationship problem. We are separated from God and one another and thus suffer from loneliness and a lack of meaning.

· Today’s Gospel flows naturally from this understanding, and it corrects some imperfections in some Western theology that compound the problem and make a proper diagnosis all but impossible.

o Some “Western” Christians might slip the mathematical and juridical approaches and recognize that the restoration of a relationship with God is central. But their God is angry and even, dare I say it, capricious. And like an abusive father or husband, the key to assuaging his wrath is to satisfy it with the death of His son. This is a terrible theology, and Christ dismisses it with today’s description of the feast as the solution to the world’s pain.

· The Kingdom of Heaven is a great meal to which we are all invited.

· Are you lonely?

o A meal! Why is it so great? At festal meals, we learn to leave aside all the petty things that have divided us. Around a family table, we are reminded of who we are and what family we belong to and can relax into this. When strangers come, there need be no awkwardness as the purpose is fixed and everyone is fed. All of us have good things in common at the supper table. We lay aside all of our pettiness to engage in this beautiful fellowship.

o But it is also the meal of the king. The invitation is the invitation to a restored relationship with Him. And through accepting the invitation we restore our relations with one another.

o And because of the nature of the food that is offered, the restoration of the relationship grows and the problems of loneliness and meaning fade to nothing. And neither exist at all in the great banquet which is to come.

· This shows the love of our God and the beauty of True Theology. Restoration comes not from solving theological math problems, getting the right lawyer, or creating a codependency with a wrathful God.

· Restoration comes in accepting God’s invitation to a place at His Holy Table and to Feast at His Holy Supper.

· Some chose not to come – and we pray that they repent and come to the table before it is too late.

· But for us the way is clear, we have accepted the invitation, and thus we are being cured of the pain of sin and its separation.

Father Speak a Word. Today Fr. Anthony talks with Fr. Gregory Jensen, PhD, about his recent essay, "Friendship." They cover the differences between friendships based on utility, pleasure, and virtue, noting that a virtuous friendship cannot be rushed, assumed, or coerced. They also compare the virtuous friendship, which needs to be reciprocal, with the relationship between a priest and his parishioners (which should not be reciprocal in that way). This leads to the basic truth that "priests need priests" (the theme of Fr. Anthony's now defunct AFR podcast, Good Guys Wear Black). Enjoy the show!

ST. PAUL'S LETTER TO THE EPHESIANS 6:10-17

Brethren, be strong in the Lord and in the strength of his might. Put on the whole armor of God, that you may be able to stand against the wiles of the devil. For we are not contending against flesh and blood, but against the principalities, against the powers, against the world rulers of this present darkness, against the spiritual hosts of wickedness in the heavenly places. Therefore take the whole armor of God, that you may be able to withstand in the evil day, and having done all, to stand. Stand, therefore, having girded your loins with truth, and having put on the breastplate of righteousness, and having shod your feet with the equipment of the gospel of peace; besides all these, taking the shield of faith, with which you can quench all the flaming darts of the evil one. And take the helmet of salvation, and the sword of the Spirit, which is the word of God.

There is much evil in this world. It causes so much suffering. We know that something needs to be done. But how can we confront it? It has marched through the institutions – and so we find ourselves outnumbered and outgunned. How are we supposed to win this war? And then, in today’s epistle reading, we are reminded what is available to us: the whole armor and weaponry of God.

Those of us who have come to Orthodoxy from outside often feel this most acutely, but we have all seen first-hand how inadequate heterodox theologies are to deal with the hideous strength of the powers of the world. Becoming Orthodox can feel like getting a whole set of power-ups. We gird up our loins – our passions – with the self-assurance of the truth and then up-armor with +5 Breastplate of Righteousness, the +5 Shield of Faith, the +5 Helmet of Salvation, and most especially the +5 Vorpal Sword of the Spirit. Girded with this kit, we are finally ready to wade back into battle so that we can destroy the enemy and all his power and all his pride and all his pomp.

But who is that enemy and who do we actually end up fighting?

We all know that St. Paul begins this reading by reminding us that our true enemies are the demons, but is that how we act? Do we let the Armor of God protect us from the flaming darts of the evil one so that we can withstand the evil day and bring healing to the victims of the demons’ war against mankind, moving among the fallen and exhausted to bring comfort and healing? Or do we instead call anyone who has fallen under the sway and influence of the rulers of the present darkness “enemy” and fight them? Do we see conversations with our alleged human enemies as opportunities for healing and growth or as opportunities for hand-to-hand combat with us playing the part of the Holy Warrior and the other the part of the evil incarnate?

The image of spiritual warfare is a powerful one, and the armor of God is a critical component of it. But I’m not sure we are mature enough to benefit from this image. Because the powers of the world have tricked pretty much everyone into framing pretty much everything of any importance in terms of war and violence, we end up fighting on its terms, doing its dirty work even as we us Orthodox words and memes to justify it. There is great danger here. Our alleged use of the armor and weapon of God becomes blasphemous when we use them against their true intent. We are so eager to wade into battle using our new kit that we forget that our Commission is to save, not destroy. They are what allow us to abide in the shelter of the Most High, protected from the terror of the night and every other demonic assault so that we can go about sharing the light with those who live in darkness.

Again, the image of spiritual warfare resonates with us because we live in a world that has bought into the idea of warfare. Unfortunately, it does not use this image in the way the Church does. Instead of using it as a metaphor for spiritual struggle, it uses the images and emotions of warfare to provide justifications for self-righteousness, polarization, and the demonization of the other. It uses it to increase division – the very goal of Satan, the Arch-heretic and Divider. Real spiritual warfare requires love, but it’s hard for us to be and share love when are mobilized for this kind of war.

The Armor of God can shield our hearts and protect its love against the pestilence that walks in darkness and the destruction that wastes at noonday, but what is there to protect when we have given our hearts over to hating and destroying the children of God?

And so I want to offer another image for this work we are called to do. Today in this Archdiocese we celebrate our musicians. So I am going to share St. Paul’s message in a musical key:

Put on the whole harmony of God.

There is a lot of discord out in the world, and people suffer from it. We see the damage and it breaks our hearts. We abhor the noise and want something better for us, for our children, for everyone and everything. God is the source of beauty and he has called us to share that beauty in a way that brings the crooked ways of discord into resolution.

Do we do this by just wading into the noise and playing louder? Do you see how that would just add to the discord? Moreover, do you see how it makes people less open to experiencing the beauty of the Gospel music? How the negative emotions this approach creates make people unwilling to take us and our message seriously?

It is also doubtful that someone who approaches the work of harmony in this way could even hold onto the idea and reality of beauty. You can’t transform noise by making more of it, and trying to do so is more likely to make us deaf to both the harmony of the spheres and – here’s a new idea - any potential resonances in the music others are playing.

You see, it isn’t “the world” that makes this noise, it’s people. And because God made the structure of sound “good” and the people who use that sound “very good”, it is not possible to make music that is purely bad, music that is nothing but noise. If we listen closely, we can find parts of it that – despite sin and heresy – we can hear as good and useful. And if we have truly put on the harmony of God, we can grab onto those bits of logi and move with them in grace towards glory.

Here I have in mind not the Christian who wanders into the middle of a bacchanalian mass-caucaphony of clanging symbols and off-key wailing. While the whole harmony of God will keep us sane in the midst of such things, I have in mind conversations with people whose idea of beauty and music have been informed by an exposure to a lifetime of siren songs, battle hymns, and riotous concerts. Look for the good that still remains in their music and harmonize with it. Gently find the wounds their song reveals and provide comfort. The mere act of conversing with genuine attention and love allows space for grace, even if the words that the other is speaking are utter nonsense. [to quote our funeral service] In such a moment, it is the connection -not the words - that is True and that can provide the opportunity to transform the funeral dirge of their demon-tainted or demon-inspired confusion into the hymn, “alleluia.” This kind of duet is what makes the deserts bloom and the crooked straight, it is the way of bringing God’s beauty to bear on the ugliness of blight and make it bloom. And this change can happen if we put on the whole harmony of God.

J.R.R. Tolkien wrote about this kind of transformation, but this message of resolving dissonance into glory isn’t just from the Silmarillion, it’s from the Gospel.

In order to do participate in this great work, we need to have immersed ourselves in worship, prayer, and charitable work; we must have submitted ourselves so completely to God’s will that His Love has transformed us into love and His Beauty has transformed us into beauty.

It is then that we see within everything, even within the polemical battle hymns of our opponents, notes or themes that can be accented, valued, and moved through harmonic progressions towards and into the melody of the Gospel.

St. Paul did this with the unknown God at the Aeropagaus. He was in the midst of a place dedicated to the worship of fallen gods. Such a place is full of discordant tunes and distorted lyrics. But in the midst of it, he found a note that he could focus on and use to evangelize. St. Justin did the same with pagan mythologies.

Do we have enough love, enough true harmony in us, to hear bits of beauty in the music of our enemies? To see a desire for something good within their hearts? If we can’t, we aren’t trying hard enough. Its nobility, its virtue, may be misplaced, but that’s just the establishment of a relationship and the subsequent development of conversations – that is to say, it is just a sustained duet - away from being transformed from dissonance into beauty. If St. Paul can do it with a demonic pantheon, we can do it with political ideologies, propaganda, and heterodox religions.

Yes, we can use the words of the Fathers to justify hatred and self-righteousness and win rhetorical battles. Yes, we can play good music really loud in hopes of drowning out the bad – but neither solves the problems of the world’s pain. Quite the opposite. That’s because neither approach is really Orthodox, even if the words we use and the music we play come straight from components of Orthodox Tradition.

However, when we love so much that we are able to see the good in others and nurture it using the good that God has grown within us, the world becomes a better place.

That’s the Harmony of God and it brings the melody of our salvation.

Father Speak a Word - Training the Youth

Today Fr. Anthony talks with Fr. Gregory about his latest substack article; "When Adults Fail to Mentor Youth:A Lifetime of Failure for Graduation." In the spirit of St. Paul, they spend most of the conversation talking about the natural endurance of the family and comparing it with the generational decline in commitment to parish life and rituals. They also spend time talking about parenting and priesthood leadership styles. Enjoy the show!

Nativity Bible Study

The first Lord I Call verse from the Vespers of Nativity:

Come, let us greatly rejoice in the Lord, as we sing of this present mystery.
The wall which divided God from man has been destroyed. The flaming sword withdraws from Eden's gate;
The cherubim withdraw from the Tree of Life,
and I, who had been cast out through my disobedience, now feast on the delights of paradise:
For today the father's perfect image, marked with the stamp of His eternity, has taken the form of a servant.
Without undergoing change He is born from an unwedded mother; He was true God, and He remains the same,
but through His love for mankind,
He has become what He never was: true man! Come, O faithful, let us cry to Him:
O God, born of a virgin, have mercy on us!

The most concentrated alternation of scripture and hymnographic commentary occurs during the Royal Hours.

First Hour
Psalms: Psalm 5 (a morning psalm in its usual place), Psalm 44 (Messianic Psalm about the wedding; Hebrews 1:8 confirms; also used in vesting prayers and Proskomedia), Psalm 45 (Be still and know; God is with us).
Prokimen: Psalm 2: 7,8). The Lord said unto Me: Thou art my Son, this day have I begotten Thee. Ask of Me, and I shall give Thee the heathen for Thine inheritance.
Readings: Micah 5:2–4 (Prophecy of Bethlehem), Hebrews:1:1-13 (St. Paul interprets the OT and explains the divinity of XC). St. Matthew 1:18-25 (Narrative: birth).
A Hymn: Prepare, O Bethlehem, and let the manger make ready and the cave receive; for truth hath come, and shadow hath passed. And God hath appeared to mankind from the Virgin, taking our likeness and deifying our nature. Wherefore, Adam and Eve are made new, crying, Goodwill hath appeared on earth to save our race.
Third Hour
Psalms: Psalm 66 (a song of the Resurrection), Psalm 86 (A prophecy on the meaning of the Nativity and the uniting of the nations in the Church), Psalm 50 (usual Psalm).
Prokimen: Isaiah 9:6. For unto us a Child is born, unto us a Son is given and the government shall be upon His shoulder
Readings: Baruch 3:35-4:4 (Wisdom appeared on earth and lived among mankind). Galatians 3:23-29 (we are one in Christ). St. Luke 2:1-20 (narrative: shepherds).
A Hymn: Tell us, O Joseph, how it is that thou dost bring the Virgin whom thou didst receive from the holy places to Bethlehem great with child? And he replieth, saying, I have searched the Prophets, and it was revealed to me by the angel. Therefore, I am convinced that Mary shall give birth in an inexplicable manner to God, whom Magi from the east shall come to worship and to serve with precious gifts. Wherefore, O Thou who wast incarnate for our sakes, glory to Thee.
Sixth Hour
Psalms: Psalm 71 (prophesy of the Messiah; includes Magi/Kings), Psalm 131 (Messianic; also points to nations), Psalm 90 (usual Psalm).
Prokimen: Psalm 109:4,1. From the womb before the morning star I bore Thee. Said the Lord to my Lord: Sit Thou on My right hand, until I make Thine enemies Thy footstool.
Readings. Isaiah 7:10-16; 8:1-4, 9-10 (Virgin birth; God is with us!). Hebrews 1:10-2:3 (Christ is greater than the angels). St. Matthew 2:1-12 (Narrative: wise men)
A Hymn: Listen, O heaven, and give ear, O earth. Let the foundations shake, and let trembling fall on all below the earth; for God hath dwelt in a creation of flesh; and He Who made creation with a precious hand is seen in the womb of a created one. O the depth of the riches and wisdom and knowledge of God! How unsearchable are His judgments, and His ways past finding out.
Ninth Hour
Psalms: Psalm 109 (Messianic; see above), Psalm 110 (a hymn of joyous praise), Psalm 85 (usual Psalm)
Prokimen: Psalm 86:4-5. And of the mother Zion, it shall be said, this and that man is born in her and the Highest Himself hath founded her. His foundations are in the holy mountains.
Readings: Isaiah 9:6-7 (for unto us a child is born!), Hebrews 2:11-18 (Christ became a man), St. Matthew 2:13-23 (go to Egypt!)
A Hymn. Verily, Herod was overtaken by astonishment when he saw the piety of the Magi. And having been overridden with wrath, he began to inquire of them about the time. He robbed the mothers of their children and ruthlessly reaped the tender bodies of the babes. And the breasts dried up, and the springs of milk failed. Great then was the calamity. Wherefore, being gathered, O believers, in true worship, let us adore the Nativity of Christ.

But wait there is more!

Jewish Expectations/Prophecies of the Messiah

The Messiah would be the “seed of a woman” come to destroy the work of the Devil. Not long after Creation, God prophesied to the serpent Satan, “And I will put enmity between you and the woman, And between your seed and her Seed; He shall bruise your head, And you shall bruise His heel” (Genesis 3:15). The implication was that Eve’s descendant would undo the damage that Satan had caused. Huge impact on the Jewish mind and imagination. (1 John 3:8). (Also see: Hebrews 2:14; Revelation 20:10.)

A prophet like unto Moses. This was prophesied by Moses, himself:

“The LORD your God will raise up for you a Prophet like me from your midst, from your brethren. Him you shall hear, according to all you desired of the LORD your God in Horeb in the day of the assembly, saying, ‘Let me not hear again the voice of the LORD my God, nor let me see this great fire anymore, lest I die.’ And the LORD said to me: ‘What they have spoken is good. I will raise up for them a Prophet like you from among their brethren, and will put My words in His mouth, and He shall speak to them all that I command Him. And it shall be that whoever will not hear My words, which He speaks in My name, I will require it of him’.” (Deuteronomy 18:15-19, NKJV).

Like Moses, the Messiah would be a leader, a prophet, a lawgiver, a deliverer, a teacher, a priest, an anointed one, a mediator, a human and one of God’s chosen people (a Jew) performing the role of intermediary between God and man—speaking the words of God. Both Moses and Jesus performed many miracles validating their message. As infants, both their lives were threatened by evil kings, and both were supernaturally protected from harm. Both spent their early years in Egypt. Both taught new truths from God. Both cured lepers (Num 12:10-15; Matt. 8:2-3) and confronted demonic powers. Both were initially doubted in their roles by their siblings. Moses lifted up the brazen serpent to heal all his people who had faith; Jesus was lifted up on the cross to heal all who would have faith in Him. Moses appointed 70 elders to rule Israel (Num. 11:16-17); Jesus appointed 70 disciples to teach the nations (Luke 10:1, 17). And there are many other parallels between the lives of Moses and Jesus.

The Messiah would be a descendant of Noah’s son, Shem. Noah said, “Blessed be the LORD God of Shem; and Canaan shall be his servant. God shall enlarge Japheth, and he shall dwell in the tents of Shem; and Canaan shall be his servant (Gen. 9:26-27). Chapter 10 goes on list descendants of Shem, noting that he was ancestor of Eber (Heber: Luke 3:35), the founder of the Hebrew race. Noah associated Shem especially with the worship of God, recognizing the dominantly spiritual motivations of Shem and thus implying that God’s promised Deliverer would ultimately come from Shem. The Semitic nations have included the Hebrews, Arabs, Assyrians, Persians, Syrians and other strongly religious-minded peoples.

More specifically, he would come from a descendant of Shem named Abraham ( Genesis 22:18; 12; 17; 22). Fulfilled: See Christ’s genealogy in Matthew 1.

More specifically, he would be a descendant of Abraham’s son, Isaac, not Ishmael (Gen. 17; 21). Fulfilled: See Christ’s genealogy in Matthew 1.
More specifically, he would be a descendant of Isaac’s son, Jacob, not Esau (Gen. 28; 35:10-12; Num. 24:17). Fulfilled: See Christ’s genealogy in Matthew 1.

More specifically, he would be a descendant of Judah, not of the other eleven brothers of Jacob. Fulfilled: See Christ’s genealogy in Matthew 1.

More specifically, he would be a descendant of the family of Jesse in the tribe of Judah (Isaiah 11:1-5). Fulfilled: See Christ’s genealogy in Matthew 1 and Luke 3:23-38.

More specifically, he would be of the house of David (2 Samuel 7:12-16; Jeremiah 23:5; Psalm 89:3-4). Fulfilled: See Christ’s genealogy in Matthew 1; Luke 1:27, 32, 69. Note: Since the Jewish genealogical records were destroyed in 70 A.D., along with the destruction of Jerusalem and the Temple, it would not be possible for a Messiah imposter who was born later to prove his lineage back to David and thus fulfill this prophecy.

He will be born in a small city called Bethlehem, specifically the one formerly known as Ephratah (Micah 5:2 – 1H). Fulfilled: Luke 2:4-20. Note: Christ’s birth in Bethlehem was apparently not by the choice of Mary and Joseph; it was forced upon them by Caesar Augustus’ taxation decree which required Joseph to leave his home in the city of Nazareth and return to his place of origin to pay the tax.

He will be born of a virgin (Isaiah 7:14- 6H). Fulfilled: Matthew 1; Luke 1.

He will be a priest after the order of Melchisedek (Melchisedec) (Psalm 110:4). Fulfilled: Hebrews 5:6

The scepter shall not pass from the tribe of Judah until the Messiah comes. In other words, He will come before Israel loses its right to judge her own people. The patriarch Jacob prophesied this:

The sceptre shall not depart from Judah, nor a lawgiver from between his feet, until Shiloh come; and unto him shall the gathering of the people be. (Genesis 49:10)

According to the Jewish historian Josephus, the Sanhedrin of Israel lost the right to truly judge its own people when it lost the right to pass death penalties in 11 A.D. (Josephus, Antiquities, Book 17, Chapter 13). Jesus Christ was certainly born before 11 A.D.

He will come while the Temple of Jerusalem is standing ( Malachi 3:1; Psalm 118:26; Daniel 9:26; Zechariah 11:13; Haggai 2:7-9). Fulfilled: Matthew 21:12, etc. (Note: The Temple did not exist at certain periods in Jewish history, and it was finally destroyed in 70 A.D.)

A worldly ruler. Since the fall of the Davidic kingly dynasty, the expectation was that the Messiah would restore that dynasty so that he would rule as the human “son of God”. (Isaiah 9:6-7 – 9H)

He will be divine; the Son of Man. (Daniel 7:13; Isaiah 7:14- C)

He would be the revelation of God; God with us. (Baruch 4:4 – 3H; Isaiah 8:9)

Ephesians 5: 8 – 19

For you were once darkness, but now you are light in the Lord. Walk as children of light. (For the fruit of the Spirit is in all goodness, righteousness, and truth), finding out what is acceptable to the Lord. And have no fellowship with the unfruitful works of darkness, but rather expose them. For it is shameful even to speak of those things which are done by them in secret. But all things that are exposed are made manifest by the light, for whatever makes manifest is light. Therefore He says: “ Awake, you who sleep, Arise from the dead, And Christ will give you light.” See then that you walk circ*mspectly, not as fools but as wise, redeeming the time, because the days are evil. Therefore do not be unwise, but understand what the will of the Lord is. And do not be drunk with wine, in which is dissipation; but be filled with the Spirit, speaking to one another in psalms and hymns and spiritual songs, singing and making melody in your heart to the Lord.

An Exposition on Today’s Epistle Lesson
We have chosen the light over the darkness – therefore we have to walk as children of the light; as St. Paul puts it, “finding out what is acceptable to the Lord”
What is acceptable to the Lord? God does not hide this from us; nor do we have to search for it. He reminds us every single day… through the rituals He has prescribed for us through the Church.
The Psalm we recite in our morning prayers says that it is not burnt offerings, but rather a “broken and contrite heart” that God does not despise. Surely this is primal. I say this not only because of the prominent place this Psalm has in our morning prayer, but the way this theme is reinforced by all the penitential prayers that accompany it.
Continual repentance is acceptable to the Lord – to use the imagery of today’s epistle, we must “have no fellowship with the unfruitful works of darkness, but rather expose them”: repentance requires opening up all the hidden closets – all the secret dark places – to the Light of Christ. And as this Light exposes the things that lurk in these places, we pull them out and offer them to the Lord in confession by name.
As we do this, as we find, expose, and sacrifice all the dark secrets, sins, habits, and histories that have blighted our souls; we walk more surely as “children of the light”, enjoying the blessings and joy that God has promised to those who follow Him.
God reminds us of this every day not just to tell us how important it is, but also because He knows how hard it is for us. Yes, it is hard for us to change bad habits and patterns of thought, but often it is hard for us to even recognize that we have a problem. The Light of Christ is pure and illuminates all of our sins, but our vision is still clouded. God is working with our faith to heal our vision, as in today’s Gospel, but in the meantime there are things in our lives that we just don’t see – or perhaps see but do not think are important.
This brings us to a difficult but vital part of today’s reading: we don’t just expose the darkness in our own lives, but the darkness in the lives of those with whom we share love and trust and are thus able to hear us. As St. John Chrysostom puts it;
You call God, “Father”, and those whom you love “brother;” but then when you see your beloved committing unnumbered wickednesses, you care more about his feelings and what he thinks about you than what is good for him? I beg you, don’t think this way. The stronger the bond, the more we are obliged to speak about sin.
Are those you love at enmity with one another? Reconcile them. Did you see them being jealous or coveting? Call them on it. Did you see them wronged? Stand up in their defense. This is why the bonds of love and friendship exist: so that we may be of use one to another. A man will listen in a different spirit to a friend than to someone he doesn’t know. He may regard a stranger or someone he isn’t close to with suspicion; he may not even trust a teacher; but a friend? A friend he may trust..
Today’s reading stops just short of making this even clearer when St. Paul writes; “Submitting yourselves one to another in the fear of God.” The relationship of mutual submission provides the mechanism of discernment and accountability. The people who love us can help us see things that we need to work on and will share this information in a way that we can hear; without manipulation or aggression. After the line on mutual submission, St. Paul provides marriage as the ideal setting for such a relationship and then points to marriage as a type, with the Church as its prototype.
We need each other, but only to the extent we are willing to love and be loved. Within such a relationship, figuring out what is acceptable to God is a natural part of the relationship.
In conclusion, God made the world good and made us to thrive in it. This can only happen if we dedicate ourselves to this cause – and do so with purpose and resolve. Practically, this means avoiding taking pleasure in those things that God despises: deceit, hatred, darkness, etc. and reveling in those things that He has given us for our enjoyment and edification (community, light, joy, selfless service, charity, pursuit of truth, dedication to honest craft and creation).
And listen to these words St. Paul finishes with today as he describes what the conversations look like between people who are in love with the light and despise the darkness; we speak “to one another in psalms and hymns and spiritual songs, singing and making melody in your heart to the Lord.”
Let all of our thoughts, all of our conversations, and all of our actions become hymns expressing our joy of being in and growing in the Love of Our Lord together.

Father Speak a Work - Ministry, Harmony, Resilience

Fr. Gregory Jensen, Ph.D., and Fr. Anthony talk about how important it is for priests to have balanced lives. This means more than scheduling "self-care;" it means adjusting our activities and approaches so that a graceful harmony is maintained between our capabilities and resources and the needs of those whom we serve. We should be at our best when we lead worship, preach, teach, and work with others. This requires that we build adequate time in our schedules for surges (Fr. Gregory suggests 15 hours of unscheduled time for a 40-hour work week), recovery and recreation. Enjoy the show!

[We're still having audio issues - the mic cut off half-way through. I re-read the second half but you'll notice the change. Thank you for your patience as we continue to work on this.]

I, therefore, the prisoner of the Lord, beseech you to walk worthy of the calling with which you were called, with all lowliness and gentleness, with longsuffering, bearing with one another in love, endeavoring to keep the unity of the Spirit in the bond of peace. There is one body and one Spirit, just as you were called in one hope of your calling; one Lord, one faith, one baptism; one God and Father of all, who is above all, and through all, and in you all. Ephesians 4:1-6

St. Paul was a great theologian. He had trained the lowest part of his mind (instincts, gut) through his ascetic submission to the Law and working through the constant temptation of the “thorn in the flesh”; he had trained his intellect by training under great teachers before and after his conversion; and he had trained his nous or heart through direct and awesome encounters with God.

Most importantly, St. Paul was a pastor. He lived according to the same standard that he taught: that all things be done so that some might be saved and come to a knowledge of the truth.

As St. John Chrysostom describes it;

It is the virtue of teachers not to try to win the praise or respect of those under their authority, but to do everything with the single objective of their salvation. This is what makes them teachers rather than tyrants. After all, God does not give them authority so that they could enjoy rewards for themselves, but so that they might disregard their own interests in order to build up the flock. This is a teacher’s duty. Such a one was the blessed Paul, a man who was free from all manner of vanity, and was contented to be not just as those whom he taught, but even as the very least even of them. It is for this reason that he even calls himself their servant, and so generally speaks in a tone of supplication. Observe how he writes nothing dictatorial, nothing imperious, but everything as one chastened and subdued.

Today we hear the first of such words that he was directing to his flock in Ephesus, a coastal town in what is now western Turkey, across the Aegean Sea from Greece. These words were directed to the Christians at Ephesus almost two thousand years ago, but they could just as easily have been written for us here in the Upstate.

St. Paul begins by describing himself, saying,

“I, therefore, the prisoner of the Lord.”

St. John Chrysostom composed what most have been an entire hour-long homily on just this line. It is well worth reading, and I recommend it to you. The thing that I would like to bring out of it today is that he was reminding his readers that St. Paul had what is sometimes called “skin in the game.” He was not just someone who was giving the people he served good advice, he was someone who considered what he was telling them so important that he was willing to suffer for saying and living it. St. Paul was brilliant. He could have had a career doing anything involving knowledge or leadership, but he chose and stuck with being an evangelist even though it took him to prison and martyrdom.

Psychology shows that we take people more seriously when they have skin in the game. When leaders don’t have skin in the game, they come off as hypocrites and, even if their intentions are good, untrustworthy.

As St. John points out, St. Paul had skin in the game. We can trust him. He is not a hypocrite. He is worthy of our attention.

St. Paul goes on to say;

“I, therefore, the prisoner of the Lord, beseech you to walk worthy of the calling with which you were called,”

What is this calling to which we have been called? To tithe? To come to church? To give to the poor? To be nice to one another? These are all worth doing, but they are not our calling. As St. Paul writes in the very next chapter, our calling is much greater than these; we are called to be members of god’s holy council (Ephesians 2:22) and to reign with Him on high (Ephesians 2:6)! Could there be any higher a calling? No.

In this, we are raised up to live and serve with the very angels and all the hosts of heaven.

Knowing the magnitude of the calling, how can we walk worthily? By putting on airs? By acting as though we were deserving of so great an honor? By lording it over one another? Surely this is our temptation. Experiments have shown how power goes to people’s heads and changes them into monsters. Is this how we can walk worthily? No! St. Paul knew this temptation and he had mastered it in his own life. He saw it threatening his flock, so he shared the secret of “walking worthily”, juxtaposing it with both the honor we have been promised and the great temptation it brings.

How can this be done? How can we avoid the temptation that brought even the greatest of all the created host of heaven – Lucifer to ruin?

Answering this, St. Paul continues;

“I, therefore, the prisoner of the Lord, beseech you to walk worthy of the calling with which you were called, with all lowliness”

How can we be lowly when we have been raised up so high? Because we know that we are not worthy of it. We appreciate the difference between what we have earned and what we have been given. We recognize that we have been bought with a price, the sacrifice of Jesus Christ on the Cross. Lowliness and gratitude work within our hearts to make us worthy through humility.

It is this that then leads us towards the next way that we walk worthily;

“I, therefore, the prisoner of the Lord, beseech you to walk worthy of the calling with which you were called, with all lowliness and gentleness,”

Gentleness. How often are we gentle with one another? Is it a habit of our hearts, or is it something that we only do when we are in the mood for it and when others behave in a way that is worthy of our kindness?

I think we know the answer, and we should be heartbroken, repent, and walk this better way.

If we can gain enough humility to see and be grateful for all that God has done for us despite our sin, then the next step on this walk is to imitate His beneficence in our relations with others, no matter how much hellfire their wicked actions and evil hearts have earned from us [sic].

After all, you and I deserve the hellfire. We are certainly not worthy of God’s gentleness … and yet He is gentle and kind. Kind enough to do everything within His power to protect us from hell and all its torment.

But what about us? Is this how we treat others? Or do we instead create our own sort of hellfire and vengeance to inflict on those who dare to cross us? Again, is this how we walk worthily? Is this how we show that we truly belong in God’s grace and in His heavenly kingdom? Where is the love? Where is the virtue?

Do I even need to point out that the offenses others commit against us pale in comparison to those we inflict on God? And that their offenses are inflated through the distorting lens of our own pride, if not created altogether out of whole cloth? We must do better; we count the slights of others to justifications for vengeance.

Rather we must do as St. Paul says, calling us to walk;

… with all lowliness and gentleness, with longsuffering, bearing with one another in love,”

St. Paul tells us to put up with one another. Again, we are showing we belong with the Lord by imitating Him. He suffered persecution, the horrible passion, and death on the cross for us.

We walk worthily as God the Son’s brothers and sisters and as God the Father’s sons and daughters when we suffer for one another. And most often this suffering takes the form not of physical pain, but by offering patience and kindness when our instincts tell us someone deserves a rebuke.

We walk worthily when we are willing to suffer in silence when others seem – or may even be - worthy of actual suffering.

Do you see how this works? Do you see how much it goes against our fallen instincts?

But this really is the way of the Christian – it is our high calling.

And we should suffer “longly” not in weakness, but in strength. The Lord could have obliterated the Romans and Jews that attacked Him, but for their salvation, He held His power in check… knowing that the best use of His power was to willingly endure sacrifice so that they could be saved. He knew that the greatest victory did not come with winning the immediate battle with His oppressors, but by winning the war against all oppression through His lowliness, His gentleness, His longsufferingness, and His love.

We can and must do the same.

All these things require incredible strength. They require incredible courage.

But if we do them, they bring the reward of the places in the kingdom of heaven that God has set aside for all his saints and; to circle back – the reward of good teachers - that of drawing others towards the same.

Father Speak a Work - Confession and the Holistic Art of Healing

In today's conversation on the priesthood, Fr. Gregory Jensen, Ph.D. talks with Fr. Anthony about why we can't get to holiness by maximizing our resistance to certain sins and why an approach based on virtue is bound to be more effective. He also reminds us that it is best to think of confession as a process, with the confessor meeting the penitent where he/she is and helping (en-couraging!) them to grow from there. Enjoy the show!

Today's Bible Study on Genesis 13 and 14 covers Abram and Lot moving apart, the War of the Nine Kings, and the mysterious encounter with Melchizedek. While Fr. Anthony relies primarily on St. John Chrysostom, he also draws from Fr. Patrick Reardon, St. Ambrose (numerology!), and academic research (via the Dictionary of Deities and Demons in the Old Testemant). Enjoy the show!

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Abraham II
Fr. Anthony Perkins

Chapter 13. Abram solves a problem and keeps everyone safe; the Lord makes a promise.

From Fr. Patrick Reardon

When Abram left Egypt, he and his family were very wealthy, because of Pharaoh’s generosity to someone he was trying to gain as a brother-in-law. Now Abram and Lot find that the sheer size of their flocks requires them to live apart (vv. 1–7). The story of their separation (vv. 8–13) demonstrates Abram’s humility in giving his younger relative the choice of the land (v. 9), while he himself takes what is left. This humble action of Abram illustrates the meaning of the Lord’s saying that the meek shall inherit the earth. Abraham’s descendants, not Lot’s, will inherit all this land. In this story we discern the non-assertive quality of Abram’s faith. He is not only meek; he is also a peacemaker. Meekness and peacemaking are qualities of the man of faith.

Lot serves in this story as a kind of foil to Abram. The meek and peaceful Abram takes what is left, whereas Lot, obviously having failed to do a proper survey of the neighborhood, chooses to live in Sodom. This was to prove one of the worst real estate choices in history.

The present chapter closes with God’s solemn asseveration to Abram, promising him the land and the “seed” (vv. 14–18). Unfortunately the rich ambivalence of this latter noun (zera‘ in Hebrew, sperma in Greek, sem*n in Latin) is lost in more recent translations that substitute the politically correct but entirely prosaic “descendants” for “seed” (vv. 15–16).

Besides Sodom, two other important Canaanite cities are introduced in this chapter, Bethel (still called Luz at this period—cf. 28:19) and Hebron. Both of these cities will be extremely important in subsequent biblical history, and Abram is credited with making each of them a place of worship (vv. 4, 18).

Patrick Henry Reardon, Creation and the Patriarchal Histories: Orthodox Christian Reflections on the Book of Genesis (Chesterton, IN: Ancient Faith Publishing, 2008), 70–71.

St. John Chrysostom on the trip from Egypt.

(5) Do you see the extent of God’s providence? Abram left to find relief from famine, and came back not simply enjoying relief from famine but invested with great wealth and untold reputation, his identity well-known to everyone: now the inhabitants of Canaan gained a more precise idea of the good man’s virtue by seeing this sudden transformation that had taken place—the stranger who had gone down into Egypt as a refugee and vagabond now flush with so much wealth. Notice how he had not become less resolute or devoted under the influence of great prosperity or the abundance of wealth, but rather he pressed on once more to that place where he had formerly been before going down into Egypt. “He went into the desert,” the text says, “to the place where his tent had formerly been, to the place of the altar which he had made there in the beginning. He called on the name of the Lord God.”

St. John Chrysostom on Abram’s gift to Lot.

(15) “Abram stayed in the land of Canaan,” the text goes on, “whereas Lot settled in the cities of the region, pitching his tent in Sodom. Now, the people of Sodom were very wicked sinners in God’s sight.” Do you observe Lot having regard only for the nature of the land and not considering the wickedness of the inhabitants? What good, after all, is fertility of land and abundance of produce when the inhabitants are evil in their ways? On the other hand, what harm could come from solitude and a simple lifestyle when the inhabitants are more restrained? …
Lest we prolong the sermon to great length, however, let us terminate it at this point and postpone the sequel to next time while giving you this exhortation, to imitate the patriarch by never aspiring after the first places but rather heeding blessed Paul’s words, “outdoing one another in respect,” especially our superiors, and being anxious to take second place in everything. This, in fact, means filling first place, as Christ himself said, “‘Whoever humbles himself will be exalted.’” So what could parallel this, when by ceding pride of place to others we ourselves enjoy greater esteem, and by showing them special honor we bring ourselves into the highest honor? …
This is enough talking, however, to encourage you and to show you that by giving alms, meager though they be, we receive great rewards from the Lord. By this stage, you see, the sermon has gone to an exhortation in almsgiving because, as you recall, we told you that the patriarch ceded part of the country to Lot, letting him have the most beautiful area in the region while taking the worst land for himself, and so he was accorded such generosity from God that the promise made him by God surpassed all thought and imagination.

St. Ambrose goes deeper.

“He was very rich,” as is natural for one who was not lacking in any good thing, who did not covet the goods of others, because he lacked nothing of what he would have wished to regard as his own. For this is what it means to be rich: to have what is sufficient to satisfy one’s own desires. Frugality has a measure. Richness does not. Its measure is in the will of the seeker. He was rich in cattle, in silver and gold. What does this mean? I do not think that the intention is to praise the riches of this world but the righteousness of this man. Thus I understand cattle to be the bodily senses, because they are irrational. Silver represents the word and gold the mind. Abraham was indeed rich, because he was in control of his irrational senses. Indeed, he tamed them and made them docile, so that they might participate in rationality. His word was radiant with the brightness of faith, purified by the grace of spiritual discipline. His mind was full of prudence. And this is why the good mind is compared with gold, because just as gold is more precious than other metals, so the good mind is the best part among those that make up the human substance. So the richness of the wise man consists in these three things: in sensation, in word and in mind. Their order establishes a gradation, as we read also in the apostle: “So faith, hope, love abide, these three; but the greatest of these is love.”4 The mind too, then, is the greatest, because it is the mind that grinds the spiritual grain to purify the senses and the word. The character of the wise man is preserved at every point.

So it is that through the simple facts of Abraham’s life great doctrines are expounded and illustrated. Rich indeed is the one who enriches even the arguments of the philosophers, who would formulate their precepts on the basis of his conduct. It was his riches, then, that Scripture had brought to light.

Chapter 14. War and a Mysterious Priest

Background. Chederloamer controlled the area north and east of Canaan., ruling over at many kings/kingdoms. Five rulers in the south, including the kings of both Sodom and Gomorrah went into rebellion against him. Chederloamer won and took possessions, food, and slaves, including Lot (whom they may have targeted). Note from the Divine Council worldview: there were giants on both sides. Jewish commentators even put Nimrod (as a loyal king) and Og (losing side – messenger to Abraham), but this is pure speculation (but the names of the tribes are associated with the Nephalim).

Abram, now looking like a warlord, takes mean and “smote them.” The king of Sodom comes out of hiding and asks for his stuff. Again showing his meekness, Abram keeps very little, except some for the allies who came with him.

St. John Chrysostom, On the battles;

Consider in this case, I ask you, dearly beloved, the greatness of heart exemplified in the just man’s virtue. Trusting in the power of God, he was not cowed by the force of the enemy when he learned of the rout they had caused, first by falling upon all the tribes and prevailing against the Amalekites and all the others, and then by engaging the Sodomites, putting them to flight and seizing all their property (?). The reason, you see, why sacred Scripture described all this to us ahead of time, as well as all they achieved through their bravery, was that you might learn that the patriarch prevailed against them not by physical strength but through faith in God. [He] achieved all this under the protection of help from on high, not by wielding weapons and arrows and spears or by drawing bows or raising shields but with a few retainers of his own household.

Note that St. Ambrose shows that the number 318 is the number of Chist’s crusifiction (T IH in Greek).

Now for the REAL FUN: Melchizedek (14:18-20)

Most important: type of Christ and the Eucharist.

The Christian interpretation of the story of Melchizedek begins with Hebrews 7, where Melchizedek is interpreted with the help of Psalm 109(110):4 as a figure of Christ the true high priest.

Psalm 109:1-4.
The Lord said unto my Lord, Sit thou at my right hand, until I make thine enemies thy footstool. The Lord shall send forth the rod of Thy power from Zion, and rule in the midst of Thine enemies. With Thee is the beginning in the day of Thy power, in the brightness of Your holyones. The Lord hath sworn, and will not repent, Thou art a priest for ever according to the order of Melchizedek.

Hebrews 7:1-3,15-17, 24-26 (quoted in Fr. Patrick Reardon).
“For this Melchizedek, king of Salem, priest of the Most High God, … first being translated ‘king of righteousness,’ and then also king of Salem, meaning ‘king of peace,’ without father, without mother, without genealogy, having neither beginning of days nor end of life, but made like the Son of God, remains a priest continually.… And it is yet far more evident if, in the likeness of Melchizedek, there arises another priest who has come … according to the power of an endless life. For He testifies: ‘You are a priest forever / According to the order of Melchizedek.’ … But He, because He continues forever, has an unchangeable priesthood. Therefore He is also able to save to the uttermost those who come to God through Him, since He always lives to make intercession for them. For such a High Priest was fitting for us, who is holy, harmless, undefiled, separate from sinners, and has become higher than the heavens” (vv. 1–3, 15–17, 24–26).

Abraham’s encounter with the king of Sodom reveals God’s providence (CHRYSOSTOM). The offering of bread and wine, not mentioned by the author of Hebrews, is seen to increase the resemblance between Melchizedek and Christ (CYPRIAN). Melchizedek is also identified with Shem, the son of Noah, who had received the priesthood from his father (EPHREM). Melchizedek resembles Christ in that he had no family history (CHRYSOSTOM). With Melchi-zedek there first appeared the sacrifice now offered by Christians (AUGUSTINE). The fact that Abraham offered tithes to Melchizedek shows that he was humble even in victory (AMBROSE).

Mark Sheridan, ed., Genesis 12–50, Ancient Christian Commentary on Scripture (Downers Grove, IL: InterVarsity Press, 2002), 25.

And from the Dictionary of Deities and Demons in the Bible;
The very special interpretation of Gen 14 and Ps 110 presented [in Hebrews] cannot be understood without taking into account contemporaneous Melchizedek interpretations in Jewish sources, viz. (a) Josephus, (b) Philo, and (c) Qumran. Together with (d) Hebrews they present a very composite picture of Melchizedek."

According to Josephus, Melchizedek was the first one to build the temple and to act as priest of→God. In Ant. I 179–181 the story of Gen 14:18–20 is told with some minor embellishments. The name of Melchizedek is mentioned and again translated as ‘righteous king’. Josephus adds that by common consent this was what he was and that for that reason Melchizedek was made priest of God. In both places Melchizedek is described as king and priest.

In Philo’s perspective Melchizedek as a king and priest does not cease to be an historical person but at the same time serves as the embodiment of the divine orthos logos and transcends history.

In the Melchizedek text from Qumran cave 4, Melchizedek serves as the deliverer prophesied in Isaiah and Psalm 82 and a divine being assisted by the host of heaven.

J. Reiling, “Melchizedek,” ed. Karel van der Toorn, Bob Becking, and Pieter W. van der Horst, Dictionary of Deities and Demons in the Bible (Leiden; Boston; Köln; Grand Rapids, MI; Cambridge: Brill; Eerdmans, 1999), 561.

Ephesians 2:14-22. Fr. Anthony gives his brain a much needed break by reading the homily. It's on his favorite theme - harmonious and joyful unity in Christ. Enjoy the show!

Homily – On Unity (Ephesians 2: 14-22)

The Reading from the Epistle of the Holy Apostle Paul to the Ephesians. [2:14-22]: Christ is our peace, Who has made us both one, and has broken down the dividing wall of hostility, * by abolishing in His Flesh the law of commandments and ordinances, that He might create in Himself one new man in place of the two, so making peace, * and might reconcile us both to God in one body through the Cross, thereby bringing the hostility to an end. * And He came and preached peace to you who were far off and peace to those who were near; * for through Him we both have access in One Spirit to the Father. * So then you are no longer strangers and sojourners, but you are fellow citizens with the saints and members of the household of God, * built upon the foundation of the apostles and prophets, Christ Jesus Himself being the cornerstone, * in Whom the whole structure is joined together and grows into a holy temple in the Lord; * in Whom you also are built into it for a dwelling place of God in the Spirit.

The mystery of unity.

Unity is one of the primary mysteries of the world. We yearn for it – the desire to be understood, to be recognized, to be loved, to be valued, to be needed – these are all dim reminders that we are called to a deep and enduring fellowship; a fellowship that nurtures us and allows us to nurture others so that we all grow towards God and perfection together.

This reality of unity is proclaimed throughout scripture (most powerfully in Christ’s High Priestly Prayer found in the Gospel according to St. John, chapter 17). It flows and emanates from the pre-existing foundational reality of the Trinity: three Persons united into one God. Today I want you to note how many times we refer to and pray this reality our liturgy – it permeates our prayers, empowers our Sacraments, and informs every aspect of our faith.

It is this unity that St. Paul is professing in today’s epistle reading. The specific case he is referring to is the unity of Jews and Gentiles, but this is a subset of a more generalized phenomenon. And it is this phenomenon that I want to address today.

If it (unity) really is the answer to so many of our deepest psychological and spiritual needs - to be understood, recognized, loved, needed, valued – needs that have thus far been poorly addressed and misdiagnosed, how is it to be achieved? How can we have the peace that St. Paul promises? The joy that God desires for us? Three points.

1. Must be recreated.

Listen to St. John Chrysostom as he makes this point;

Observe thou, that it is not that the Gentile is become a Jew, but that both the one and the other are entered into another condition. It was not with a view of merely making this last other than he was, but rather, in order to create the two anew. And well does he on all occasions employ the word “create,” and does not say “change,” in order to point out the power of what was done, and that even though this creation is invisible, yet it is a real creation, and this must be our starting point…. (St. John Chrysostom, Homily V on Ephesians)

The goal is not to make all Americans into Syrians or Syrians into Greeks or Europeans into Africans or Asians into Persians: the point is to make all into something new and greater; a new man, a new woman, and new mankind. To create a new body, a new mind, a new soul. There is a name for this new man, this new Adam – we call him a Christian; and there is a name for the union of such new persons – we call it the Church.

2. Must go through the Cross.

St. Paul makes it clear in today’s reading that the way to achieve reconciliation and peace is through the Cross. The Cross destroys the old man, the one that is selfish and small, the one who filters even the best concepts, such as love and charity, through the filter of his own ego. There can be no real union with someone who is only interested in what they get from the other person; who only wants to be a friend to puff themselves up; who only wants to be a lover in order to satisfy himself. This filter of egoism is deeply rooted – the science of psychology demonstrates how our pride affects (and contaminates) everything we do. The problem is that even actions that look good are counter-productive for purposes of true union if they are not done with the proper spirit. Politeness and pretty words may be enough to satisfy the needs of civility and cooperation, but not to achieve the kind of peace that we were made for – and for which we so deeply long. The only way to deal with this deep-rooted weed of pride is to pull it up and destroy it. The only way to fix this old man is to hang him on the cross. It will be painful, but the new man that is resurrected will be capable of so many beautiful things; things that the old man cannot even dream of. He will gain true meaning and lasting happiness.

At least, he will gain these things until that weed comes back and the old man rears his ugly head once again. Our first death and recreation take place at baptism – all the others take place at confession (the baptisms of tears) This dynamic of unity and crucifixion is a continual one – until the time when the fruit of the resurrection is enjoyed in its fullness.

3. All members of the union must do it

If not? Dysfunction. Lies. Despondency. We know this because we have seen dysfunctional relationships. We have seen the heartbreak it causes when both members of a marriage are not “all in”. We have seen how one spouse will enable the other spouse’s egoism in an attempt to make their union last; but unless there is change, unless both partners sacrifice themselves for their love, then this is a false union. This is why the courting process is so important – and why it really should involve both time and the advice of wise and loving friends and family. We have seen how unequal yoking can destroy people and the institution of marriage itself – this is bad enough. But [as St. Paul points out] marriage is an icon of something even greater: the Church. And the damage done when all its members – and especially its leaders – are not “all in” is even greater.

Conclusion: falling in love – and staying there

I fear that I have taken something beautiful and turned it into a bit of a bogeyman. Speaking about crosses can give the wrong idea. It’s not all about pain. It’s about connection. Not just the connection that comes from falling in love (which is fun), but the harmony that comes from staying there. There is nothing more enjoyable because it is what we were made for. Christ has destroyed the wall of division. Through Him we can harmony and holiness through fellowship.

So fall in love with Christ; give your heart to Him. Only through Him is such a blessed union possible. It is through Him that we are remade, free from the division and divisiveness of sin. He was incarnate, suffered and died, and was resurrected for this very purpose. So open your heart to him and give him all your love, all your trust; your mind, your body, and your soul – and then learn to love your neighbor as yourself. He will grant you peace in Him and with His saints.

This is the joyful unity we are called to, and it is why we are here. Unity through Christ is the purpose of this parish and the reason for our membership in it.

Father Speak a Work - Preaching as a Job Interview for Confession

St. John of the Ladder writes "we ought first to question and examine, and even, so to speak, test our helmsman, so as not to mistake the sailor for the pilot, a sick man for a doctor, a passionate for a dispassionate man, the sea for a harbor, and so bring about the speedy shipwreck of our soul." While he was writing for monastics, it is also important that non-monastic believers use discernment when selecting a spiritual father. In this episode, Fr. Anthony talks with Fr. Gregory about this, starting with the idea that the way the priest preaches and interacts with people during coffee hour serves as a sort of job interview for selection as confessor. Fr. Gregory is an ideal interlocutor on this, not just because he has a Ph.D. in Personality Theory and Religion, but because he has faced significant challenges during his priestly service and come through them stronger and, glory to God, wiser. You can read Fr. Gregory's work at his substacks, Father Speak a Word (on the Desert Fathers) and Orthodox Social Thought, from Cruelty to Charity. You can also follow him on X/Twitter at @frgregoryj. He is the priest of Sts. Cyril and Methodius mission in Madison WI. Enjoy the show!

Genesis 11:22-12:20. We start with a review of the latter part of Shem's genealogy, go through Abram's movement to Haran, his father's death, his movement to Canaan, and his time in Egypt (!). The latter included a discussion of Abram and Sarai's deception (half-truth). We rely primarily on St. John Chrysostom for our understanding. Enjoy the show!

In today's Introduction to Orthodoxy class, Fr. Anthony follows up on Sdn. Scott's excellent class last week (alas, unrecorded!). Whereas Sdn. Scott covered the theology and history of confession, Fr. Anthony gave practical advice on how to prepare and how confession is done at Christ the Savior in Anderson SC. Enjoy the show!

Luke 10:25-37; 2 Corinthians 9:6-11. "Some days it starts out chicken and ends up duck". That was definitely the case today. Fr. Anthony is planning on reading his homilies for a while to give his brain a much-needed break. Enjoy the show!

What happens when Fr. Anthony talks about his favorite subjects (the supernatural, the paranormal, the Scriptures, and Theology) without notes? Well, it's a bit of a meandering mess of well-intentioned talk. Enjoy the show!

Luke 8:41-56. Fr. Anthony draws on St. Nikolai Velimirovich to describe the relevance of the healing of the woman with the issue of blood and the raising of Jairus' Daughter.

Today we cover part of the genealogy of Noah, focusing on the line of Ham/Canaan. That means we get to talk about Nimrod, the Tower of Babel, the Divine Council, and how the nations forsook their angelic shepherds. Enjoy the show!

The original class on Genesis 7, 8, and the beginning of 9 did not record well, so I recorded this one while I was getting ready for teaching Genesis 10 and 11. Thanks for your patience and enjoy the show!

Luke 8:26-39. In this homily on Christ's exorcism of the demon (Legion) of Gardenes, Fr. Anthony notes that a dark eye exagerates the danger of storms, graveyards, and demons and encourages us to trust in the God who 1) loves us and 2) has command over all of creation.

Today Fr. Anthony takes us through the two primary Orthodox interpretations of Genesis 6: 1-4 (Sethite and supernatural) and the nephalim/giants, sharing a variety of patristic sources. He ends with the commentary offered in 1 Enoch.

Here are the verses under consideration (King James Version): And it came to pass, when men began to multiply on the face of the earth, and daughters were born unto them, That the sons of God saw the daughters of men that they were fair; and they took them wives of all which they chose. And theLord said, My spirit shall not always strive with man, for that he also is flesh: yet his days shall be an hundred and twenty years. There were giants in the earth in those days; and also after that, when the sons of God came in unto the daughters of men, and they bare children to them, the same became mighty men which were of old, men of renown.

2 Corinthians 9:6-11; St. Luke 7:11-16. After sharing a brief meditation on the epistle reading (we are temples, made for divinity), Fr. Anthony talks about the requirement that we love our enemies, noting that it is made harder when our fallen imaginations constantly create them almost ex-nihilo and when our tribal propagandists are feeding us with a constant stream of opposition research that makes hating people we have not even met seem natural and righteous. We have to find a different way to think about others, to include those few who really are objectively seeking to cause our ruin. We have to be transformed into love so that our vision makes the justification for that love obvious (St. Matthew 6:22-23). Enjoy the show!

Today we talk about murder, the geneologies of death and sin, the technologies (that seem to have been) given to man by fallen gods and God Himself, and Cain's line as evidence of our need for the Law and the Prophets - and better yet Christ Himself! The recording is a bit odd - it cut off a couple of times during the class so I filled in the gaps with a narrative summary. Enjoy the show!

Luke 5: 1-11. In this homily on the catching of fish (and men), Fr. Anthony riffs on the homily St. Nikolai Velimirovic gave, looking at it through the lens of Psalm 126:1a; "Except the Lord build the house, they that build labour in vain." After taking us through a tour of the conversion of Egypt and Kyivan Rus' and the way they were tempted to mix their previous pagan techniques with the True Faith, Fr. Anthony warns us that we are similarly tempted to bind God rather than enter into a relationship of love with Him. Enjoy the show!

In this edition of our Intro to Orthodoxy series, Fr. Anthony talks about the benefits of a prayer rule and of spending some time regularly in silent (but NOT monastic!) prayer. Enjoy the show!

This evening we continue working our way through the creation as described in Genesis 2 & 3. This includes talking about the fall and how our ability to image the Logos in creation was affected and how that is changed through our union with the new Adam/humanity - Jesus Christ (the Incarnate Logos). Enjoy the show!

Fr. David Randolph of blessed memory, talked about how much he and everyone enjoyed Q&A classes about his homily on Sunday afternoons. Fr. Anthony decided to give it a shot. It went pretty well, glory to God. Then he segued into a summary of the lessons on pride, how Orthodoxy heals us from it, and introduced the topic of next week's topic - hesychasm. Enjoy the show.!

St. Mark 8:34-38; 9:1. Before getting to the point about denying ourselves, taking up our cross and following Christ, Fr. Anthony deals with the preliminary issue of not crucifying others. Enjoy the show!

After summarizing the Orthodox approach to scripture, Fr. Anthony begins a verse by verse examination of Genesis One. We made it up to "Image and Likeness!"

Review.

• We have to read texts according to their purpose and scope. The purpose of the Bible is to describe the economy of our salvation (i.e. mankind’s sin, Christ/Messiah as our savior).

• The Bible is inspired; God spoke through prophets and scribes who automatically presentedHis revelations in their own language, with their own symbols, and in a way that their immediate audiences would understand.

• Our worldview (our language, symbols, and stories) isvery different from those of the prophets, scribes, and their immediate audience; mirror-imaging canlead to incorrect understandings of the Bible, God, and His plan for us.

Useful Materials

• Bouteneff, Peter C..Beginnings: Ancient Christian Readings of the Biblical Creation Narratives.

• Louth, A., & Conti, M. (Eds.).Genesis 1–11 (Ancient Christian Commentary on ScriptureSeries).

• Walton, J. H. (2009).The Lost World of Genesis One: Ancient Cosmology and the Origins Debate.

Genesis One(read the first four days using Septuagint and Hebrew translations; pause to make points).

1. In [the] beginning God created the heavens and the earth. The earth was without form, and void[Tohu wa bohu]; and darkness was on the face of the deep. 2. And the Spirit of God[!]was hovering over the face of the waters[where did they come from?]3. Then God said, “Let there be light”; and there was light[!]. 4 And God saw the light, that it was good; and God divided the light from the darkness. 5 God called the light Day[?], and the darkness He called Night[?]. So the evening and the morning were the first day[liturgical time!].

6 Then God said, “Let there be a firmament in the midst of the waters, and let it divide the waters from the waters.” 7 Thus God made the firmament, and divided the waters which were under the firmament from the waters which were above the firmament; and it was so. 8 And God called the firmament Heaven[use of ancient cosmology does not need to be explained away or excused; the explanation is functional, not astronomical/geographical!]. So the evening and the morning were the second day.

9 Then God said, “Let the waters under the heavens be gathered together into one place, and let the dry land appear”; and it was so. 10 And God called the dry land Earth, and the gathering together of the waters He called Seas. And God saw that it was good.[imagery of the Nile – agricultural, miraculous, dependable]

11 Then God said, “Let the earth bring forth grass, the herb that yields seed, and the fruit tree that yields fruit according to its kind[we’ll explore this “according to its kind later; order is important in the temple!], whose seed is in itself, on the earth”; and it was so. 12 And the earth brought forth grass, the herb that yields seed according to its kind, and the tree that yields fruit, whose seed is in itself according to its kind. And God saw that it was good. 13 So the evening and the morning were the third day.

14 Then God said, “Let there be lights in the firmament of the heavens to divide the day from the night; and let them be for signs and seasons, and for days and years; 15 and let them be for lights in the firmament of the heavens to give light on the earth”; and it was so. 16 Then God made two great lights: the greater light to rule the day, and the lesser light to rule the night[why the ambigious language? De-divinization of creation!]. He made the stars also. 17 God set them in the firmament of the heavens to give light on the earth, 18 and to rule over the day and over the night, and to divide the light from the darkness. And God saw that it was good. 19 So the evening and the morning were the fourth day.

Some Observations

• Although there are similarities with the creation myths of surrounding nations, the contrasts are stark; the Hebrews are given a new way of understand God and the world.
  • E.g. TheEnuma Elish(Babylon, at least 7^thcentury BC) has Marduk overcoming chaos (personified in Tiamat); he then creates the heaven and earth by splitting her.
  • In the Genesis creation account, creation is demythologized (e.g. deep/chaos, sun, stars). These sorts of things show up later, but the creation account is kept pristine so as to make the distinction between Creator and creation clear.
• There is a pattern (7 days, 7 “it was good’s”; things are “according to their kind”) that speaks not just to poetry, but to liturgical use.
  • Speaking of liturgy, note that evening is the beginning of the day (as with Vespers).
  • You can imagine this being chanted/sung the way we do Psalm 103 at Vespers (creation!).
• Creation is spoken into being. See also the Gospel of John 1 (“In the beginning was the Word…”) and Amos 8 (fear a famine of the Word). Also see C.S. LewisThe Magician’s Nephew.
• We know that creation isex nihilo(from nothing), but that is not necessarily being asserted here (although many say it is).
• This is not a description of a factory of creation (i.e. the “how” of creation), but a functional creation (purpose and meaning).

Some Examples of the Functional Creation

• Day One:The creation of time.
• Day Two:Room for people to live. Weather.
• Day Three:Production of food.

Some Commentary:

St. Augustine, One the Literal Interpretation of Genesis 3:10.

Scripture called heaven and earth that formless matter of the universe, which was changed into formed and beautiful natures by God’s ineffable command.… This heaven and earth, which were confused and mixed up, were suited to receive forms from God their maker.

Basil the Great; Hexaemeron 1.5.

It appears, indeed, that even before this world an order of things existed of which our mind can form an idea but of which we can say nothing, because it is too lofty a subject for men who are but beginners and are still babes in knowledge. The birth of the world was preceded by a condition of things suitable for the exercise of supernatural powers, outstripping the limits of time, eternal and infinite. The Creator and Demiurge of the universe perfected his works in it, spiritual light for the happiness of all who love the Lord, intellectual and invisible natures, all the orderly arrangement of pure intelligences who are beyond the reach of our mind and of whom we cannot even discover the names.

Rev. Dr. John Polkinghorne (excerpted fromOn Being)

I mean, this is an extraordinary thing, Genesis 1 … things don’t quite come in the right order. I mean, it’s striking that it begins with energy for light, “Let there be light.” It’s striking that life starts in the waters and moves onto the land.

But of course … the sun and moon and stars only come on the fourth day. And of course, there wouldn’t be any life without the stars, because that’s where they make the raw material for life. So that isn’t right. And we believe that one of the reasons, we believe in theology, one of the reasons why the sun, moon and stars come downstream, so to speak, is that the writer is wanting to say the sun and the moon aren’t deities. They’re not to be worshipped….

They are creatures just like everything else. And that shows us that what we’re reading is a theologically oriented thing and not a scientifically oriented thing. I mean, you have to figure out, when you read something and you want to read it respectfully, you have to figure out what it is you’re reading. Is it poetry or is it prose? If you read poetry and think it’s prose, you will make the most astonishing mistakes. [And Genesis 1…] is much more like a poem than like prose. And that’s, in a sense, the sadness of the “creationist” so-called position, that these people who are really wanting to be respectful to scripture are, I think, ironically, being disrespectful, because they’re not using it in the right way.

Walton, J. H. (pp. 49–50).

The creation account in Genesis 1 can then be seen to begin with no functions rather than with no material. At this point, however, it is important to establish what we mean when we talk of functions… In the ancient world, function was not the result of material properties, but the result of purpose. The sun looks down on all and is associated with the god of justice. It functions as a marker for time and seasons. When the ancient texts talk about how something functions in an ordered system, the system under discussion is not a cosmic or ecological system. It is a system inhabited by beings…In the Old Testament God has no needs and focuses functionality around people. We will see increasing evidence of this understanding as we move through the remainder of Genesis 1. Consequently, functionality cannot exist without people in the picture. In Genesis people are not put in place until day six, but functionality is established with their needs and situation in mind.

Major Points for Discussion

Who is God (i.e. what does “Elohim” mean?).Elohimis a plural noun that can either describe beings from the/a spiritual realm (e.g. gods, angels, maybe even ghosts) or the One Uncreated God (it’s obvious which one it is by grammatical context).

What does “according to its kind” mean? It is not an attack on science. Here’s a gem of a quotefrom St. Augustine’s tract against Felix the Manichean (quotedhere);

In the Gospel we do not read that the Lord said: I send you the Holy Spirit so that He might teach you all about the course of the sun and the moon. The Lord wanted to make Christians, not astronomers. You learn at school all the useful things you need to know about nature. It is true that Christ said that the Holy Spirit will come to lead us into all truth, but He is not speaking there about the course of the sun and the moon. If you think that knowledge about these things belongs to the truth that Christ promised through the Holy Spirit, then I ask you: how many stars are there? I say that such things do not belong to Christian teaching…whereas you affirm that this teaching includes knowledge about how the world was made and what takes place in the world.

The point being made is that 1) there is an order to creation that is logical (and created through the Logos!) and 2) the multitude of creation reflects God’s glory and purpose. God led the Hebrews to make seeing things “according to theirkind a virtuous instinct. What do we lose when we don’t?

Who is God talking to when He says “Let US make man…”? Different explanations. Could be the “Royal We” (not likely). Could be the Heavenly Hosts (i.e. the Divine Council). The main explanation (because we read in the light of Christ) is the Trinity.

What is “The Image of God”? Lots of good answers (ask for some). At the very least, it means that we re-present God in creation (just as Christ does as the New Adam; “He is the image of the invisible God, the firstborn of all creation.” Colossians 1:15).

What is the “Likeness of God”? Again, many good answers. The usual one is that it is His purity and holiness (theosis). This is something we have to grow into (more on that once we talk more about mankind).

Enjoy the show!

Today Fr. Anthony continues his introduction to Orthodoxy by talking about something very real and necessary - how our pride handicaps our ability to have healthy relationships and thus fulfilling God's desire that we be one as He (God) is One (John 17:21). In this case, the main example is mirror imaging. Enjoy the show!

John 3:13-17. Why did God have Moses create an image (a statue) of a serpent to deliver them from the pain of sin (grumbling) and what does that teach us about the the use and misuse of icons? Two things about this homily - the first is that Fr. Anthony's iPhone decided to use his hearing aid as the microphone for the recording (with mixed results); the second is that he forgot to use the later generations of Israelites' use of the bronze serpent as an idol (he corrected that at the end of Liturgy). Enjoy the show!

Opening prayer (from the Prayer before the Gospel during the Diving Liturgy)
Make the pure light of Thy divine knowledge shine in our hearts, Loving Master, and open the eyes of our minds that we may understand the message of Thy Gospel. Instill also in us reverence for Thy blessed commandments, so that overcoming all worldly desires, we may pursue a spiritual life, both thinking and doing all things pleasing to Thee. For Thee, Christ our God, are the Light of our souls and bodies, and to Thee we give the glory, together with Thy Father, without beginning, and Thine All Holy, Good, and Life- Creating Spirit, now and ever and unto ages of ages. Amen. (2 Corinthians 6:6; Ephesians 1:18; 2 Peter 2:11)

An Important Prologue (from Fr. Stephen’s The Whole Counsel)

· Inspiration. 2 Peter 1:19-21. And so we have the prophetic word confirmed, which you do well to heed as a light that shines in a dark place, until the day dawns and the morning star rises in your hearts; knowing this first, than no prophecy of Scripture is of any private origin, for prophecy never came by the will of man, but holy men, being carried by the Holy Spirit, spoke from God (OSB & FSDY). Note that these “men” did this at different times, using different styles, and the writing was not done all at once. For example, the Torah is of Mosaic origin, but its language and style are from later times (and I don’t have in mind E, Y, D, P). Inspiration includes speaking, writing, editing, copying, translating, and compiling scripture.

· Inerrancy. A bit on the term. 18^th century gave rise to a “scientific” way of looking at scripture. This doesn’t just mean taking out the supernatural elements, but breaking texts apart and said to be of different and conflicting sources. Conservative American Protestants reacted by publishing “The Fundamentals.” They argued that the Scriptures were inerrant (without error). The Liberal Protestants were opposed to this view, saying that they were affected by the limitations of the people and cultures of the times in which they were written. This difference about inerrancy could have been bridged through nuance, but then they moved further apart, with the “fundamentalists” equating literal/materialist with inerrant and the liberal side becoming more interested in a reconstructed social gospel. Orthodoxy teaches that the Scriptures do not contain errors, but it has a strong tolerance for ambiguities. “In large part, this is because the Church has never approached the world on the basis of the Scriptures; rather the Scriptures function internally, with the Church and her worship.” Orthodoxy is not concerned with identifying and reconciling “errors” in scripture, but in what it (with all its richness) calls us to be.

· Sola Scriptura. The Reformation put Scripture as the key to evaluating tradition and the teaching authority of the Church; the Roman Catholics make the teaching authority of the Church key (magisterium). Orthodoxy sidesteps this approach because it recognizes that Christ Himself is the Truth. We are not turning to scripture, tradition, and the Church to learn about Christ; we are coming to know God experientially, being united with and in Christ Himself. John 15:26-27 (following the logic of 2 Peter above), has the Holy Spirit (continuously revealing “Tradition”) and the witness of those who saw/knew God (ie Scriptures); “But when the Helper comes, whom I shall send to you from the Father, the Spirit of truth who proceeds from the Father, He will testify of Me. And you also will bear witness, because you have been with Me from the beginning.” We do not recognize competing sources of authority (Church, Tradition, Scripture), but see it all as the way we come to know Christ through the working of the Holy Spirit

TheSource(s) of the Bible

Following Christ, the Apostles, and the Early Church, the Orthodox Church primarily uses the Septuagint. The Torah section was anofficial translation completed well before the Incarnation of Christ.

• This makes it more “objective” than the post-Incarnational Jewish Masoretic Text and Canon (most Roman Catholic and Protestant Bibles rely primarily on the Masoretic text). The Masoretic text was prepared after the loss of the Temple and the rise of Christianity (with the addition of vowels etc.).
• The Septuagint differs little from the Masoretic Text; botharesupported by the Dead Sea Scrolls. The Dead Sea Scrolls help demonstrate that there was textual diversity before the destruction of Jerusalemin 70 AD.
• There is NO SINGLE CANON OF ORTHODOX SCRIPTURE. We have the books we use liturgically and the books we read. All of them are useful.

How the Bibleis Organized
New Testament (we’ll cover it later) and Old Testament.

Old Testament Organization (Septuagint organization)

• TheTorah.According to tradition, it was revealedto Moses on Mt. Sinai (most connect it with Moses(e.g. Exodus 33:11 & Galatians 3:19), but admit to it being touched by many hands). The five books of the Torah are also called theFive Books of the Law, the Pentateuch and the Books of Moses.
• Genesis (beginning). God’s creation of the world, the fall of mankind, and the three patriarchs (Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob)
• Exodus (departure). The early life of Moses, the Israelite escape from Egypt,andrevelations at Mount Sinai.
• Leviticus (of the Levites). Historically, takes place at the foot of Sinai and continues to describe how God is to be honored and how Israelites are to live.
• Numbers (you’ll see!). Describes the Israelites’ time in the desert up to their arrival at the banks of the Jordan.
• Deuteronomy (second law). Moses’ last words to the Israelites. His death.
• The Books of History. The history of Israel from their arrival atthe promised land to just before the Incarnation. They are thoughtto have been written well after the events they describe. The Books of History areJoshua (the conquering of the promised land),Judges (The Israelites struggle with righteousness and idolatry),Ruth,I Kingdoms (aka I Samuel),II Kingdoms (II Samuel),III Kingdoms (I Kings),IV Kingdoms (II Kings),I Paraleipomenon (I Chronicles),II Paraleipomenon (II Chronicles),Nehemiah,I Esdras,II Esdras (Ezra),Tobit,Judith,Esther,I Maccabees,II Maccabees,III Maccabees.
• Books of Wisdom. Psalms,Prayer of Manasseh,Job,Proverbs,Ecclesiastes,Song of Solomon (aka Song of Songs or Canticle of Canticles),Wisdom of Solomon,Wisdom of Sirach (aka Wisdom of Jesus, Son of Sirach; akaEcclesiasticus)
• The Prophets.
• Minor prophets: Hosea, Joel, Amos,Obadiah,Jonah,Micah,Nahum,Habakkuk,Zephaniah,Haggai,Zecharia,Malachi
• Major prophets: Isaiah, Jeremiah (includesBaruchand theEpistle of Jeremiah), Ezekiel, Daniel (includes the Song of the Three Children).

Why did some early Christians want to ban the Old Testament from the Biblical Canon? Why do we care about the Old Testament? It is “The Scriptures” referred to in the New Testament. It is about God, Christ, and God’s plan for the world.

In this, the first part of a series (Fall, Sunday afternoon adult education), Fr. Anthony provides an introduction to the Orthodox conception of the mind, how pride corrupts it, and how Orthodoxy heals and perfects it. Enjoy the show!

St. Matthew 21:33-42. The Parable of the Vineyard. After describing the most immediate meaning of the parable (a warning and prophecy to the Jewish leaders), Fr. Anthony applies the lessons to the mission of the parish and the transformation of the mind. Enjoy the show!

Matthew 19:16-26. The reading on the rich young man, the camel, and the needle. After wrapping up his series on community virtues (let all be done in love), Fr. Anthony draws on St. Nikolai Velimirovic, to distinguish between eternal life (salvation) and perfection (theosis). [Note - the point Fr. Anthony was making about not becoming uncreated was that we always remain creatures, even though we be perfected by God's uncreated energies). Enjoy the show!

Today it is my blessing to share an interview with Fr. Eugen Rosu. Fr. Eugen has been a priest for 31 years, married for 32 years, and enjoying fatherhood for 11 years. He recently published the book "Church Ministries on a Shoestring Budget" to share his experience and encourage evangelism. The book offers information on establishing ministries that engage the parish and stir community interest. His Grace Bishop John Abdalah writes the book's introduction, and the book has received significant praise from very well-known Orthodox clergy. I really enjoyed our conversation and I know you will to!

Matthew 18:23-35. The parable on forgiveness (the wicked servant). God desires us to be one as He is one. This is good and beautiful (!), but it isn't easy because we (unlike God) we are not holy! This means that we need to learn to forgive. After assuring us that God requires forgiveness but NOT codependence or enabling, Fr. Anthony describes the three levels of forgiveness and how they allow us to grow in harmony and holiness (while protecting us from vampiric wolves). Enjoy the show!

In this homily on the healing/exorcism of the lunatic (St. Matthew 17:14-23), after talking about the life skill of monitoring the response to and use of compliments and criticism, Fr. Anthony continues his metaphor of the mind as terrain that has considerable ungoverned territory. The prayer and fasting that Christ says is required for advanced exorcism help to increase faith by developing the believer's capacity for (neptic) graceful single-mindedness. This allows the believer to ignore the orcs spewing out of the Mordor of his mind until such time as he has the faith to level Mount Doom (or move it into the sea). Enjoy the show!

Matthew 17:1-9. Fr. Anthony shares St. Leo's wisdom in drawing our attention to the way Transfiguration prepares us for the persecution of both Christ and His Church. Oh, and Fr. Anthony tried out a new Bluetooth mic. Enjoy the show!

Matthew 14:14-22 (Feeding the Five Thousand). After sharing a life-skill for living in community (ie leading with patience), Fr. Anthony shares some of the levels of meaning the Church provides when it preaches/teaches on the feeding of the five thousand. He finishes with St. John Chrysostom's point about bringing what you have so the Lord can bless it, multiply it, and use to His glory and the feeding of His people. Enjoy the show!

Romans 15:1-7.St. Paul didn't want Christians to let their pieties around food keep them from connecting with and evangelizing their neighbors. We might not do this with food, but we are certainly tempted to do it with our national and ecclesial politics, among other things. Today Fr. Anthony encourages us to meet people where they are, connect with them, and guide them to Christ. Enjoy the show!

Today was the celebration of the Fourth Ecumenical Council, the Council that followed just twenty years after the Ecumenical Council at Ephesus; both councils clarified the proper way to understand and describe Jesus Christ being fully God and fully man. In his remarks (not a classic homily), Fr. Anthony described the critical role humility plays in theological discernment and love. Enjoy the show!

Romans 10:1-10; Matthew 8:28-9:1. Today Fr. Anthony continues last week's theme of reclaiming the ungoverned places using the events at Gardenes as a case study of how societies - and our minds - often react (unfortunately, last week's was not recorded - Fr. Anthony plans on doing an extended version for both YouTube and this podcast). Enjoy the show!

Today Fr. Anthony interviews Fr. David Randolph. Fr. David converted to Orthodoxy from the Episcopal Church in the 90's. He served as the pastor of Christ the Savior Antiochian Orthodox Church in Anderson SC from 1998 to his retirement in 2018. He has a great love for prison ministry. This is part of a series of interviews designed to share preserve and share the history of Christ the Savior parish.

Romans 2:10-16; St. Matthew 4:18-23. On our own, we make a mess. We need solid leadership. Today Fr. Anthony shares some wisdom from Mp. Saba and Bp. Nicholas. Sdn. Scott thought the homily was a winner; "he got in Tolkien, the Simpsons, Blockbuster, and made serious Father's Day points!" We've been having audio recording issues; today we are trying out a lapel microphone - let us know if it helps. Enjoy the show!

Matthew 10:32-33,37-38; 19:27-30. We are all called to be holy, but even after having united ourselves to Christ, it requires effort. Our willpower is not enough - rituals (graceful habits) can help. Today Fr. Anthony presents a sort of two by two table of rituals; secular vs. sacred and bee (enlightened attitude) vs. fly (worldly attitude). It's a bit of a mess, but he was travel-weary and, bless his heart, he means well. Enjoy the show!

Pentecost. After offering a brief reflection on green as the color of Pentecost in the East, Fr. Anthony talks about how the Spirit's divinity allows us to do Church, marriage, and friendship in and toward blessed and joyful unity. Enjoy the show!

John 17:1-13. Sunday after Ascension, Commemorating the 318 Fathers of the First Ecumenical Council in Nicea. Today Fr. Anthony offers a reflection on the mystery of fellowship, noting that while that of the nation can point us toward something greater, only Christ can save. He briefly describes how Christ created a new humanity for full fellowship through His Incarnation. Note that he misused the word "essence" when he was describing the new shared humanity we have in Christ (he repents sincerely!). Enjoy the show!

St. John 9: 1-38. Despite his preference for the theme of light and enlightenment, Fr. Anthony decided to preach some meat - maybe even some gristle, using the double baptism of spittle and pool. His main point seems to have been that we really do need to learn how to submit ourselves to God and His Church. While it is not recorded, he talked for a few minutes at the end of liturgy about practical cases of poor discernment and the resulting need for Church discipline. Enjoy the show!

In this meditation on the Samaritan Woman (John 4:5-42), Fr. Anthony continues his series on mystagogy by talking about the wonder that there is such a thing as water and a glass to hold it, moves on from there to living water and chalices, and from there to seeing beauty even in our enemies. If nothing else, it's interesting to hear what Fr. Anthony sounds like when he gets a decent night's sleep. Enjoy the show!

Today, Fr. Anthony gives a talk introducing the parish's new "Divine Liturgy" pew book. Most of it was spent reviewing Khouria Frederica Mathewes-Green's essay "12 Things I Wish I'd Known" as it became an opportunity for people to ask questions about parish practices. Enjoy the show!

Sunday of the Paralytic. Fr. Anthony continues preaching on mystagogy, describing what the encounter on the road to Emmaus, Christ's healing of the paralytic at the Sheep Pool, and the healing of Aeneas and the raising of Tabatha in Acts have to teach us about how to experience grace more deeply in Holy Orthodoxy. Enjoy the show!

Mark 15:43-16:8. The Sunday of the Myrrhbearers. Today Fr. Anthony introduces mystagogy, talking about the ways Orthodoxy works to make His will that "we be one as He is one" a reality. Christ is risen and lives and communicates with us continuously. We need to learn the language He uses from the inside (rather than through translation). To do this, we need to spend time with Him on the mountain (in our soul) and then learn what we have learned as we worship and serve. The audio quality isn't great (it was an awkward placement for the recorder and he stepped in front of it towards the end) and he misses several of his segues, but perhaps that adds to the mystery. Enjoy the show!

St. John 20:19-31. Fr. Anthony offers a reflection on the problem of discernment, how it affected the thoughts of the disciple Thomas, and why Orthodoxy really is the answer to the problems of knowing and belief.

Palm Sunday. John 12:1-18. Fr. Anthony offers a reflection on how our minds join the pharisees and scribes in rebellion against the coming of Christ into His Temple. Enjoy the show!

This is part of the talk Fr. Anthony gave for the UOL Retreat in Philadelphia, PA on 1 April 2023. The theme was "Be Still and Know." This excerpt followed Natalie Bilynsky's excellent review of mindfulness, an account of its popularity and results, and what separates it from Orthodoxy. In this portion of his talk, Fr. Anthony describes the Orthodox Way of the Heart, focusing a lot of his attention on how it frees us from our negative and distracting inner dialogues. These retreats are always wonderful - consider joining us next year!

In today's class, Fr. Anthony talks about some of the practical considerations surrounding death. One of the most useful things he recommends is to fill out a "Five Wishes" packet. The class was offered with thanks to David Murphy for providing the outline. Enjoy the show!

In this homily on St. Mark 9:17-31, offered on the Sunday of St. John of the Ladder, Fr. Anthony says something or other about exorcisms, fasting, and the Resurrection. Enjoy the show!

Today Fr. Anthony offers a class on ecclesiology, focusing on the various clerical ranks and their purpose. Enjoy the show!

Homily from the Great Lenten Sunday of the Cross (Hebrews 4:14-5:6; Mark 8:34-9:1). Fr. Anthony offers a meditation on ways that we can take up our cross and follow Christ. Enjoy the show!

Fr. Anthony continues taking us through Tito Coliander's Way of Ascetics (SVS Press), covering chapter twenty, "On Fasting" and twenty-one, "One the Avoidance of Extravagance." It's also an opportunity to hear what happens when a teacher runs out of both energy and intellect. Enjoy the show!

Hebrews (1:10-2:3) and Mark. (2:1-12). The Sunday of St. Gregory Palamas. Fr. Anthony offers a reflection on the need for quiet (and for holy friends). Enjoy the show!

Today, Fr. Anthony continues introducing the class to the basics of Orthodoxy, talking about the cycles of worship and how they redeem the time. Enjoy the show!

Fr. Anthony continues taking us through Tito Coliander'sWay of Ascetics (SVS Press), covering chapter nineteen; "On the Bodily and Mental Accompaniments of Prayer." Enjoy the show!

In today's class, Fr. Anthony talks about faith and about the essential theology that Orthodox Christians need to commit themselves to. Enjoy the show!

John 1: 43-51. Today Fr. Anthony demonstrates the challenge of pollen and sudafed-affected thinking, offering a meditation on the ease of doing theology wrong (as the iconoclasts did), the importance of finding a source we can trust (e.g. the Church and its Divine Liturgy), and of letting the Church's way of discerning become our way. Enjoy the show.

This evening, Fr. Anthony continues taking us through Tito Coriander's Way of Ascetics(SVS Press), focusing on chapter eighteen "On Prayer." Enjoy the show!

In today's class, Father Anthony introduces us to the basics of Orthodox Architecture, using Christ the Savior (Anderson SC) as an example. Enjoy the show!

St. Matthew 6: 14-21. The Sunday of the Expulsion from Paradise, Forgiveness, and Cheesefare. Today Fr. Anthony talks about the need for forgiveness in our fallen world, how we often get it wrong, and what happens when we get it right. Not a bad day, glory to God. Enjoy the show!

Today Fr. Anthony continues leading us through Tito Coliander's "Way of Ascetics" (St. Vladimir Seminary Press), covering chapter seventeen, "On Prayer." Enjoy the show!

Christ the Savior parish in Anderson SC is blessed with an increasing number of inquirers and catechumens. This class on sacramental theology and the sacraments is the introductory class to the series, Introduction to Orthodoxy. Enjoy the show!

1 Corinthians8:8-13; 9:1-2 (On Fasting) ; Matthew 25:31-46 (On the Judgment). After describing the pastoral implications of the epistle lesson on fasting, Fr. Anthony describes what the parable of the last judgment tells us about Christ. Enjoy the show!

In this homily on the Parable of the Prodigal Son, Fr. Anthony warns about the danger of moving to a foreign spiritual land and encourages us to me like the Father in our instinct for love. Enjoy the show!

Today Fr. Anthony interviews Lori, a founding member of Christ the Savior parish in Anderson, SC. Listen as she describes how the parish started in the 90's with a group of Episcopalians who felt abandoned by the changes in that Christian group, spent a time as continuing Anglicans, and then converted as a parish to Orthodoxy into the Western Rite vicariate of the Antiochian Orthodox Church. This conversation is part of Fr. Anthony's effort to collect, preserve, and share the history of Christ the Savior parish (orthodoxanderson.org). Enjoy the show!

St. Matthew 15:21-28. In this homily on the healing of the Canaanite's daughter, Fr. Anthony talks about BBQ, the faith of the Canaanite woman, and the necessary repentance of the Israelites. Along the way, he warns against saying that Jesus was prejudiced against the Canaanites due to his cultural context. Enjoy the show!

In this homily given on the (kind of) Sunday of Zacchaeus, Fr. Anthony points out inconsistencies across Orthodox lectionaries, using it as an opportunity to make a plea for humility and the kind of repentance Zacchaeus had. Enjoy the show!

In this unevenly executed but well-intentioned meditation on Luke 17:12-19 (the ten lepers), Fr. Anthony talks about moving from transactional gratitude, beyond optimism, into an awful thanksgiving. Enjoy the show!

Colossians 2:8-12; Luke 2:20-21; 40-52. Fr. Anthony gives a straightforward homily on the Circumcision, using the name of Jesus/Joshua to frame a discussion of the incarnation, law vs. grace, and the need to be transformed by grace. Enjoy the show!

The second-best homily you will hear all year (the first being his Paschal homily)!

In this meditation on Colossians 3:4-11 and Luke 14:16-24, Fr. Anthony speaks on the need to submit to the duty and propriety of love rather than chasing ephemeral joys (distractions). Without this, we miss out on the meaning and significance of the many invitations to banquets that we are given and sadly choose to take care of other things that feel more important and enjoyable. Enjoy the show!

Ephesians 2:14-22 (wall of separation), Luke 10:25-37 (eye of the camel). In this homily (hostage situation?), Fr. Anthony notes how far our experience is from that promised by the Gospel. He suggests that it is our unwillingness to take our commitment to perfection (I have united myself to Christ!) seriously. He provides ways to gauge our spiritual maturity (how we respond to praise and criticism; how tightly we hold onto ideas and things that are not necessary) and offers the Orthodox Way as the most efficient way to increase the ability of God's grace to lift us into His Kingdom. Enjoy the show!

Luke 12:16-21; Ephesians 2:4-10. Alas, I still feel the effects of Covid (mind fog, a cough). In this homily on overcoming our limitations through discipline and grace, I overshared (twice!), squashed three points, and overshot my landing. Despite this, I hope you find something useful in there somewhere. Enjoy the show!

Hebrews 7:26-8:2; Luke 10:25-37. In this recap of today's homily (the recorder didn't work for the actual homily, so Fr. Anthony recorded this in the car on his way home), Fr. Anthony takes humanity to task for not loving God or our neighbor. He also describes God's plan for rectifying this situation. Enjoy the show!

Fr. Anthony misplaced his recorder, so this homily is about a month old. He talks about the need to imitate Christ on the Cross - and that means suffering for others NOT for ourselves. And we should never do that alone. Enjoy the show.

In this homily on the Parable on the Rich Man and Lazarus (Luke 16:19-31), Fr. Anthony makes three points: that we are called to notice and care for the hungry and sick at our doorstep, that we are to called to notice and minister to all the suffering people in our midst (which is everyone) and that one of the best things to do is invite people to join us at the Eucharistic Feast. Enjoy the show!

2 Corinthians 6:16-7:1 ; Luke 7:11-16. After introducing perspective into the conversation about miracles, Fr. Anthony talks about the need for the mature Christian to move beyond using (just) the rules when seeking holiness and instead constantly looking and listening for opportunities for subtle repentance. Enjoy the show!

In this homily, Fr. Anthony continues to meditate on the meaning of the Cross. This time, he combines three concepts: the purpose of Christ's passion (to heal and save others, not himself), the fact that we are called to be Christ (with him in us and us in him) and the unity of Christians in and as Christ's body to challenge us to live sacrificially in service to others. Enjoy the show!

2 Corinthians: 4:6-15 and Luke 5:1-11. Fr. Anthony offers a meditation on how our culture sets us up for failure with fallen and incomplete anthropologies and ecclesiologies. The answer is to live Orthodoxy in face-to-face relations (around the table). Enjoy the show!

On the Sunday after the Universal Exaltation of the Holy Cross (Galatians 2:16-20; Mark 8:34-38; 9:1) Fr. Anthony explains why the image of the Cross (vs. for example, the sun) is so important for framing the Christian/True approach to salvation and holiness. After stretching the metaphor of gardening (and yes, he really did swing from poison vines when young), he borrows from Mp. Anthony of Sourozh and Fr. Thomas Hopko to share the three types of suffering and the image of the thief's cross. Enjoy the show!

In this homily on St. John 3:13-17, Fr. Anthony describes how we are like the Israelites in the wilderness being bitten by serpents for our sins; and how Christ lifted up is still the way to healing, harmony, and salvation. Enjoy the show!

In this homily on Matthew 19:16-26, Fr. Anthony encourages us to move away from a transactional approach to salvation (what must I DO?!) to one that is transformative (who must I become). He also point out that we need to learn to listen in humility to the very end. Enjoy the show!

In this bit of homilizing (it really doesn't rate the full moniker "homily") offered on the Feast of the Dormition (Old Calendar), Fr. Anthony puts together some ideas inspired by the Feast. It wasn't particularly well-organized or well-presented, but it was offered with love, both for God's mother and for the people gathered to celebrate this feast. I reckon that counts for something. Enjoy the show!

In this reflection offered on the Sunday after the Dormition (New Calendar), Fr. Anthony explains that the theological points that are affirmed in the life of the Theotokos - to include her falling asleep - are important while noting that our relationship to her is familial rather than intellectual. Enjoy the show!

1 Corinthians 3:9-17 (we are a temple); Matthew 14:22-34 (walking on water). Sunday of the Cross and Maccabean martyrs. Fr. Anthony compares our situation to that of Peter on the water, then encourages us to reach out to Christ and turn our lives into living temples through virtue. Such a temple can protect us from the chaos and allow us to live in it without losing our peace. Enjoy the show!

1 Corinthians 1:10-17 and the Transfiguration. In this well-intentioned mess of a homily, Fr. Anthony diagnoses our divisiveness as a maladaptation to chaos and describes how the peace of Tabor can become a mechanism for moving us from the tribalism of Babel to the graceful unity of Pentecost. Ignore the bit on multiple reactions to holiness (he didn't really tie that piece in very well, bless his heart!). Enjoy the show!

Matthew 9:27-35 and Romans 15:1-7. Faith is hard. Trust is hard. But they are key to our healing and perfection. Today Fr. Anthony offers encouragement to all those who have been hurt and who want to be made well, but have a hard time being vulnerable because of the many times the world has used their vulnerability (and kindness) to hurt them. Enjoy the show!

Today Fr. Anthony continues leading us through Tito Coliander's "Way of Ascetics" (St. Vladimir Seminary Press), covering chapters fifteen and sixteen, both "On Prayer." Enjoy the show!

Homily on Matthew 9:1-8 and Romans 12:6-14. The main point Fr. Anthony tries to make is that all of our actions need to be graceful and kind, that our "consciences" are unreliable guides to what is good, and that our feelings often need to be sacrificed for the sake of doing what is right. Money quote; "You have heard that integrity is doing what is right even when no one is looking; this advice is good and true, but to it I would add that virtue requires doing what is right even when your feelings advise against it."

Fr. Anthony continues his series on Tito Corianser's "Way of Ascetics", covering Chapter Thirteen "On Progress in Depth" and Chapter Fourteen "On Humility and Watchfulness". Enjoy the show!

Meditation on Romans 10:1-10 (and the Robel's Fiftieth Anniversary!!!). Fr. Anthony describes how the commitment to show up every day transforms us into saints. First, it keeps us together and in the game; and second, it allows our relationships with others to work with our attitude of continual repentance to teach us how to do better every day. Enjoy the show!

Homily on 2 Timothy 2:1-10 & Matthew 8:5-13. The Centurian was a man under authority and that gave him a way to understand and frame his relationship to God and God's relationship to the world. The army is intentional about developing this instinct; how are we to submit and train our wills as Orthodox Christians so that we can have "such faith"? Enjoy the show!

Fr. Anthony continues his series on Tito Coriander's "Way of Ascetics", covering Chapter Eleven "On the Inner Warfare as a Means to an End" and Chapter Twelve "On Obedience." Enjoy the show!

Fr. Anthony continues his series on Tito Coriander's "Way of Ascetics", covering Chapter Nine "On the Conquest of the World" and Chapter Ten "On the Sins of Others and One's Own." Enjoy the show!

Fr. Anthony continues his series on Tito Coriander's "Way of Ascetics", covering Chapter Seven "On the Transfer of Love from the Self to Christ" and Chapter Eight "On Guarding against the Re-entry of Vanquished Evil." Enjoy the show!

In this meditation on St. Matthew 6:22-33 ("lillies of the field"), Fr. Anthony starts as Christ does, ie by describing the problem of having visioned darkened by the world and sin. He then describes how the Church - through the parish - offers a way to grow in the simplicity of the light. Enjoy the show!

Today, Fr. Anthony talks about our calling to transform our culture through repentance so that it naturally avoids what is evil and does what is good. This includes discerning what needs to be removed, modified, and blessed. Recorded on the second Sunday after Pentecost at Christ the Savior in Anderson, SC. Enjoy the show!

We cover chapters five and six of Tito Caliander's "Way of Ascetics" (St. Vladimir Press), "On the Denial of Self and the Cleansing of the Heart" and "On Eradicating the Desire for Enjoyment." Enjoy the show!

In this homily offered on All Saints (and Father's Day; Matthew 10:32-33, 37-38; 19:27-30), Fr. Anthony begins by talking about the need to approach God apophatically in silence, and then to allow that perspective (and not the world) to determine our priorities, definitions, framings, etc. He ends by encouraging everyone to foster communal relations through which we are continually pastoring and being pastored to. Enjoy the show!

Fr. Anthony offers a meditation on the power the New Covenant gives humanity to live a life of beautiful harmony. Enjoy the show!

Fr. Anthony talks to Fr. Harry about his recent trip to Egypt, Russia's invasion of Ukraine, the challenge of Orthodoxy after Communism, and the desperate need for a pan-Orthodox Council.

In this meditation, Fr. Anthony presents the Gospel of the Samaritan Woman as a model for acquiring the Holy Spirit, focusing on the need for continual repentance from sin and worldly explanations/definitions. Enjoy the show!

We cover chapters three and four of Tito Caliander's "Way of Ascetics" (St. Vladimir Press), "On the Garden of the Heart" and "On the Silent and Invisible Warfare." Enjoy the show!

We cover chapters one and two of Tito Caliander's "Way of Ascetics" (St. Vladimir Press), "On a Resolute and Sustained Purpose" and "On the Insufficiency of Human Strength." Enjoy the show!

In this homily offered on the Sunday of the Myrrhbearers (and Mother's Day!), Fr. Anthony offers an almost coherent meditation on how we need both rituals and grace to live a life of integrity and holiness. Enjoy the show!

St. Thomas Sunday. Fr. Anthony offers a meditation (hostage situation?!) on the circle of trust and how Christ works with our fallen psychology to draw us out of darkness into the light.

Fr. Anthony offers a meditation on what we can learn from Christ's entrance into Jerusalem and how entering into it with Him can perfect us and heal the world around us. He focuses primarily on the relationship between understanding and communion, how our dysfunctions have distorted it, and how Orthodoxy restores it. Enjoy the show!

Fr. Anthony talks with Fr. Gregory Jensen, PhD, about guruism, why it is dangerous, and how to avoid it. Enjoy the show!

In this homily, Fr. Anthony uses what voice he had left after subbing for kindergarten classes this past week to describe St. Mary's theosis and the role community can play in our own. Enjoy the show!

Fr. Anthony talks with evangelical author, blogger, and podcaster, John Michalak about grace, liturgy, and the need to "surrender subjectivity." John started attending services at Holy Resurrection in Waynesville NC a few months ago and shares some observations. Enjoy the show!

Fr. Anthony talks with Fr. Gregory Jensen, PhD, about how NOT to elicit repentance during confession, some of the differences between confession, interrogation, and therapy, and why love and trust are foundational to the process of reconciliation. Enjoy the show!

Fr. Anthony rambles a bit about the most wonderful days of services of the entire year: Royal Hours of Pascha, Vespers of Holy Friday, Matins of Holy Saturday, and the First Resurrection Service of PASCHA (Vesperal Liturgy).

In this meditation on the Sunday of the Holy Cross, Fr. Anthony riffs on St. Paul's warning that the Cross could be of no effect (1 Corinthians 1:17 and Philippians 3:18-21), warning us not to use the cross as a talisman or even as a balm to ease the pain, but rather to allow Christ to plant it in the garden of temple of our heart. Enjoy the show!

We talk about the services of Holy and Great Wednesday and Thursday (kind of). Enjoy the show!

In this meditation on the witness of St. Gregory Palamas, Fr. Anthony encourages us to allow the peace of the Liturgy - rather than the chaos of the world - to define us and our relationships with others. Enjoy the show!

Join us as we discuss the service that serves as the door into Holy Week: Bridegroom Matins. Enjoy the show!

In this all but incoherent reflection on the theme of the Triumph of Orthodoxy (icons!), Fr. Anthony draws again from the wisdom of St. Maximos the Confessor to present a vision of a creation infused with grace and perfectability and what that means for the day of judgment. Alas that he made his main point - that the Incarnation was the best use of flesh - apophatically. Enjoy the show!

In this reflection offered on the Saturday of St. Theodore the Soldier, Fr. Anthony encourages us to take St. Theodore's warning seriously and avoid consuming content (metaphorically) polluted by blood offered to pagan gods in favor of simpler and purer fare. Enjoy the show!

In this meditation for Forgiveness Sunday, Fr. Anthony encourages us to see and resonate with the good in everyone so that God's grace can heal our divisions. Offered at St. Michael parish (Woonsocket RI) on the day after Fr. Michael Abrahamson's ordination - AXIOS and MANY BLESSED YEARS!

Homily on 1 Corinthians 6:12-20 and Luke 15:11-32 (Prodigal Son). Fr. Anthony explains how God's imprint enables community and the multiplication of grace. Enjoy the show!

Publican and Pharisee. After sharing a parable on rock-climbing, Fr. Anthony encourages us to hold our opinions gently and to take some baby steps towards humility by admitting that "we might not be as right as we could have been" and that "they probably aren't as wrong as we thought they were." Enjoy the show!

In this meditation on Matthew 15:21-28 and Corinthians 6:16-7:1, Fr. Anthony talks about the new way of holiness and the transition from smiting enemies to drawing them into the Kingdom through love. Enjoy the show!

1 Timothy 1:15-17. Take two (because ... Old Calendar and New Calendar). Another call to bring back the saying; "glory to God."

Today Fr. Anthony discusses the Moscow Patriarchate's establishment of an African Exarchate in the territory of the ancient Patriarchate of Alexandria with canonist, Fr. Harry Linsinbigler. They talk about how this differs from other parallel jurisdictions (e.g. in America) and the degree to which this will make it more difficult to effect Orthodox reconciliation.

1 Timothy 1:15-17. After providing his testimony, St. Paul immediately breaks into a prayer of exultation. We would do well to imitate that habit and bring back the saying; "glory to God."

Ephesians 4:7-13; Matthew 4:12-17. Sunday after Theophany. Our minds stand between us and living as God's royal priesthood and holy kingdom. We have to repent and rebuild our minds in Christ. Enjoy the Show!

This "New Year" stream of consciousness celebrates Georgia's victory over Michigan and then talks about how our prior conceptions interfere with objectivity, the relative value of mercy and forgiveness over judgment, and the need to stay away from righteous anger. My thanks to Max, Dn. Adrian, and Rdr. Seraphim for their questions and comments during the livestream. Enjoy the show!

Matthew 2:13-23; Galatians 1:11-19. Without effort, we will get truth and love wrong and mess up our relationships. It was true for Saints Luke and Cleopas, for Saint Paul, and (alas) for Herod. It will be true for us and will affect our marriages and Church membership, too. But God is offering us a solution. Enjoy the show!

Ephesians 5:8-19; Luke 17:12-19. A meditation on three kinds of pilgrimage: to the holy site, to a feast, and to the temple of the heart. Each offers the blessings of beauty, fellowship, and noetic union. Enjoy the show!

Ephesians 5:8-19; Luke 14:16-24. Fr. Anthony offers a meditation on "Awake, O sleeper, and arise from the dead, and Christ will shine upon thee." He encourages us to let go of the stories of ourselves and the arch of history informed by the evil days, spend time in silent awe at God's feet, and then allow Him to give our stories not just new words, but grace. Enjoy the show!

Ephesians 2:14-22, Luke 12:16-21. After making a point about the power of Christian unity to transcend war, Fr. Anthony uses the Orthodox conception of the mind to explain the parable of the man who built the barns and then reminds us that we are susceptible to the same self delusion. Enjoy the show!

YouTube livestream from 20211204. I talk about the pattern of sound and life as liturgy. Notes are available at orthoanalytika.org. Enjoy the show!

Luke 10:25-37; Ephesians 2:4-10. In this homily on Christ's encounter with the rich young man, Fr. Anthony encourages us to let go of our need to uses riches, lists, and spells and open ourselves to follow the living God. Enjoy the show!

In the 11/27/21 livestream, Fr. Anthony answers the question of whether or not all aliens and sidhe (fairies) are demons. He gives the answer pretty early on (along with the usual stream of consciousness), but the real value is in the explanation and its defense of a Logos-grounded social science. Enjoy the show!

Today Fr. Anthony talks with heterodox political scientist Matthew Woessner (PhD, OSU) about how to recognize bad research. We are being inundated by all kinds of misinformation (and disinformation!) through the press and social media, to include from otherwise Orthodox sources. This is increasing our polarization and decreasing our trust in institutions and one another. Learning to recognize bad research isn't just useful for spotting deceptions about public health;it may even help us see through bogus claims about about ecclesial politics. Matthew Woessner is a Professor of Institutional Research at the United States Army War College, but the views he presents in this talk are his own.

This homily was given on the day of the celebration of St. Michael and the Hosts of Heaven. Although it was never explicated, it is a meditation triangling in from on Hebrews 13:2; "Be not forgetful to entertain strangers: for thereby some have entertained angels unawares", Christ's words (Matthew 25:40); "And the King will answer them, ‘Truly, I say to you, as you did it to one of the least of these my brethren, you did it to me.’" and the expectation that the saints will join the Lord's Divine Council (e.g. 1 Corinthians 6:3). The main point is that we should be in as much awe of the people in our lives as we are of the angels. Enjoy the show!

After talking about his experience with a dead battery, Fr. Anthony ties the theology of the Logos and beauty into his ongoing conversation on worldviews, framing, and connecting dots in a way that is eternally true and not just accurate. Enjoy the show!

The Good Samaritan and the Eve of St. Phillip's Fast. It isn't just our understanding of "neighbor" that needs adjusting. We misunderstand love. And because of that, we tend to get fasting wrong. Part of the problem is that we misunderstand the fall and ancestral sin. Enjoy the show!

After talking about the heresy of decaf coffee, Fr. Anthony triangulates from three verses of scripture: "I said in my amazement every man is a liar" (Psalm 116:11), "If You O Lord should mark iniquities who shall stand, but there is forgiveness with You" (Psalm 130:3) and "What is truth" (John 18:38) to talk about framing, confirmation bias, and worldviews, pointing out the importance of cultivating a worldview that promotes discernment and harmony; holiness and truth. Enjoy the show!

Homily on Luke 16:19-31. After covering the more superficial material "brain-based" message of the Gospel, Fr. Anthony tries to guide the listener to the deeper meanings. Enjoy the show!

After introducing myself, I talk about the importance of worship and home in fostering a Christian phronema and how the forces of the world convince us to accept and rally around lies. Enjoy the show! From my YouTube livestream. https://www.youtube.com/user/74snipe

Tonight continue our inquiry classes by talking about the Mysteries/Sacraments within the context of sacramental theology.

The notes are available at: http://www.orthoanalytika.org/2021/10/26/inquiry-class-001-mysteries-sacraments-a-first-take/

Meditation on St. Paul (2 Corinthians 9:8) "And God is able to make all grace abound toward you, that you, always having all sufficiency in all things, may have an abundance for every good work." Somewhere in the midst of all those words (30 minutes!!!), Fr. Anthony is making an important point: our judgments are clanging gongs because we skipped loving our neighbors (and our enemies). Enjoy the show!

[Videos and livestreams: https://www.youtube.com/user/74snipe]

Inquiry Class 001: Introduction
Holy Resurrection (Waynesville NC)
Christ the Savior (Anderson, SC)

Introduce self.Married for thirty- one years. Orthodox twenty-one years. Priest for fourteen. Taught at seminary for thirteen. I’m on my third parish assignment. Role of Orthodoxy.

Purpose of these classes. Inquirers at Holy Resurrection and Christ the Savior. Others are always welcome.

Deeper purpose of this class. God desires that all be saved and come to a knowledge of the Truth. He has given the Church the responsibility for bringing that about. While we celebrate the role the saints and angels have played in salvation history, it also means having knuckleheads like me do things like YouTube classes on Tuesdays at 9PM.

Why not just point to one of the many excellent introductions out there? Great question. It’s about ecclesiology. More on that later.

Format of the class. Alas, not guided discussion. I’ll be talking for thirty minutes, keeping an eye on your comments. Then I’ll address all the comments I can. I also encourage you to reach out to me between classes if you have questions. I won’t be sharing any slides or pictures in this class, but, Lord willing, I will for future ones.

Format of the series. Each class will have a specific topic. This one is just a warm up. The first ten or so will be basic stuff to help inquirers on their journey. All of you have things that you are interested in, and you have started mining the inexhaustible vein of online Orthodox content to feed your interest. For some of you, that’s all about heresy and how Orthodoxy defines and avoids it; for others it’s about beauty and how it will save the world; for others it’s about Bible study; for some, it’s Orthodox cosmology; for some it may even be spirituality. That’s great. A course like this is like a survey course, making sure you know enough about the basics to allay your concerns and commit. Because commitment is required. We are not saved by leaning more but by our faithfulness.

How to find the series. May be obvious, but I’ll be livestreaming these and posting them to my YouTube channel. My understanding is that this will be easier for you to keep track of if you subscribe and ring the bell. Another way to find it is to go to the calendar at the parish websites. There’s a link there. I’ll also post the list of upcoming topics there. Lord willing and I can carve out the time, I’ll cross post the audio of these to my podcast, OrthoAnalytika.

Advice for starting out.

• Give your life to Christ.
• Live accordingly. Two commandments? How are you going to be faithful to those? That’s what this takes. Dedicate yourself to worship, holiness, and sacrificial service to others. We’ll break those down in future classes. But being one of God’s holy one’s (that is to say, a Christian) is not a hobby. It’s 24/7 forever. That brings endless joy and peace, but it also takes effort. We’ll talk about that more, too.
• But what books should I read? [ask for favorite introductions]
  • Show them the real recommendations:
    • Prayer Book (every day)
    • Scripture (every day)
    • Lives of the saints (every day)
    • The service book in the pew (every Sunday)
      • A trick (not really – it’s a segue)!
  • Most important: be faithful in your attendance
• Another piece of advice: there are a lot of distractions out there.
  • You’ll be tempted to pick a side in things that some Orthodox disagree on
  • It’s fine to have opinions on things like the unpleasantness between the EP and MP or about how best to deal with health issues
• But ecclesiology needs to be lived, not just disputed. And we do that as active members of a local parish. That means living with people you don’t agree with about everything. Learning to love and live with people you disagree with is what we sometimes call “adulting”, but it’s quickly becoming a lost skill.
• You’ll need it to live a life of holiness in Christ. This is SO important. And it may be hard for you.

The challenge of moving from inquirer to saint. Right now, you are above The Way, judging Orthodoxy to see if it is worthy of your commitment. Using discernment in this process is critical. It’s how you ended up here and not at the Kingdom Hall.

But at some point you will need to find a home. A place where you can let down your filters and relax in the love of the Lord.

Until then, I encourage you to keep those radars up and question everything.

Well, not everything. You have to trust the Father, Son, and Holy Spirit.

And there is a reason I encourage you to pray and worship with the Orthodox every day and every week. Those prayers and especially that Divine Liturgy are completely trustworthy. You can lower guard and soak them in.

I am happy to be here with you, (HR CtS) shepherding you through this process. I believe that Orthodoxy will earn your trust because I believe that you are sincere and it is real. But even if you end up elsewhere, I believe that learning about Orthodoxy will deepen your relation with Christ and stoke the yearning for even more (a yearning that I believe is best met through the Orthodox Way).

Homily on Luke 5:1-11.

Introduction: How Christ Builds the Church

This is a beautiful story from the ministry of Jesus Christ. It comes on the heels of his Baptism, his temptation by the devil in the wilderness, and the beginning of his preaching ministry in the synagogues of Galilee. In this Gospel, Christ has started building something very special; something that would never fall; something that would bring healing to broken humanity; something through which He would change the world. He began building the Church. And He did it with simple fishermen on the side of a lake.

Continuation: We are Building, too

Lord willing and the creek don’t rise, we are about to begin building. We want to build something that will never fail; something that will bring healing to broken people; something that will transform a troubled community. We are building a new parish. Today’s Gospel provides a wonderful lesson for us on this very thing.

In his homily on today’s Gospel, St. Nikolai Velimirovich writes;

“Except the Lord build the house, all who labor labor in vain.” (Psalm 126:1)If the builders build in God’s name, they will build a palace, even their hands are weak and their material poor. If, though, the builders build in their own name, in opposition to God, the work of their hands will be brought down as was the Tower of Babel.

There is no power that can bring God’s work to ruin. Pagan palaces and cities fall into ruin, but God’s huts remain standing. That which God’s finger upholds stands more firmly than that which [the mythical titan] Atlas supports on his back… May the almighty Lord preserve us from the thought that we can achieve any good without His help and His blessing…

Today’s Gospel should serve as a warning that such vain thoughts must never be formulated our souls. It speaks of how all men’s efforts are in vain if God does not help them. While Christ’s apostle’s were fishing as men, they caught nothing; but when Christ commanded them to cast their nets once more into the sea, they caught such a great haul of fish that their nets tore.

Why would anyone think they can build something worthwhile without Christ? I don’t know. It is futile. We know better. But we do it all the time.

Understanding the Curse of Sin: the example of marriage

Let’s look at the example of marriage. So hard to get it right, and so many ways to get it wrong. Why is it so hard? It isn’t because people aren’t trying. In fact, they are trying all kinds of things… but they aren’t working very well. At best, some couples might end up with a marriage that lasts, but marriage was not just meant to endure. It’s not supposed to be like a boxing match that makes it to the final round; with the two so tired they can hardly lift a glove and they just lean on one another gasping and looking forward to the bell (or, as is as likely to happen in marriages, the two just hang out in their separate corners doing their own thing until the final bell sounds). A good marriage does more than last, it brings joy to its members and its fruit brings happiness that endures from generation to generation.

But why is this so rare? It should come as no surprise. Most of our children come from broken families. It isn’t their fault, but this really puts them behind the eight ball. They come from broken families and a broken world, so they have bad examples and have internalized all the wrong instincts. Brokenness has been imprinted in their minds and hearts; this cannot help but shape their actions, no matter how good and noble are their intentions. Even if they try to rise above and do things right, what examples are they going to follow? Television? Movies? Their friends? Their hearts? None of these are reliable guides – all of them are fallen. If statistics are correct – and there is no reason to doubt them – our young men are learning more about how to relate to women from p*rnography than anything else. And the expectations and self-respect of our young women are being influenced by this same blighted culture.

Is there really any wonder that we are so bad at marriage? That even young couples who try to get it right often end up building a perverted parody of the kind of blessed union of flesh and spirit that we celebrate in the Mystery of Crowning? That we have far more “towers of Babel” than temples of true love?

Reiterating the Problem… and the solution

To repeat the Psalm; “Except the Lord build the house, all who labor labor in vain.” (126:1).We cannot overcome our own brokenness by trying harder or following the examples and guidance of people who are broken, too (St. Matthew 15:14; … if the blind lead the blind both will fall into a pit). An alcoholic cannot live a healthy life by trying harder; he has to admit his problem, heal and transform his heart and habits. And he has to let God be the foundation of this process. This is why twelve step programs are so successful: they transform the hearts and habits of the repentant, with God as the foundation of the process. How many people with addictions do you know that continue ruining their lives because they think they can work everything out on their own?

But the alcoholic and philanderer do not just hurt themselves. We know from history and our own observations that the children of alcoholics and broken homes are cursed by both nature and nurture. Again, it isn’t fair, but it is true. If we want the next generations to succeed we have to be honest about both the cause and the cure of what ails them and us. The cause is our brokenness and the cure is Christ Jesus. The cure is His Body, the Church. The cure is the Way of Holy Orthodoxy. All else is vanity. Towers of Babel. Sand castles in a low tide.

Back to the Today’s Gospel: becoming fishers of men

The curse of sin is the very thing that Christ came to remove. To put it in very practical terms, Christ came to save our marriages, to heal our addictions, to restore our sanity, and to replace our sorrow, pain, and frustration with joy and eternal blessedness. That is to say, He came to save us from the very real, very specific, and very damning problems in our lives. And not just ours gathered here today, but everyone’s. A world that was created good groans in agony, and our Lord loves it too much to allow that to continue.

And so He became a man, He taught us, He dies for us, He was Resurrected and Ascended into Glory, and, more to today’s point, He established the Church to be the Ark of our salvation. What a beautiful image a boat is for the Church. Think about it: we are drowning in a sea of sin and trying to tread water amidst a storm of temptation. We cannot survive this on our own, and it does not help to band together – eventually even the strongest swimmer must succumb to weakness; moreover, the weak are infamous for dragging the stronger down. It is a terrible situation to be drowning in this stormy sea. Our breaths are numbered, and we are sure to die in agony. It is only a matter of time. But into this bleak scene comes salvation: the apostles cast out their nets and pull us in to the safety of the boat. We can finally breath without struggling. It is calm in the boat. It is here that our real healing begins… and as part of that healing, as part of our cure and The Cure, we ourselves are given nets and told to put them to use.

Conclusion: we cannot catch men if we don’t try; we cannot catch men if we don’t learn how

We are in the boat. Here at Holy Resurrection, we have the fullness of the faith (we are like a fractal of the Universal Church) so it is fair to say that we are both in the boat and the boat itself.

But remember that bit earlier about how nature and nurture conspire against our marriages? You know me well enough by now to know that I wasn’t just talking about marriage. Marriage is an image of the Church: the union of flesh with one another and the union of that one flesh with God (Ephesians 5:32).Why should we think that we are naturally any better at living as the Church than we are with marriage?The same forces work against us: we suffer from both nature and nurture. Just as good intentions are not enough for the children of broken homes, they are not enough for us as we try to build this parish. Without serious help, we will just end up building the equivalent of a miserable and failed marriage, another Tower of Babel, a perverse monument to our own fallenness. We need help. And I don’t mean hiring consultants or trying to find the perfect priest – this is even more important than that.

Without Christ, we are like the Apostles in today’s lesson before our Lord came; “toiling all night and catching nothing” (St. Luke 5:5). It had been a hard night and they had given up on catching anything, but then Christ came and told them to go back out, and they caught more than they could carry. So many that their boats almost broke.

Brothers and sisters, the Orthodox community of Asheville has been through hard times. Like Simon in today’s lesson, we have good hearts and the best of intentions, but we are tired; and we had pretty much given up on catching fish.

But the Lord told us to get back out there and get it done. And so we get back to it. We try again.

We are smart in the ways of the world. We all have ideas about how this should be done. We will be tempted to rely on our own strength and our own hearts. But our hearts are broken and our strength will fail us. “Except the Lord build the house, all who labor labor in vain.” (126:1).But for those who put their trust in the Lord and in His way – there is no limit to the good that they can do.

This is where we are. We have given our lives and the future of this parish to the Lord Jesus Christ. Like Simon, we don’t always see the point of what the Lord commands, but also like Simon, we will follow Him. We know how that story ends, so we know how ours will, too.

The catch will be great; so great that our walls will scarcely be able to hold the number of men, women, and children we have pulled in to the safety of the Church. So great that we, like Simon calling for the second boat, will have to plant another parish to give us enough room. After all, there are a lot of people drowning in the waters around us. We cannot allow them to perish – it is God’s will that all be saved and come to the fullness of the Truth.

It is a tough calling.

But we do not labor in vain: because we are building according to the Lord’s command. We are transformed into fishers of men.

2 Corinthians 4: 6-15; St. Matthew 22: 35-46.
We have power, but lack discernment. Seeing things clearly cannot be achieved through even the most objective scientific analysis. The problem is found in the etymology of the very word "objective". When we objectify things, we remove them from their context and connections. While this allows us to manipulate them according to our pleasure, it cannot help but contribute to the world's groaning. The context is the Logos and it connects and sustains all things. Knowing this allows us to experience the world as it is: full of majesty, grace, and glory. Joyfully loving our enemy comes naturally when we see and live in the world as it really is. Denying this makes hating even our comrades come naturally. Which world do you want to live in? Listen as Fr. Anthony offers a meditation on Love.

On 9/26/2021, I paused at various points during the Divine Liturgy to offer a meditation on that section of it. You can read my notes for this at http://www.orthoanalytika.org/2021/09/26/teaching-divine-liturgy-9-26-2021/

Fr. Gregory Jensen PhD and Fr. Anthony begin by talking about three (no four!) indicators of whether a man is a suitable candidate for seminary, then segue into the importance of a healthy marriage and family life (e.g. 1 Timothy 3). They use the Ecumenical Patriarchate's "For the Life of the World; Toward a Social Ethos of the Orthodox Church" as a springboard for talking about contraception, ascetic abstinence, and the benefit of a healthy monastic witnesses. Recorded on 8/17/2021. Enjoy the show!

1 Corinthians 16: 13-24; St. Matthew 21: 33-42.

In today’s Gospel, Christ is trying to help His listeners understand who He was, who sent Him, and why it was that the religious leaders rejected Him. As Christians, we grow up understanding that Christ is “God the Son”, the second person of the Holy Trinity; that God the Father, the first person of the Holy Trinity, sent His Son to return the world to righteousness; and that the Jewish leaders rejected His Son because He did not fit into their plans. We know this to be true, and it is true. But our acceptance of these facts is facilitated by a Christian worldview that makes them seem natural; they simply fit into place. But the Jews did not have such a worldview; rather, they had developed one over time that made rejection of the Christ seem to be good and natural.

Psychologically, it is much easier for us to ignore or reject data that challenges our expectations than it is to adjust our expectations around it [sic]. Even the Jews that loved Jesus and His message were struggling with wrapping their minds around the Truth and the implications of His coming.

So Christ gave them parables like the one we heard today. Because stories are not expected to be real, people disengage their ideological filters a bit when hearing or reading them. So when people hear of the landowner, they naturally sympathize with his attempts to regain control of his property; when they hear of the actions of the vinedressers/husbandmen, they are naturally revolted by their wickedness; and their sympathy and revulsion will naturally peak when they hear about the mission, rejection, and murder of the landowner’s son. This parable [and other] created a space in their minds and gave them concepts that would eventually allow them to more fully understand everything about The Christ. [the prophecies also served this function, but their (mis)use by the religious leaders meant that not everyone would be able to see them correctly]. And once they saw Him in Truth, they had to decide what to do next: kill Him or render to Him his due.

So what does this story do for all of us who already know Christ to be the Messiah, the Son of God? Well, I have given you a rule of thumb for interpreting Scripture that I want you to use today: when the Scriptures criticize the Jews, they are really criticizing us. A bigot might use today’s reading to reinforce his self-righteousness and anti-Semitism; but the Christian uses it to learn greater humility and repentance.

Instead of the Jews, imagine us as the folks running the winepress. This should not be hard to do: we have more control over the patch of dirt that God has leased to us than any people anywhere or anytime. What would we do if the landowner sent emissaries to collect the fruit of His land from us? This may be uncomfortable, but it isn’t hard: what would we do if God asked for what should naturally go to Him as His due? Or to phrase it in a way that is easier for us to understand: what would we do if God were to ask more from us than we wanted to give? What would we do if He made demands of us that did not fit our view of what God should demand?

I can tell you what we would do because we do it every day. We ignore Him. Even when He sends His Son among us to show that He is serious: we ignore Him. Some of us do it on purpose, but most don’t even recognize Him or His authority. We don’t have room in our lives for the real God, so we ignore Him and worship a false imitation of Him that demands nothing from us and is not worthy of true adoration and sacrifice.

“Therefore, when the owner of the vineyard comes, what will he do to those vinedressers [who ignored his prophets and His Son]?…

We cannot ignore Him forever. When we see Him in Truth, we will have to decide. Why wait? The Truth is here. Christ is here. We must make our choice: violence… or repentance, humility, and worship?

The stone which the builders rejected has become the chief cornerstone. This was the Lord’s doing, and it is marvelous in our eyes.”

Fr. Gregory Jensen, PhD and Fr. Anthony Perkins talk about Orthodox sexuality, chastity, celibacy, and abstinence. Along the way they also discuss the negative effects the culture wars have had on Orthodoxy and pastoral care. They hope to make this part of a series. Warning: it's hard to talk about this euphemistically. Some graphic terms were used. Enjoy the show!

Matthew 19:16-26

The quotes:

If thou hadst ever had an absurd desire to fly and to be borne through the air, how wouldest thou extinguish this unreasonable desire? By fashioning wings, and preparing other instruments, or by convincing the mind that it is desiring things impossible, and that one should attempt none of these things? (St. John Chrysostom, Homily 63 on the Gospel according to St. Matthew)

Every one that hath forsaken houses, or brethren, or sisters, or father, or mother, or wife, or children, or lands, for my name’s sake, shall receive an hundredfold, and shall inherit everlasting life. (St. Matthew 19:29)

For God so loved the world, that He gave His only begotten Son, that whosoever believeth in Him should not perish, but have everlasting life.

If any man will come after me, let him deny himself, and take up his cross, and follow me. (St. Matthew 16:24)

This is The Way of Salvation. This is The Way of Eternal Life. And God rewards those who follow it a hundredfold. Give up everything and follow Christ.

1 Corinthians 9:2-12; Matthew 18:23-35. Fr. Anthony contrasts the way of the world with the Way of Christ, compares the wicked lender with the Passion-bearer Gleb, and encourages us to nurture the Logos within through Liturgy and prayer. Enjoy the show!

Fr. Anthony reminds the faithful at Holy Resurrection (Waynesville NC) or who they are, what they have been through, and what they are about. Unity. Enjoy the show!

1 Corinthians 3:9-17; Matthew 14:22-34.

Here's the text of the homily I was going to give. Instead of it, I preached on what "the day" has declared in our lives over the last couple of years. It was partially prompted by recent events in Afghanistan (I worked the Afghanistan situation for several years as an intelligence analyst).

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Homily – Building a House of God
The Ninth Sunday after Pentecost

1 Corinthians 3: 9-17; St. Matthew 14: 22-34

A building set on a firm foundation, made well and of the best materials is both more durable and more suiting than one thrown together on the weekends with leftover scraps. Which method describes the temple that is you?

Three points from today’s Epistle reading, each of them explores what St. Paul means when he says that ; “You are God’s building… his holy temple.”

The First Point: St. Paul is using a metaphor.He is comparing us to a building in order to teach us something we have not realized about ourselves. We may think we know more about what it means to be a Christian than we do about being a building, but what if we are wrong? St. Paul – and all of our other teachers – try to bring us to the truth by stating it plainly; but one of the problems with being human is that we hear such plain speaking in a manner that matches our expectations. It is rarely transformative in the way we need. We think we know what it means to be a Christian, so when someone tries to tell us a better way to do it rarely sinks in. On the other hand, we probably haven’t thought much about how we are like buildings, so the hope is that the metaphor of the building will make it through our defense systems in order to challenge us to live better. There are many ways in which we are certainly NOT a building, but let’s see how we are, and what that says about living the Christian life.

The Second Point: every building needs a proper foundation.If this foundation is ourselves (the “contractor’s grade” default option), or even something so noble as our families, our work, our friends, our community, or our, then no matter how well we build that house, it will not last. The only proper foundation for the house that is each one of us, is Christ Himself. Our imaginations may have a hard time with this. Many of us grew up singing a wonderful song; “On Christ the solid rock, I stand; all other ground is sinking sand” – now what is the child’s imagination to do with such an image?! But this song is based on Christ’s teaching towards the end of His “sermon on the mount” (St. Matthew 5-7), where, after telling everyone to dedicate themselves completely to love and service in God’s name, He says that this kind of life will make them like the wise man who built his house on the rock, and his house survived every buffet; and those who do not are like the fool who built his house on sand, and his house fell with a great crash (St. Matthew 7: 24-27).

Our foundation must be on Christ; and not the Christ of our imaginations or as we think He is or want Him to be (this is just sand by another name); but on Christ as He really is. And there is no better way to learn who Christ really is than through opening ourselves completely to the prayer, worship, teachings, and experience of the Orthodox Church. St. Paul is speaking as an Apostle of this Church when he says; “According to the grace of God which was given to me, as a wise master builder I have laid the foundation.” We must center our feet squarely on the unmovable source of power, love, and truth; and that source is Our Lord, Jesus Christ.

The Third Point: it matters what sort of materials you use.St. Paul puts it this way;

“Now if anyone builds on this foundation with gold, silver, precious stones, wood, hay, straw, each one’s work will become clear; for the Day will declare it, because it will be revealed by fire; and the fire will test each one’s work, of what sort it is.”

We understand what this means, because we have seen what happens to buildings that were made poorly of cheap materials ; and we can compare them with the buildings that were made well and of the best materials. The best materials are sometimes harder to get, and it takes more effort to build something to last. I remember the fort my friends and I built in the woods using left over scraps from our basem*nts and garages. It was so cool – but it did not last. I’m sure you’ve had similar experiences. Think about his: If we knew that we were meant to live somewhere for thousands of years – perhaps even forever, wouldn’t we take the time to build it well? Or would we throw something up as the mood struck us and hope for the best? And yet isn’t that the way we act; putting Christian spackle over the walls we threw up willy-nilly based on what are hearts desired in any given moment?

In the metaphor, the materials are gold, silver, stones, wood, hay, and straw; but in real life, the materials are your actions. How have we lived? Have we been chaste? Self-sacrificing? Charitable? Patient with others? Have we followed the counsel of our ego; the wisdom of the age; … or the guidance of Christ and His Church?

We can pretend that all actions are the same (God loves us! He can bless the things my heart truly desires!), but St. Paul is pointing out that they are not – there is an objective standard for judging our actions. A straw house will be blown down by the first hungry wolf that comes to the door; a brick house will stand up to his huffing and puffing. The spiritual wolves [fire] will destroy the man who has built his life in deceit and selfishness; but cannot harm the one who has built his life in love and repentance.

So, in conclusion, I ask you: have you built your life on the solid rock that is Christ? Is it the real Christ, or is it one that simply suits your fancy? Are you sure?

Have you intentionally laid the walls of your house brick by brick with humility, love, patience, long-suffering, and charity? When a bad brick was laid in, have you repented of your misdeed, rooted it out, and repaired the damage? Have you constantly checked for leaks and performed the maintenance necessary to keep your house secure from the constant abuse of the elements?

And last of all, have you filled this house with the only thing worthy of such a temple: the Holy Spirit of God Himself? For as St. Paul ends today’s lesson; “For the temple of God is holy, whose temple you are.”

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In this episode, Fr. Anthony and Fr. Harry address the often misunderstood necessity of withholding sacraments. Framing it as a normal process (beginning with Baptism) allows us to see it less as a political power play or punishment (as the world would have us see it) and more as a valid and necessary part of our life in Christ. Enjoy the show!

1 Corinthians 1:10-18. How do people dedicated to being One (as God is One) end up being "of" Paul, Apollos, and Cephas? As we interact and baptize a culture, we are going to disagree about the utility of various symbols, ideas, etc in the local culture. Disagreements are useful for discernment. It's when we dogmatize and moralize our differences that they become divisions. So don't do they (unless our differences really are based on theological or moral necessity; something we rarely judge well). Enjoy the show!

Romans 15:1-7. There is so much need in the world; how can we bear its burden without breaking down? How does silencing/replacing the ego help solve the problem? What is the role of Christ in this? Enjoy the show!

Romans 12:6-14. Fr. Anthony reflects on the necessity of using the Babel Fish of Love (i.e. charity as a translation filter) when evaluating the truth claims of others, especially when they are using the vernacular of their own political tribe. He also laments how we so easily moralize and dogmatize disputations about facts - an unfortunate misfiring of our laudable commitment to Holy Orthodoxy!

Join Fr. Anthony and Fr. Harry as they talk about how artificially romanticizing the Golden Age of the Councils contributes to the polarization of our communities, how politics are the new idolatry, and why it is so easy to anathematize heretics over vaccines and masks. Enjoy the show!

In this homily on the Demoniacs of Gergesenes (Matthew 8:28-9:1), Fr. Anthony contrasts the discernment of the disciples and the discernment of the Gergesenes with the vision of Christ. He talks about the role worldviews, filters, propaganda, and evil forces of the air play in darkening our vision, warns about replacing our worldly filter with an Orthodox one, and describes how only the clear vision of Christ will allow us to understand and serve the needs of the moment. Enjoy the show!

Fr. Anthony talks frankly with Fr. Gregory Jensen, PhD about how the selection and training of priests affect the quality of priestly ministry. Narcissism, the built-in preference for agreeableness - it's all grist for the mill. Enjoy the show!

Romans 6:18-23; Matthew 8:5-13. Words fail us when we try to describe God and our relationship with Him. Metaphor helps, but it can also set us up for failure, even when it is a good one like Christ is the Great Physician (something that the scriptures prove to be literally true). Enjoy the show!

Matthew 6:22-33, Romans 5:1-10. Homily on the reasons for our hope (as presented by St. Paul and Christ God Himself). Enjoy the show!

Fr. Anthony talks again with Fr. Harry Linsinbigler, the Canonist for the UOC-USA about what the Canons say (and don't say!) about clergy attire, hair, and beards. They make the case that, unless their bishops say otherwise, priests can adjust to what they discern is best going to meet the needs of the Gospel where they are. A bonus: you can hear just how bad Fr. Anthony is at liturgical math! Enjoy the show!

Join Fr. Anthony as he talks with Dn. Timothy Kelleher about his roles on Independence Day and Star Trek - the Next Generation (he was also on Voyager and Enterprise), and how good storytelling is always evangelical. Enjoy the show!

After a sermonette on St. Pauls' words about the consciences of the Gentiles being the functional equivalent of the Law for the Jews, Fr. Anthony share the UOC-USA Episcopal Letter for US Independence Day. Enjoy the show!

Sunday of All Saints. Hebrews 11:33-12:2 and Matthew 10:32-33,37-38; 19:27-30. The prohibition against loving family more that God is, among other things, a warning against tribalism. Fr. Anthony also talks about what the variation among saints means for loving and pastoring one another. Enjoy the show!

Fr. Anthony and Deacon Michael Abrahamson talk politics and religion as they drive through the mountains of Western North Carolina. Topics include keeping perspective and the glorious ontology of doing harmony. Enjoy the show!

Acts 2:1-11; John 7:37-52, 8:12. What is missing from on-line theological forums? Why do they miss the mark when it comes to prophecy? It has nothing to do with intent or the words that are shared. The medium is lacking. Dubious? Enjoy the show!

In this homily on a selection from Christ's High Priestly Prayer (St. John 17), Fr. Anthony encourages us to keep our theology simple. Enjoy the show!

Sunday of the Blind Man

Immediate context: God has power and compassion. When He says He invites us to join Him in His plans for remaking us and the world, we can trust both His intent and His ability to deliver.

John 20:30-31.
30 Now Jesus did many other signs in the presence of the disciples, which are not written in this book; 31 but these are written that you may believe that Jesus is the Christ, the Son of God, and that believing you may have life in his name.

Symbolic context:

Matthew 6:22-24
22 “The eye is the lamp of the body. So, if your eye is sound, your whole body will be full of light; 23 but if your eye is not sound, your whole body will be full of darkness. If then the light in you is darkness, how great is the darkness! 24 “No one can serve two masters; for either he will hate the one and love the other, or he will be devoted to the one and despise the other. You cannot serve God and mammon.

Popular song: We were blind, but now we see.

True, but incomplete. Given eyes when we accepted the reality of Christ as the Son of God and united ourselves to Him and dedicated ourselves to His plan, the Gospel.

But our eyes still see things through a mirror dimly. Why?

If we believed, were made new, then put into a perfect community – back in Eden, we could be grown well. God and the community would help us identify and root out the complex web of interconnected dysfunctions…

But is that what happened? No. So we are working out our brokenness in the midst of others who are.

So the answer? Long term - a healing culture.

Short term: the virtue of humility about our own discernment. About everything.

And trust the one that has power has included all of this in His plan

Fr. Anthony talks with Fr. Harry Linsinbigler, the Canonist for the UOC-USA, about how priests should prepare for confession, the role of penance in confession, the importance of protecting the confidentiality ("seal") or confession, and what needs to happen when that confidentiality is broken. It's an important but difficult subject and we look forward to your questions and comments.

In this homily on the encounter of Christ with the Samaritan woman (St. Photini) at the well, Fr. Anthony encourages us to drink deeply of the Living Water and eat the food that nourishes the Body. The latter is a call to do the will of the God in sharing the Gospel. Enjoy the show!

Justin Shaun Coyle, PhD, (Mount Angel Seminary, outside Portland, OR; Ukrainian Catholic) and Fr. Anthony talk about life in New England, the joy of NC BBQ, and how studying the works of serious atheist philosophers can help develop an instinct for charity and pastoral evangelism. Enjoy the show!

Fr. Harry Linsinbigler talks with Fr. Anthony about the moving, standing, kneeling, and sitting postures of prayer and worship that Orthodoxy prescribes, some of the confusion that surrounds them, and what they do for the believers who participate in them. The article they discuss is found at https://christinourmidst.com. Enjoy the show!

Sunday of the Paralytic

In this hostage situation homily, Fr. Anthony talks about how Orthodoxy can transform the whole person and how our habits of body and mind can either work against or in support of that process. He also managed to talk about concealed and open carry. Hey, it's North Carolina! Enjoy the show!

Dru Johnson is an associate professor of biblical and theological studies at The King’s College in New York City, director of the Center for Hebraic Thought , editor at The Biblical Mind, host of the The Biblical Mind podcast, and co-host of the OnScript Podcast. Before that, he was a high-school dropout, skinhead, punk rock drummer, combat veteran, IT supervisor, and pastor.

Dru is an ordained minister and accomplished academic, with several articles and books, to include Biblical Philosophy – A Hebraic Approach to the Old and New Testaments, Biblical Knowing: A Scriptural Epistemology of Error, Epistemology and Biblical Theology: from the Pentateuch to Mark’s Gospel, and my favorites, Human Rites: The Power of Rituals, Habits, and Sacraments, and Knowledge by Ritual: A Biblical Prolegomenon to Sacramental Theology.

You can find out more about him at drujohnson.com and his academia.edu page.

Join us as we talk about why military induction is and should be so thoroughly ritualized, what rituals do, how to evaluate then, and the danger of over-symbolizing them. Enjoy the show!

John 20:19-31. It is often said that we are saved in community. Today Fr. Anthony offers a meditation on the interrelation of community, trust (faith), and Truth. Enjoy the show!

Sunday of St. Mary of Egypt (Hebrews 9:11-14; Mark 10:32-45). This homily triangulates from the teaching of Christ on servant leadership, the example of St. Mary of Egypt, and the mystery of the Divine Liturgy to encourage us to watch for the many ways we misuse our power and fill every opportunity for service with grace. Enjoy the show!

In this episode, Fr. Anthony talks with the COVID-stricken Fr. Harry Linsinbigler about parish life and the implications of recent survey results from Gallup (on further declines in American church membership) and Pew (on American religion and the COVID). Enjoy the show!

Hebrews 6:13-20; Mark 9:17-31. Fr. Anthony explains how the parish is different from the monastery, how parish priests are different from abbots, and how God works to bring all Christians together with Him in glory. Enjoy the show!

You may recognize Dn Timothy Kelleher from his appearances in NCIS, Independence Day, Thirteen Days and other movies and shows, but he has also published many thoughtful essays in First Things, Church Life Journal, and now the National Review (among others). Today, he and Fr. Anthony talk about Dn. Timothy's two most recent essays; "Memories of a Staten Island Childhood" and "A Nation of Sinners." Enjoy the show!

Hebrews 4:14-5:6; Mark 8:34-9:1. Sunday of the Adoration of the Cross. In this homily, Fr. Anthony begins with the analogy of the "time-out" and how the Cross can allow us to come out of the COVID-time in a way that will bring reconciliation. He concludes by talking about why the Divine Liturgy is pretty much the same thing - to include rote prayers - every week and what that means for us as we worship and pray. Enjoy the show!

In this interview, Fr. Anthony and Dn Nicholas talk about the rhythms of Lent and how a gentle asceticism may cultivate more lasting changes than the most stringent fasting and a packed liturgical calendar. Along the way, Dn Nicholas shares wisdom on how this same approach builds a lasting and self-propagating harmony (even among tenors who often sing flat). We hope you enjoy this calm and gentle conversation. Enjoy the show!

In this homily, given on the Lenten Sunday of St. Gregory Palamas (Hebrews 1:10-2:3; Mark 2:1-12), Fr. Anthony preaches on the sequence of forgiveness and healing in the Gospel reading and in our lives, the need for nepsis and care when receiving criticism, and the role silence can play in our spiritual development. Enjoy the show!

Divine Liturgy of St. Basil (excerpts) as celebrated on 3/28/2021 in Waynesville NC.

Hebrews 11:24-26,11:32-12:2; John 1:43-51. First Sunday of Great Lent. Today Fr. Anthony begins by talking about the need for developing pastoral relations with others so that we can have better discernment about our sins. He finishes by talking about the Great Entrance and its relationship to Palm Sunday and Holy Week. Enjoy the show!

In this homily given on the Sunday of Forgiveness (Cheesefare; Romans 13:11-14:4; Matthew 6:14-21), Fr. Anthony talks about the psychological and sacramental power of storytelling, and warns us against misusing that power. Blessed Lenting!

Fr Anthony and Fr. Gabriel Rochelle overcome myriad technical problems to talk about the confluence of poetry, story, and proclamation that take place in the Divine Liturgy (and life). Enjoy the show!

Join Fr. Anthony as he talks about cooperative story-telling, liturgy, and the joy of Ukrainian Orthodoxy with Fr. Yuri Hladio, the priest of St. Maria of Paris mission in West Hamilton, Ontario and the host of the wonderful "Prying Priest" podcast (pryingpriest.com). Enjoy the show!

Meatfare/Last Judgement Sunday (1 Corinthians 8:8-9:2; Matthew 25:31-46). Fr. Anthony continues to take the parish through the Divine Liturgy, talking about the readings and the homily (to include an explanation for why Orthodox homilies are, well, a but more constrained than many heterodox sermons). Enjoy the show!

Homily on the Sunday of the Prodigal Son (1 Corinthians 6:12-20 and Luke 15:11-32). Both the brothers were limited by their two-dimensional tactical worldview. The Father shows that grace solves problems that no tactician can. Enjoy the show!

Jesus Christ said; “Come to me, all who labor and are heavy laden, and I will give you rest. Take my yoke upon you, and learn from me; for I am gentle and lowly in heart, and you will find rest for your souls. For my yoke is easy, and my burden is light.” (Matthew 11:28​-30) In this retreat, Fr. Anthony describes the way the past year has polarized us and how we and our parishes can heal and become the peacemakers the world needs. A video of the presentation is available at Fr. Anthony Perkins YouTube channel. Enjoy!

In this homily, given on the Sunday of the Publican and the Pharisee, Fr. Anthony continues to take the parish through the Divine Liturgy. This week he focuses on the Antiphons and the Little Entrance. Enjoy the show!

Homily given of Zacchaeus Sunday (1 Timothy 4:9-15; Luke 19:1-10). Fr. Anthony offers a meditation on how love is enabled by cutting through the labels and baggage (i.e. there is a reason God is "not a respecter of persons"). Enjoy the show!

In this homily, Fr. Anthony continues his series on the Divine Liturgy, offering a meditation on the benefit of singing the Divine Liturgy (the blessed integration of scripture and poetry, music, voices, incarnation, and Eucharist). Enjoy the show!

It was a great blessing to talk with Fr. Daniel Greeson about his new AFR blog, "Every Thought Captive" and especially his series on discernment. Enjoy the show!

Here are my notes:

Interview with Fr. Daniel Greeson.

Rector of St. Anne’s Orthodox Church in Oakridge, TN

Podcaster: “In Heaven and On Earth”

Editor and Author of the Ancient Faith Ministry Blog; “Every Thought Captive”

Greeting. Tell us about yourself and how found yourself wearing a cassock and cross.

I love your new blog, Every Thought Captive. In the introductory post, you use aggressive imagery – wrestling, dismantling, boldness, even using El Greco’s Purification of the Temple as the blog banner. What do and don’t you mean by that – and in general where are you coming from?

New blog (November 2020), but already have several excellent series. The main one I want to talk about is the series on discernment, but I also love you series on Orthodoxy and the Culture War (which includes a serious reflection on how we, as Christians living in America, should and perhaps should not relate to “The West”. You also did a beautiful series on the Pandemic of Loneliness. And you have also recruited a great cast to write on other topics. How do you choose what to write on and what to publish? What is the goal of the blog?

Discernment. The Mother of Virtues – how is that possible? Why do we need it? (false teachers).

St. Anthony the Great tells us to gain discernment, avoid extremes, and walk always on the royal road”. How do we do this?

St Moses: “Discern money: scrutiny; reject deceptive thoughts; root out (false authority), and check the weight”

What is the role of asceticism in discernment?

Scripture?

Homily on Colossians 3:12-16.

Therefore, as the elect of God, holy and beloved, put on tender mercies, kindness, humility, meekness, longsuffering; bearing with one another, and forgiving one another, if anyone has a complaint against another; even as Christ forgave you, so you also must do. But above all these things put on love, which is the bond of perfection. And let the peace of God rule in your hearts, to which also you were called in one body; and be thankful. Let the word of Christ dwell in you richly in all wisdom, teaching and admonishing one another in psalms and hymns and spiritual songs, singing with grace in your hearts to the Lord.

This is a recording of Fr Anthony's homily on his name day (1/30, old style), given at Holy Resurrection in Waynesville, NC (the last Divine Liturgy in their tiny starter location!). Enjoy the show!

After some small talk on the pastoral value of wedding planning, Fr. Anthony and Dylan Pahman (Acton Institute) talk about what Magic the Gathering can teach us about markets and morality and about the general need for economic literacy. For the last half of the show, they talk about the value of markets, liberal democracy, and international trade, and address some of the objections Christians have about them. Enjoy the show!

Today Fr. Anthony continues his series of homilies on the Divine Liturgy (offered every other week, when he serves in Anderson). He explains some of the things the Divine Liturgy does for us and why the Great Litany starts out the way it does. Enjoy the show!

Fr. Anthony shares thoughts on the meaning of "The Jordan turned back" and its relevance for us today. Enjoy the show!

Listen to find out which of the many conspiracies is occupying space in Fr. Anthony’s fool head. Without it, the other problems (e.g. injustice, riots, elections, presidential narcissism) would have been handled as normal rather than extra-ordinary problems. We should have seen it coming. From Fr. Anthony's YouTube Livestream. Enjoy the show!

Join Fr. Anthony as he talks with Fr. Gregory Jensen, PhD, to get some advice on the role of the pastor in crazy times. It's a difficult conversation, but it's important for us to have trusted friends in our lives who will tell us things we don't want to hear. Fr. Gregory is wise, experienced, and courageous enough to say things that will satisfy precisely no one. Enjoy the show!

In this homily given on the Sunday after Theophany, Fr. Anthony continues to take us through the Divine Liturgy, focusing on the opening blessing, "Blessed is the Kingdom" and explaining how the ritual and grace of the Divine Liturgy heals the dysfunction in our minds, our relations, and the world. Enjoy the show!

The bulk of the homily is the Nativity Epistle of the Permanent Conference of Ukrainian Orthodox Bishops Beyond the Borders of Ukraine. After that, Fr. Anthony offers some remarks about the seeming weakness of the Logos in the manger and how it relates to the seeming impotence of our faith in Christ. Enjoy the show!

Join Fr. Anthony in Hartwell, GA as he talks with Professor Adam DeVille (University of Saint Francis, Fort Wayne, IN) about proper and improper ways of framing self-care, why it is so easy to get it wrong, and why it is important to get it right. Dr. DeVille is the author of Everything Hidden Shall Be Revealed: Ridding the Church of Abuses of Sex and Power. He blogs (prolifically and well) at ”Eastern Christian Books.” There's a bit of ironically timed electronic mischief in the middle, but the worst of it has been edited out (Fr. Anthony's computer froze). This is the audio from Fr. Anthony's YouTube livestream (12/21/2020).

On the Sunday we remember the slaughter of innocents, Fr. Anthony asks what we are willing to sacrifice to hold on to our own sins. He forgot his microphone, so this was recorded on his (new) iPhone SE. Oh, and he really did forget where Christ was born (senior moment?).

One of the challenges of our present spiritual situation is that our society has settled for something less than truth. This affects the quality of our opinions, policies, and judgments and undermines our ability to live and spread the Gospel. An indicator of the seriousness of this is our growing inability to listen to, learn from, and love people who think differently than we do. In this presentation, I frame the situation as a problem of discernment, compare scientific and Orthodox methods of knowing, and describe how we are failing to use either well. I conclude with a discussion of the critical role diversity plays in discerning truth, showing how the very things that currently divide us can bring us closer to a knowledge of the truth.

Join Fr. Anthony Perkins in Hartwell, GA as he talks with Professor George Stavros (Boston University) about the internal and external factors that put clergy at risk and how that risk can be mitigated by fellowship, support, and the life in Christ. See Professor Savros' article on the subject here: https://publicorthodoxy.org/2020/11/19/clergy-at-risk/.

The Reading from the Epistle of St. Paul to the Colossians. (3:4-11)

Brethren, when Christ, Who is our life, appears, then you also will appear with him in glory.

St. Augustine: But what did he go on to say? “When Christ appears, your life, then you also will appear with him in glory.” So now is the time for groaning, then it will be for rejoicing; now for desiring, then for embracing. What we desire now is not present; but let us not falter in desire; let long, continuous desire be our daily exercise, because the one who made the promise doesn’t cheat us.

Put to death therefore what is earthly in you: fornication, impurity, passion, evil desire, and covetousness, which is idolatry.

St. Athanasius: But the saints, and they who truly practice virtue, “mortify their members” and as the result of this, are pure and without spot, confiding in the promise of our Savior, who said, “Blessed are the pure in heart, for they shall see God.” These, having become dead to the world, who have renounced the merchandise of the world, gain an honorable death.

St. Jerome: In a general way all that is of the devil is characterized by hatred for God. What is of the devil is idolatry, since all idols are subject to him. Yet Paul elsewhere lays down the law in express terms, saying: “Mortify your members.” Idolatry is not confined to casting incense upon an altar with finger and thumb or to pouring libations of wine out of a cup into a bowl.

On account of these, the wrath of God is coming upon the sons of disobedience. In these you once walked, when you lived in them.

But now put them all away: anger, wrath, malice, slander, and foul talk from your mouth.

Do not lie to one another, seeing that you have put off the old nature with its practices and have put on the new nature, which is being renewed in knowledge after the image of its Creator.

Here there cannot be Greek and Jew, circumcised and uncircumcised, barbarian, Scythian, slave, free man, but Christ is all, and in all.

St. John Chrysostom: Now what Paul wishes to say is that there is no benefit in those things, for all those things fall apart, unless they are done with love. This is the love that binds them all together. Whatever good thing it is that you mention, if love be absent, it is nothing, it melts away. The analogy is like a ship; though its rigging be large, yet if it lacks girding ropes, it is of no service. Or it is similar to a house; if there are no tie beams, of what use is the house? Think of a body. Though its bones be large, if it lacks ligaments, the bones cannot support the body. In the same way, whatever good our deeds possess will vanish completely if they lack love.

Patristic quotes:

Gorday, P. (Ed.). (2000). Colossians, 1–2 Thessalonians, 1–2 Timothy, Titus, Philemon (p. 49). Downers Grove, IL: InterVarsity Press.

In the homily on St. Luke 12:16-21 (the rich man investing poorly), Fr. Anthony reminds us of the universal goal for humanity and all humans, why it needs to get done, and why we shouldn't be anxious about it (despite it's cosmic importance). I'd share his notes, but they have nothing to do with what he actually preached. As a bonus, this recording includes the service from the reading of the Gospel, through the homily and to the end of the "Our Father". Enjoy the show!

Audio recording of Fr. Anthony's livestream of 05 December 2020. He talks for a bit about how political scientists see the world (to include election fraud), but mostly he talks about the joy of playing games - and especially playing dungeons and dragons. He ends up giving three reasons: it's fun, it's good for you for social reasons, and it's good for you for imager reasons. Enjoy the show!

Ephesians: 4:1-7; St. Luke: 18:18-27. In this (much shorter!) homily, Fr. Anthony encourages us to let go of everything, be with God, and then allow the resulting peace pattern everything else. Enjoy the show!

In this homily on Ephesians 2: 14-22, Fr. Anthony talks about the difference between blessed unity (in Christ) and cursed unity (through tyranny or universalism) and the role humility plays in the Mystery of becoming One as God is One. The first seventeen minutes are snapshot of the beauty of the worship at Holy Resurrection in Waynesville. Enjoy the Show!

In this homily on the Good Samaritan, Fr. Anthony lets slip which political tribe he is in and how his dedication to it helped put him in the ditch (along with everyone else). The main point, though is that we ARE in the ditch and need Christ to get us out. Enjoy the show!

Join Fr. Anthony next to his back porch in Hartwell Ga as he talks with Fr. John Charest about some of the things they had to learn on the job. If you listen closely, you'll also learn something about how to tell a priest from a deacon (or from a subdeacon impersonating one or the other!). Enjoy the show!

In this homily on Lazarus and the Rich Man (Luke 16:19-31), Fr. Anthony continues on the theme of authenticity, noting how the Gospel IS the response to chaos and the lack of reliable institutions. [Yes, he preached on the same Gospel last week; then he was on the revised lectionary at Christ the Savior Antiochian in Anderson SC; this week he was on the traditional (TM) lectionary at Holy Resurrection in Waynesville, NC; it's our old nemisis, the Lukian jump). Enjoy the show!

This is the audio from Fr. Anthony's 7 November 2020 livestream discussion with longtime listener Colin Penfold (from Australia!). Join them as they talk about Warhammer, Chaos, and the love of God. Enjoy the show!

In this homily on First Corinthians 12:27-13:8 (on gifts and love) and St. Luke 16:19-31 (the rich man and Lazarus), Fr. Anthony encourages us to cultivate humility so that we can see the beauty in others. Without this, even our best words and actions will be off the mark. Enjoy the show!

Join Fr. Anthony Perkins as he talks with his friend and fellow member of the Defense Against the Dark Art Faculty at Miscatonic University, Fr. Maximos McIntyre about demons, mental illness, possession, and the problem of discernment. Enjoy the show!

In this (meandering!) meditation on Galatians 1:11-12, Fr. Anthony talks about how important it is that we develop an authentic relationship with Jesus Christ, informed by our parents, mentors, and spiritual fathers/mothers but not dependent on or mediated by them. Enjoy the show!

Join Fr. Anthony next to his back porch in Hartwell, Georgia, as he talks with scientist, theologian, professor, Associate Dean, and evangelist, Gayle Woloschak, PhD, DMin (Northwestern University) about COVID, vaccines, and discernment. This is a recording of Fr. Anthony's livestream from 10/24/2020.

In this recording of Fr. Anthony's livestream, he and Fr. Gregory Jensen talk about authenticity and Alexander Solzhenitsyn's (and Rod Dreher's) advice to "live not by lies." Enjoy the show!

In this homily on St Luke 10: 16-21 and Colossians 4:5-11, 14-18, Fr. Anthony reflects on what Christ's contrasting the power the disciples had over demons with their names being written in heaven might mean for us in this divisive time. He encourages us to use power with humility lest we actual feed the spirit of darkness within us and lose our place in the book of life.

Join Fr. Anthony next to his back porch in Hartwell GA as he talks with Professor Carrie Frost, PhD about clericalism, ritual, and the risks and benefits of lay hesychasm. There were some audio problems with the YouTube livestream; our editor (Doug) made the best of it for the podcast version. Enjoy the show!

Listen as Fr. Anthony talks with Sarah Riccardi-Swartz about truth, why our commitment to it has waned, and what Christians can and should be doing to bring balance and grace to our culture. Sarah is a Postdoctoral Fellow in the Recovering Truth: Religion, Journalism, and Democracy in a Post-Truth Era project at the Center for the Study of Religion and Conflict (Arizona State University). Enjoy the show!

In St. Luke 5:1-11 Christ calls fisherman to be his disciples, in this homily Fr. Anthony reflects on how absurd it is that He didn't use angels or Greek philosophers to be his messengers and evangelists, going on to describe the implications for us as we evangelize and pastor our neighbors (and ourselves). Enjoy the show!

This is a recording of Fr. Anthony Perkins' Livestream from 10 October 2020. In it, he continues the themes from his discussion with Fr. Gregory Jensen on transcendent introspection and a good test of our relationship with Christ (and complexity): can we love President Trump AND Antifa? Enjoy the show!

This is the recording of Fr. Anthony's livestream from 09 October 2020. In it, Fr. Anthony talks with Fr. Gregory Jensen, PhD, about the difference between isolation and solitude, how to cultivate transcendent introspection, the difference between pastoring and controlling, and the challenge of baptizing authoritarian tendencies. Enjoy the show!

In this homily on St. Luke 6:31-36, Fr. Anthony develops the idea that that our inability to love well is a result of the way we objectify and commodify things, our neighbor, and the Church. Enjoy the show!

Homily: Loving vs. Commodifying (St. Luke 6:31-36)

Introduction: missing the point

It is hard for us to live the way we should. From our time in Eden to now, we have failed, and the consequences to our hearts, our families, and our world have been disastrous.

One of our challenges is that we do not see things as they really are. We do not see their beauty and we do not see how things are connected. Even for things that are ugly and hard, we do not see the potential for beauty and the potential for blessings. Instead of seeing things in their full splendor, we evaluate them based on what they mean for us; what we can get from them.

We were designed to bring out the best in everything and everyone; to heal those that are hurt and to build up those who are already well towards perfection. But instead of this, we just want to know what we can use things for and what we can get out of people. We are like a hungry man in the middle of a feast who insists on eating his seed corn. It’s destructive and we need to change.

Adam and Eve: Commodifying what they were meant to love

I mentioned Adam and Eve. Think of how they fell. One of the ways to understand this (from St. Nikolai Velimirovich) is that they turned the thing they were meant to tend – the garden – into a commodity; from something that deserved respect and the greatest of care to something that was useful primarily as food. Even the thing God told them not to eat became a commodity to them: they wanted what it offered. And remember what they learned? That it “tasted good.” What a loss.

Hear me well: Adam and Eve were meant to eat the things that grew in the garden, but the availability of food was really just a side-effect (a “positive externality”) of being a good steward. They got it all wrong when they put what they wanted from the garden before their love for it. Instead of tending the garden, they tended to themselves. They forgot about beauty; they forgot about connectedness; they forgot about service.

And We Commodity EVERYTHING!

We are so much worse than they were; our commodification of people and things in this world knows no end. We are always looking for an angle; looking for the best deal.

Again, don’t mishear me: being frugal is part of being a good steward of our resources, but we are missing a side-effect for the main point. Men should not love their wives because they hope for something in return, they should love their wives because they want to help nurture them to perfection (but I am not speaking of marriage but of the Church). Christ does not love us because He wants something from us. He does not sacrifice Himself for us in hopes of getting help with His plan to restore beauty to this world. As we become perfect as God is perfect, we will help Him with this plan; but He sacrifices Himself for us because He sees the potential beauty within us and wants it to grow. He does it because He loves us.

We have to stop looking at one another as things to be used, things that either bring us pleasure or pain. We have to see one another the way God sees us.

More on Blindness: Commodification leads to a lack of proportion

Surely one of the ways we have cursed ourselves with our blindness is that we cannot see the beauty that emanates from all of God’s creatures; the blessings present in every moment.

Why is this so hard? Why are we unable to enjoy the fruits of God’s love for us? Why don’t we see things the way they are? This blindness really is a curse; it pulls us further away from our purpose and robs us of the joy we were meant to have.

There are so many examples in our lives where we are blind to miracles. Yes, the problems are there, but they are so minor compared to the miracles!

Let me give you one example that is so big it cannot help but make this point. It is the example of the Church.

So much of what we do here in Church has been commoditized. For some, our actions become part of our political protest against over-reaching authorities. For others, our rituals become a magnet for our fear of disease or distrust of the other. Even in normal times church can become less a place to experience the transcending and saving grace of God and more a place to give and receive judgment.

Are we really so blind to God’s wonders? Have we no sense of proportion?

God works in this place, it is His very Body and Blood that are offered here – do we understand the magnitude of this miracle? If we focus on the way it is offered – beyond the basic need to protect our health and the dignity of the act - then we have to admit that we do not. Complaining about this is somewhat like the man who is dying of poison complaining to the doctor because the cup containing the necessary antidote to the poison is blue instead of green. Have we lost our minds? Again, do not mishear me; we have to be careful and safe – but we cannot allow this to distract us from celebrating being part of such a wonderful miracle.

Similarly, some people complain about Confession, saying things like; “why do I have to go to the priest for confession?” Here God has given us a way to rid our hearts of the sin that has accumulated in and polluted them, and we complain about the way He has told us to do it. Seriously?

Complaints about the role of bishops, the all-male priesthood, the traditional view of marriage, - everything about the way we do things that we do not like threatens to turn the celebration of God with Us into a series of political or ideological positions that can be analyzed and judged … I do this all the time; I suspect some of you do, too.

We have turned even the Church, the vessel of everything good and true, into a commodity, something to be judged, to be measured, to be evaluated like some product on a grocer’s shelf.

Is it any wonder that we do the same thing with our spouses, our children…our enemies?

Conclusion: Love without reservation

My point is not that the things that attract our attention in this way are not important or that they should not be discussed. Going back to the example of the garden, food is important. If we don’t eat, we die. If we prepare food incorrectly, we die. But Christ reminds us;

“Do not be anxious about what you will eat or what you will drink, nor about your body, what you will put on. Life is more than food, and the body is more than clothing.” (paraphrase of Matthew 6:25).

God is right here with us, working miracles in our midst, and we miss them by focusing on His height (“Oh, is that Jesus; I imagined he’d be taller.”)

Let’s not get distracted. Let’s love without reservation. Let’s love without expecting anything in return.

Let me repeat the irony; if we tend this world – this garden - in love, we will receive what we need – the necessary commodities, if you will, in return. As the Lord says in almost the next breath, if you really love, if you really give of yourself without reservation, then “it shall be given unto you in return; a good measure, pressed down, and shaken together, and running over…” (St. Luke 6:38).

And again in St. Matthew (paraphrase of 6:33-34); “seek first God’s kingdom and his righteousness, and all the things you need will be given to you as well.”

Let’s open our eyes and our hearts to the beauty in this world; the beauty in our neighbor; and the beauty in the Church.

Audio recording of Fr. Anthony's Livestream from 10/3/2020. In it, he warms up with a talk about civil society, moves on to parish culture, and finishes with a bit on discernment and prelest. Enjoy the show!

In this homily, Fr. Anthony explains the meaning of the Cross for us today in the light of 1 Corinthians 6:12 ("All things are lawful for me..."), Philippians 2:6 ("[Christ Jesus] did not consider it robbery"), 1 Corinthians 10:33 ("...so that some might be saved."), and the Transfiguration. Enjoy the show!

This is the audio recording of Fr. Anthony Perkins' YouTube livestream on 26 September 2020. In it Seminarian James Cummings talks about the journey of discernment that took him through the army, the Satanic priesthood, and finally to Christ and Holy Orthodoxy. Enjoy the show!

Sunday after the Exaltation of the Cross
Galatians 2:16-20; Mark 8:34-9:1

(The Greatest Commandment) life has no meaning without a goal. Goals allow us to distinguish between what is useful and what isn’t; the right goal ensures that all our actions are virtuous.

This week restates this lesson.Listen closely:

And Jesus called to him the multitude with his disciples, and said to them, If any man would come after me, let him deny himself and take up his cross and follow me. (Mark 8: 34)

Do you see how this is just a restatement of the goal of “loving God and neighbor”?

The “self” that we must deny has to be properly understood or we will end up perverting the Scripture, pursuing the wrong goal, wasting our talent, and – as we are warned in today’s Gospel reading – losing our very soul/life. There are two main ways that the “denial of self” should be understood:

• The denial of the self as a sacrificial action.Why do you think that the Old Testament is full of sacrifice? In part, it is because doing something worthwhile requires giving up something else. If I am saving my money so that I can buy a new computer or go on a nice vacation, then there are things that I have to give up – to sacrifice – along the way. If I am going to follow God, that is to say, if I am going to love Him and love my neighbor the way He does, then that means giving up or “sacrificing” all the other goals that I might have pursued. This is only fitting and logical: when someone accepts a 9-5 job, they give up doing other things they might have done during that time. When a couple gets married, they give up both the single life and the possibility of marrying anyone else. When we commit ourselves to following Christ and serving our neighbor – the two Great Commandments – then we are sacrificing all the other things we might have done.

• The denial of self as commitment and hard work.When someone takes a job, they don’t just give up doing other things while they are at that job: they commit themselves to working hard to do that job well. When a couple gets married, they don’t just give up dating other people: they commit themselves to working hard to make their marriage joyful and productive. This takes constant effort; these people “deny themselves” to do their job well and to keep their marriages healthy. When we commit ourselves to following Christ and serving our neighbor, we aren’t just giving up all the other goals we could have committed ourselves to, we are dedicating ourselves to put real effort into living a life of love.


So why the big warning? Because today’s reading, like last week’s, comes with a big warning:

For whoever would save his life will lose it; and whoever loses his life for my sake and the gospel’s will save it.(Mark 8: 35)

The bottom line is that you will waste and ruin your life if you pursue the wrong goals. Idolatry? Two masters? Temple? It’s all saying the same thing. Don’t waste your life. Live a life of virtue. Commit yourself to it, study how to do it well, and then work hard an sacrifice yourself for it. Parts of you will rebel – deny those parts. Other parts will enjoy it; this is the multiplication of your talents – take that joy and offer to God and share it with your neighbor … this is how you grow “into the joy of your master” (Matthew 25:21).

One of the ways that today’s reading can be misunderstood is to think that the “denial of self” means the denial of joy. Now I hope you see how ridiculous this is. Do not turn God into a monster: he is not trying to turn this world into a hell of misery but into a place where all his children have joyful life in abundance (John 10:10) – and He wants us to want and work for that, too.

The denial of self does NOT mean that we hate or neglect or selves; quite the opposite. This is made clear by the final verse we will cover in today’s homily;

For what does it profit a man, to gain the whole world and forfeit his soul (life)?
(Mark 8:36)

Love of self means doing what is good for the self; pursuit of the wrong goals brings destruction to our lives. That is not love, that is something else. You know people who have destroyed their lives through the pursuit of power, or of laziness and self-indulgence, or of the approval of the wrong people, or through drugs … this is what Jesus means when He warns that you can gain the world but lose your soul. People who have lived for the wrong goal may well “gain the whole world”, but all that effort has been counter-productive; it has not brought abounding joy, it has not brought joy to others.

So now that you understand this command of Our Lord, the challenge is to make it your primary motivation:

Deny yourself. Give up your life and live it for the Good News of salvation that is guaranteed to bring joy to you and to this world.

This is a recording of Fr. Anthony's livestream on 19 September 2020. It it, he and Dn. Michael Abrahamson talk about gardening and the difference between transactional love (loving to be liked, respected, etc.) and loving without reservation. Enjoy the show!

St. Matthew 22:1-14 (The Wedding Feast)

Today is the threshold of the new liturgical year, a time when we take stock of ourselves and the great story we are a part of. Today I want to retell this story. You are familiar with the events, but perhaps not with how they fit together or how they culminate with the revelation offered in today’s Gospel. It is a huge story, running from the very beginning until now – and just a bit into the future. Obviously there isn’t time to go over all the nuances of this story – that would literally take forever; but there is time to speak of the general contours. Mel Brooks did it in two hours – I propose to do it in much less. And while the story I tell will not be funny like his (nor will it allow our subdeacon to test out of this semester’s class on the Old Testament), understanding it can be a passage through which we can understand and rejoice in this world and our place in it.

Act I: In the Beginning
God brought order to things. Even the waters – the ancient sign of chaos – were divided and contained. Creation was established as a very special sort of place. A place of wonder and the deepest magic. And the greatest wonder was that he made a creature from the dust of that place and enlivened it with his own breath. He gave that creature special power, endowed Him with His own image and likeness, then commissioned that creature to use its powers for the benefit of others. It was the steward of creation. Its power was such that everything in creation responded to its intentions. The was the design of the God, that everything be interconnected so that every thought and action of His steward would be a blessing. That everything would grow in perfection, unity, and love as His steward grew in perfection, unity, and love under God’s own example and instruction.

But this new creature, this steward with the power to affect everything in the world around it, ignored its calling and used its power for something else. It still had this power, the world still responded to its thoughts and actions, but instead of bringing blessings, it brought curses. Instead of fruits, the world offered up thorns and thistles. Instead of a joyful abundance of life, it brought pain and death. The steward became perverted and warped, and it warped and perverted the world. It groaned in sin.

Act II: The Flood
This steward was mankind. One might expect that mankind would learn its lesson. That it would grow tired of thistles and pain and death and disorder and separation, that it would return to its original commission and the world to its original purpose, but it did not. It continued to use its powers to curse creation; it even turned its magic against itself. Mankind became a living blight on the world. When it seemed that all was lost, when perversion had twisted almost everything and everyone, God could allow it no more. He withdrew His powerful protection that separated the waters and kept the destructive might of chaos at bay. The world was flooded. The last remnant of good was saved – life was given a new chance. Mankind rejoiced at this and offered up its thanks to the Lord. God commissioned mankind once again to tend to creation and promised never again to allow the waters of chaos in. The world once again felt the blessings of love and unity.

Act III: The Tower of Babel and the Instruction of lsrael
But this state did not last. Mankind soon drifted away from its purpose once again. It joined together, uniting its great power to work against the order and love that created and sustains the world. God saw that if this continued, there would be no end to the evil mankind would do. He divided them into nations, assigning divine guardians to watch over and instruct each of them and He Himself took up the instruction of one of them, the sons of Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob. He established a new covenant with them through Moses, and gave them the Law. He used the Law to teach them how to use their powers for good, to teach them the proper order of things and how they can be maintained, and to forbid those things that would sow discord and chaos. He demanded that they keep themselves pure and holy as He is holy so that mankind would become the blessing to creation that it was created to be. When they went astray, he sent prophets to guide them back.

Act IV: The New Adam
But even with the Law and the Prophets, this nation – the Israelites – could not stay true. The nations around them had given themselves over to demons and many of the Jews had joined them. As in the days of before the flood, it seemed as though all creation would be destroyed by the wickedness of mankind. But among them there were some that still stayed true, most notably the Virgin Mary. And through her, the most amazing thing happened: God’s commission to mankind was finally realized in full. Adam’s power was perfected and completely turned to its proper purpose. How was this done? Through the Incarnation of the God-man Jesus Christ. He is called the “New Mankind”, the “New Adam”, because all the things mankind was called to be and become were brought about in His person. Creation responded to Him and it was a blessing. Remember how, when He went into the river Jordan at His baptism, all the filth and evil that had accumulated in its waters from generation after generation of curses was turned back by his presence – the Jordan turned back! Sickness fled at His touch. Leprosy was healed. The blind could see. The lame could walk. Creation finally had the steward she was made for, and it responded in joy! But evil did not rejoice – it retaliated. It could not tempt The New Adam from His purpose, so it conspired against Him. The fallen powers of the world hated Him for His goodness. They condemned Him to death and crucified Him on the Cross. But they underestimated His power – death itself fled from His power and from His love. No curse, no disease, not even death itself, can abide to be in the same place as the New Adam.

Act V: Unity in Christ
But the story does not end there. There is a New Covenant and there is a new power. Jesus Christ is the New Adam, the new mankind, the One who can live up to the high calling of steward to creation. His presence, His thoughts, intentions, and actions, bless the world and transform it. They bring about its healing, unity, love, and perfection. But the most amazing thing about this act of history is that we are called to join Him! Through Him, we, as created beings, can be purged of all filth. Through Him, we can become true stewards. We can become the New Adam. We can become a blessing to the world. The Church is the Body of Christ. Those who are baptized (in the water He transformed) have “put on Christ”. Those who believe in Him have Him in them and they in Him. Through Him the unity of mankind is restored and it is finally ready and able to go about the work of its original calling. Matter is transformed by the intentions and actions of the Church: water is sanctified, oil heals, a prayerful touch brings the remission of sins, another brings the charisma of ordination, another unites man and woman into one flesh, through the actions and intentions of the Church even bread and wine become the Body and Blood of Christ! The world is transformed around the New Adam, and all of us are part of that. This is the most heroic epic ever written – and we are offered the part of heroes!

Today Christ refers to this calling as a wedding feast. He desires that His people join Him in His joy. But do you remember how they responded? They had other things to do! They mocked and turned down His offer.They even killed His messengers. But others did come in. We have joined them. We have put on our wedding garments and bask in the glory of Our Lord.

But the story does not end there. We, here at Holy Resurrection in the heart of Appalachia, have the fullness of the Church. We are the New Adam. The world is groaning in sin – the people suffer. We must go out and be the source of healing, joy, and unity that we are meant to be. It is time for us to live up to our commission. Through Christ, this is possible.

1 Corinthians 16:13-24; St. Matthew 21:33-42. In this homily, Fr. Anthony describes how our obsession with past wrongs, the future, and tribalism turn us into the vinedressers who persecuted the owners servants; will we also kill his son? Enjoy the show!

In this homily on the Gospel of the rich man who went away sad (and Christ's warning about the eye of a needle; St. Matthew 19:16-26), Fr. Anthony reminds us that we have to let go of everything, to include our politics, in order to be with and in Him. Enjoy the show!

1 Corinthians 9:2-12; St. Matthew 18:23-35. Christianity doesn't have a mold for saints or holy cultures; it helps the good in them grow and prunes away the bad. What would that look like for America? Can our economy be a source of virtue for its participants? Today's readings say yes, with qualifications. Enjoy the show!

This is the audio from Fr. Anthony's livestream on 8/11/2020. In it, he talks with Fr. Gregory Jensen, PhD about life in Madison WI, sudden onset gender dysphoria, and how we'd all be better off if the Church did its job of spreading God's love. Enjoy the show!

This the audio from Fr. Anthony Perkins' livestream of 8/10/2020. In it he talks about how to logos the chaos and whatever else comes into his fool head. Enjoy the show!

This is a recording of Fr. Anthony Perkins' YouTube Livestream from 8/3/2020. In it, he shares some of the wisdom he gained from his summer job moving furniture and argues that people with authority/expertise in one field should exercise humility when making dogmatic statements outside that field. He also shares his concerns about the Jenga game being played with liberal democracy (and the engine of growing freedom and prosperity). Enjoy the show!

Homily on 1 Corinthians 1:10-18, St. Matthew 14:14-22 (feeding of the five thousand), and the commemoration of St. Elijah (Elias). In it, Fr. Anthony makes the case that we have exactly the miracles that we need for the problems we face today. Enjoy the show!

This is a recording of Fr. Anthony Perkins' YouTube Livestream from 7/27/2020. In it, he makes the point that identity politics is bad theology and politics. Enjoy the show!