SACRAMENTAL LIVING

Understanding Christianity as a Way of Life

Ritual

“At the tower of Babel, a ziggurat temple, the world’s people sought to bring God down and make Him take up residence in the tower where they could ritually control and manipulate Him.” (Father Stephen De Young) “Enforced prayer produces only hypocrisy, makes man listless even in the fulfillment of his duties, a slave to ritual, leading to Pharisaism and an insincere offering to God of an established rule.” (St. John of Kronstadt) “Love and Liturgy must not and cannot be sepa

Ascension

“At the incarnation, Christ brought His divine nature to human nature. In the mystery of the Ascension, Christ brings human nature to the divine Kingdom…Christ, who “tempered” His divinity by taking on humanity, that humanity by grace might take on divinity.” (Orthodox Study Bible, Luke 24:51, Ezekiel 1:3-4) “When the Lord ascended to the heavens, He did not divest Himself of His humanity. He raised “the likeness of Adam, cast into the vaults of Hades, lifting it with [His] A

Permit/Permission

“God permits the devil, our fellow men, and even ourselves to make wrong and evil choices (2 Thes 2:11). Let us not be shocked at this divine permission, for He extends freedom of choice to us all (Gn 2:16-17). We must choose to exercise our hearts and minds to embrace His truth, rather than seeking “pleasure in unrighteousness” (2 Thes 2:12).” (Dynamis 11/14/2018) “God lets “the devil loose up to a point and for a specific time, so that the devil can help us with his malice,

Grope (Groping for God)

“Even if we only grope, only feel around, trying to find God, the promise is that we shall find Him. Sometime my life feels as if I’m just feeling around for a God whom I don’t see or experience. I’m groping in the dark. Even when we feel as if we are in darkness and are feeling around in the dark room of our lives, if we keep going the promise is that we shall find Him. Even when we are confused and struggle with doubt, if we keep up the struggle, the promise is that we shal

God, COVID-19, and PTSD

God, COVID-19, and PTSD

On Friday, May 22 at 7 pm, Michael taught a Zoom class to more than 30 people for the St. Nicholas Orthodox Cathedral Community called, God, COVID-19, and PTSD. The class lasted 90 minutes with an opening prayer service, lecture and then interactive discussion. Michael told the story of a family who all contracted the virus, what they suffered, what medical experts and articles are saying about COVID-19 and PTSD, and how we can understand this spiritually.

Self-Reliance

“This unique reality that constitutes our true self, is, in its most foundational aspect, a gift. We never “create ourselves”…We are not the makers of our own reality. There is such a wonderful liberation in this when we begin to truly understand it. We do not bring ourselves into existence, nor do we form and create our world. Our present reality is not the result of some chain of decisions and consequences. Such naive reductionism (often posited by many religious people) si

Judgment Seat of Christ

“Although Saint John’s Gospel also records the Lord Jesus’ warning that “in the last day” all shall be judged by God John 12:48), His purpose is to save: “I did not come to judge the world but to save the world” (John 12:47). Why, then, does He begin today’s passage with the words, “For judgment I have come into this world” (John 9:39)? For those who repudiate the Lord, His coming will be judgment; for those who turn to Him, He works their salvation. In John 9:39-41, He descr

God's Nature and Our Well-Being

“Why did He not say, ‘Before Abraham was, I was, but I AM [John 8:58]. Christ used this expression, for it signifies continuous Being, removed from all time…He says, ‘Before Abraham was, I AM.’ ‘Before’ indicates past time, ‘I AM” present time. Because divinity does not have past and future time, but always IS, He did not say, ‘I was before Abraham.” Hence it is said to Moses, ‘I am the Being [KJV translates ‘I AM WHO I AM’]. Thus shalt thou say to the children of Israel, ‘Th

Imposer Syndrome and the Enemy Within

Imposer Syndrome and the Enemy Within

On Friday, May 14 at 7 pm, Michael taught a Zoom class to more than 30 people for the St. Nicholas Orthodox Cathedral Community called, Imposer Syndrome and the Enemy Within. The class lasted 90 minutes with an opening prayer service, lecture and then interactive discussion. Michael led an in-depth discussion about the self-defeating voice in our head that makes us feel like imposters who we will be discovered a frauds, the internal and external influences that feed this nega

Truth (Knowing the Truth)

“If you abide in My word,” the Lord Jesus tells them, “you shall know the Truth” (John8:31-32). The verb “to know,” when used in the context of Scripture, expresses a relationship, as in knowing a person rather than simply acquiring information about him. Because the Lord calls Himself “the Truth” (John 14:6), to know the Truth means to know Christ Jesus through our relationship with Him.” (Dynamis 5/16/2020) “Now we come to the one additional matter of truth which is of spe

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