Sunday of the Publican and Pharisee In America, we have a saying, “Pull yourself up by your bootstraps.” This saying encompasses our attitude that one will get ahead in life through education and a good hard day’s work. In fact,

Perhaps the biggest problem concerning religion in today’s society is that it’s been regulated to a simple set of beliefs—creeds, theology, and dogma—which are often very abstract. This, in turn, has allowed people to create litmus tests around what people

15th Sunday of Luke Many people think God delights in those who are spiritually superior, and many of us think that God shuns those who are sinners. But, if this is our vision of God, then God isn’t who we

12th Sunday of Luke  Sometimes, what’s expected doesn’t happen. And, sometimes, what’s unexpected, and maybe even impossible, happens. That’s the case with today’s story. A group of lepers of various backgrounds, including those who worship the same God as Jesus,

Sunday after Theophany There’s a huge misconception today in the Orthodox Church: the clergy are the hired professionals and the people simply come to be watch and take communion. This misconception leads to division within the church—the clergy vs. the

Sunday Before the Nativity Sometimes, it seems life is against you. No matter how hard you try, things just don’t go your way: you lose your job, your landlord terminates your lease, or you don’t get into the school you

Do the little things matter? Why try if you can’t start a movement and make a big difference? Today, Jesus says that the Kingdom is like a mustard seed—which is really, really, small—that’s planted in a garden. That little seed