SACRAMENTAL LIVING

Understanding Christianity as a Way of Life

Suffering (Finding God Within It)

“God is concerned about every affliction we endure…Unquestionably, there is great loneliness in pain and affliction. A wall rears up around those held in the clutches of suffering. The Lord Himself tasted this isolation, as He asked His beloved Peter, “Could you not watch one hour?” (Mk 14:37). And Job, like the Lord, knew that whatever befell him, the hand of God was upon the events. He knew that God cared about his affairs and had not cast him aside. “The Lord gave, the Lor

Divine Judgement

“The time for us to entreat repose is now. We are to prepare for the end of this life by making our beds well so that we may rest in joy. The choice to either repose in Christ or to separate from Him is made daily. The mystery of baptism purified us once; the mystery of penitence and confession can renew that purity through absolution. The fiery flame of God’s throne shows forth divine love, but it is not a sentimental love that glosses over the absolute holiness and purity o

Suffering (Perspective)

“We must not be distressed by anything that happens to us, even if it affects our present weaknesses. For although we don’t know why everything that happens to us is sent by God as a blessing, we should be convinced that everything that happens to us is for our good.” (St. Basil the Great) “A continuously happy life produces extremely unhappy consequences. In nature we see that there are not always pleasant springs and fruitful summers, and sometimes autumn is rainy and winte

Enlightenment

“Enlightenment from God in itself is beyond all words, and even beyond evaluation by other men (1 Cor 2:15). Nevertheless, the Holy Spirit speaks through spiritual people words that truly reflect the unspeakable knowledge of faith…In the measure that we pay attention and take care to carry out what we hear, God will always enlighten and make us understand His will.” (Orthodox Study Bible, 1 Corinthians 2:12-15, St. Dorotheos of Gaza) “The term postmodern culture is used in ma

Pain and Purpose

“God would not allow anyone to go through anything painful and heartbreaking without desiring to ultimately use that for His larger purposes. Somehow there was a larger purpose and all we could do was submit our pain and suffering to Him and ask Him to use it as He wished to use it and know that He would.” (Eric Metaxas) “The Lord prompts us to remain encouraged even in the midst of overwhelming trials and afflictions. Despite all the contrary purposes and plans of men, He gi

Darkness

“ ‘Now it came to pass, afterward, that He went through every city and village, preaching and bringing the glad tidings of the kingdom of God. And the twelve were with Him, and certain women who had been healed of evil spirits and infirmities—Mary called Magdalene, out of whom had come seven demons’ (Luke 8:1-2)… In the Scriptures, the number seven often symbolizes totality and completeness, indicating that Mary called Magdalene had been thoroughly given over to darkness befo

Truth (Revealed and Concealed)

“The mysteries of the kingdom are not merely obscure concepts or some religious truths only for the elite, nor is the understanding of the parables simply an intellectual process. Even the disciples find the message hard to understand. While Jesus taught the same message to all, it is the simple and innocent who are open to its message…To unbelievers, the parables remain bewildering. To those with simple faith, these stories using common images reveal truth in ways they can g

Echoes of Truth: Christianity in the Lord of the Rings now available through Ancient Faith Publishin

Echoes of Truth: Christianity in the Lord of the Rings now available through Ancient Faith Publishin

My book is now available through the Ancient Faith Publishing book store. It’s great to be included in the website catalogue of this leading Orthodox Christian media organization! Item No. 006049 by Michael C. Haldas In addition to being a professor, master of language and myth, and a loving husband and father, J.R.R. Tolkien was a devout Christian. He saw the Gospel of Christianity as myth come true within human history and all great stories in the world as reflecting elemen

Childlikeness

“When Jesus says “…unless you are converted and become as little children, you will by no means enter the kingdom of heaven” (Matthew 18:3), it means something different than what most of us typically think. When we hear the word ‘kingdom’ we think of a place. But in the Greek of the New Testament its meaning is better expressed by the word “dominion” or “rule.” In Luke 17:21, when Jesus says, “…the kingdom of God is within you” a more accurate translation is the kingdom of G

Contain and Containment

“Acts 17:28 reads “for in Him we live and move and have our being.” Romans 11:36 reads, “For of Him and through Him and to Him are all things, to whom be glory forever.” Christ reminded the Pharisees in Matthew 12:6 that He is greater than the temple. The first martyr Stephen (Acts 6-8) died because he dared to challenge the religious leaders on this point that God is not contained solely in the temple. God cannot be contained anywhere. God can only be expressed and experienc

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