Introduction: thinking about the radical atheism of the Soviet Communists The Soviet Communists were atheist totalitarians. They tried to create a system that would make both faith and the religious institutions that foster it seem silly and superfluous. Given the strength of Orthodoxy in the pre-revolutionary Russian Empire, they had to be very intentional about […]
ON THE FIRST SUNDAY of the Great Fast our Church celebrates the triumph of Orthodoxy, the victory of true Christian teaching over all perversions and distortions thereof—heresies and false teachings. On the second Sunday of the Great Fast it is as though this triumph of Orthodoxy is repeated and deepened in connection with the celebration of the memory of one of the greatest pillars of Orthodoxy, the hierarch Gregory Palamas, Archbishop of Thessalonica, who by his grace-bearing eloquence and the example of his highly ascetic private life put to shame the teachers of falsehood who dared reject the very essence of.Orthodoxy, the podvig of prayer and fasting, which enlightens the human mind with the light of grace and makes it a communicant of the divine glory.
The Holodomor – not just bureaucratic excess
November 24, 2008 By
A letter to the editor entitled “Stalin didn’t purposely starve Ukrainians” recently appeared in the local paper. The author attempts to dispel the “myth”, “tall tale”, and “legend” of the Ukrainian Holodomor in 1932-33. Sifting through his hyperbole, his argument relies on the following “facts”; I will briefly address each in turn: The Holodomor serves […]
The Orthodox Witness of Peace and the Repose of +Ihumen Gregory
November 23, 2008 By
It is with a “profound depth of sadness and prayer” that I share the news that the servant of God, Ihumen (abbot) Gregory fell asleep in the Lord this past Thursday evening. You will remember that I have asked all of you to pray for him: please continue to do so. Those of us with […]
Remembering the Holodomor
November 17, 2008 By
It was another busy week here at St. Michael’s. Here are some highlights: Monday While I spent most of Monday on administrivia, the highlight came in the evening with the opening of the Holodomor exhibit at the Rhode Island Community College (Knight Campus) Art Gallery. As part of the commemoration, Professor Cheryl Madden (who teaches […]
Thoughts on a Busy Week
November 10, 2008 By
This was another busy week here at St. Michael’s, culminating with the visit of our archpastor, His Eminence Archbishop Antony. While much of the business was pretty mundane, there were some things you might be interested in. Tuesday was election day, one of my favorite times. I love election day not just because it means […]
On the Obligations of Christian Citizenship
October 20, 2008 By
The demands of sacrificial love and citizenship are hard to reconcile. Christ demands that we welcome strangers, turn the other cheek, and love our enemies. But the governments we elect have immigration laws, prisons, and armies that they use to turn away strangers, imprison those who assault others, and fight against those who declare war […]
More Thoughts on Immigration Policy
October 8, 2008 By
[FIRST POSTED ON AUGUST 18 2008; UPDATED ON OCTOBER 10, 2008] I am not a political activist – my activism is “in the trenches”, building up the community of Christ rather than than trying to lobby the government. But as a citizen in a democratic country who pastors the same, and as an amateur political […]
Orthodoxy and the State – Preliminary Thoughts on Immigration Policy
August 18, 2008 By
[FIRST POSTED ON AUGUST 18 2008; UPDATED ON OCTOBER 10, 2008] I am not a political activist – my activism is “in the trenches”, building up the community of Christ rather than than trying to lobby the government. But as a citizen in a democratic country who pastors the same, and as an amateur political […]
Random updates – and one technology that does NOT work
August 12, 2008 By
It has exciting here recently. Two weeks ago I attended the Ukrainian Orthodox League Convention; then the next week I went to Florida with my family. Now I am almost caught up with the things that accumulated in my Inbox over that time. The Ukrainian Orthodox League convention was awesome. We (my oldest son, a […]
Should Clergy Talk about Politics from the Pulpit
August 3, 2008 By
The Johnson Amendment of 1954 changed the IRS code so that churches that support or oppose candidates for public office would lose their non-profit status. This past Sunday, a group of pastors challenged this by using Scripture to analyze the campaign positions of Senators McCain and Obama. They did this hoping to challenge the constitutionality […]
