This week we read Revelation 7, which offers a double vision of God’s people, with the help of OT lists of the tribes, and the wisdom of the Venerable Bede. I hope that my friends will not mind that I move, from our analysis of this Scriptural vision of the faithful, to a glimpse at my own imaginative work. Beyond the White Fence is a children’s book (for ages 8-13), scheduled to be published at the end of September by Ancient Faith Ministries. It, too, invites us to a larger vision of reality, by which our daily lives, in their terror or monotony, are put in perspective. Listeners are invited, if close to Pittsburgh, to a book launch on Sat Oct 9 at 3:00 p.m., hosted by St. Nicholas McKees Rocks.

We encounter the silence of heaven and the difficult warnings of the first four trumpets in Rev. 8, with the help of passages from Exodus, Ezekiel, Isaiah, and Zechariah. In the presence of mystery, we wait for God to fulfill His promises, knowing that His will is for all to turn to Him.

We read the difficult chapter of Revelation 9, looking to Job, Ezekiel 9:3-8, the words of Jesus (Luke 21:18), and the wisdom of some early commentators in order to help us consider the problem of evil, placed alongside our omnipotent and loving God.

This week we read Revelation 10, by which we are taught both how God has revealed Himself clearly in Jesus, and also how there remain mysteries that we cannot fathom. We read this chapter in the light of Ezekiel 3:1-3 and Daniel 9-12, learning that the new covenant brings us a new intimacy with God, but also calls for patience as we await God’s completion of His work.

We look to John’s intriguing vision of the Temple and the two witnesses in Revelation 11:1-14, aided by the visions of two earlier prophets in Ezekiel 40 and Zechariah 4. John’s images help us to understand that the bitter-sweet scroll pertains to us, and our witness in a God-defying world, as we follow the slaughtered-standing Lamb wherever He goes.

This week we look to Rev 11:15-19, clarifying the scene that we find there by means of Psalm 2, 2 Sam 6, Luke 1:42-45. Does the Theotokos make a mysterious appearance here?

This week, we read Revelation 12:1-6, mindful of the its connection with the previous chapter, and with an eye to its inner mystery concerning the Theotokos, our identity, and the victory of Christ. We are helped by attention to Deuteronomy 1:29-33; Psalm 2:7-9, and Daniel 7, along with the various comments of ancient theologians.

We come to the very center of the Apocalypse in Revelation 12:7-12, where we hear that Christ’s victory is not simply a future hope, but assured by His blood, and the word of the martyrs. We are helped in our understanding the suffering now has deep meaning, by heeding this vision and declaration in the light of Wisdom 2:24, Job 1, and Luke 10:18-22.

We read the Revelation 12:13-17 in the light of Deuteronomy 32:10-18 and Psalm LXX 54:7-8 (MT 55:6-7). Here we learn how God uses the “desert” to nourish and perfect His people. We also see our paradoxical position, both joyfully safe with Christ and the Theotokos, but also exposed to the ongoing campaign of the adversary, who seeks to destroy, dissuading us from following the way of the Lamb.

This week we consider Revelation 13:1-10 in the light of Dan 7:1-8, 11-12, 1 Peter 1:18-20, and Isaiah 14:4-15, soberly observing the vast impact of the Evil One and his human deputies, but also recalling the eternal power of the Lamb who was slain, and the given assurances everywhere that there is no God as great as our God, who does wonders.

We read Revelation 13:11-18 in light of current interpretation (even among Orthodox readers), the fathers, and LXX Daniel “Bel and the Dragon,” 12b: 1-42. This chapter is not significant for identifying in our day the figure numbered 666 nor the mark of the beast. Instead, it prepares us for faithfulness, the possibility of exclusion or even martyrdom, and sober worship of the God of all.

We read of the joy, warnings, and blessings of God in Rev 14:1-13, helped in our interpretation by St. Andrew of Caesarea, St. Bede, and St. Augustine, as well as three passages from the OT— 2 Kings 6, 2 Sam 11:6-13, Genesis 2:1-3. Because of its imagery, the worship in heaven may seem exclusive; however, all who follow the Lamb are invited to join in the “new song.”

This week we study a passage of the Apocalypse that focusses upon judgment, and uses startling imagery. We are helped by ancient commentators, as well as by contextualizing Revelation 14:14-20 within the teaching of Jesus himself, as well as in Old Testament passages such as Psalm 1, Joel 3:11-18, and Isaiah 63:1-6. Judgment, though difficult, is a necessary complement to redemption.

This week we look at the short but challenging chapter fifteen of Revelation, in the light of Exodus 40:35; 2 Ch/Kingdoms 7:2-3; Isaiah 6:4; and Ezekiel 1:22;10:4; 44:4. We consider how judgment is an essential characteristic of the holy God, not at odds with divine love, and meditate upon the difficult phrase “the wrath of God.”

This week we consider Revelation 16 as an intensification of Exodus 7-12, looking to Haggai 2:6-7, and various other NT passages, as well as some Church fathers, in our reading of this sobering passage.

This week we consider Revelation 17 in the light of Jeremiah’s words concerning historical Babylon. The dark mystery of the visionary Babylon instructs us on the unreal nature of human and demonic power when it is sought in defiance of the living God.

This week we consider Revelation 18:1-8, considering the inevitable judgment of Babylon in the light of the prophet Isaiah (13:21-22; 47:7-9) and Malachi.

This week we behold the dramatic laments and final symbolic action concerning Babylon. The colorful vision of Rev 18:9-24, amplified by Amos 3:15-4:2, reveals the network of evil and oppression surrounding “Babylon,” and leads us forward towards joy in the victory of the God’s light and truth.

This week we read Revelation 19:1-10 in the light of Isaiah 61:10, Genesis 3:21, Matthew 16:27, and 1 Peter 5:5, noting that the praises of God are undergirded by substantial reasons, that we are called to cooperate in our salvation, and that we have been blessed in a way that confers unimaginable dignity upon human beings.

In Revelation 19:11-21, the heavens are opened, revealing the mounted Word of God, and His final conquest over evil. We are helped with this exhilarating and disturbing passage by seeing echoes in Psalm 72/71:2, Psalm 44/5:3-5, Isaiah 63:1-3, and listening to the wisdom of ancient commentators.

We read Revelation 20:1-15 in the light of the gospels, Psalm 85:10-11 and Isaiah 66:24. This chapter leads us not only into the vivid climax of the Apocalypse, but into two heated debates among those who name Christ; millennialism, and universalism. It reminds us that God’s justice and love are in harmony, and that even now, He reigns.

This week we read Revelation 21:1-8, understanding it in the light of Isaiah 65-66, Colossians 1:19-20, Eph 3:10, 2 Pet 3:12-13, and Hebrews 11:10, 16; 12:22: 13:14. With the angels, we are astonished that God promises to renew heaven and well as earth, and has already begun this transformation in the Holy Spirit.

We read the astounding and exhilarating climactic vision of Rev 21:9-27 in the light of Exodus 28:15-21, Daniel 2:34-35, Ezekiel 40-43, Isaiah 2:2-3, Isaiah 54:11-14 and Psalm 47/8:13-15. Rather than simply being spectators of this vision, we find ourselves inscribed in it, sharing the very glory of God.

We read Rev. 22:1-7 in the light of Genesis 1-3, Psalm 1, Psalm 35/36, and Daniel 7, and with the help of ancient commentators, west and east.

The final section of the book of Revelation leads us to a sense of deep mystery, yet satisfaction. We read Rev 22:8-21 in the light of Deut 30:19; Genesis 1-3; Deut 30:19; Daniel 8:26, 12:14.

In our final episode of this series, we take a “bird’s eye” view of the entire book, considering its structure, and how that fills out the central theme of the Apocalypse—the loving Victory of Christ, who includes us in God’s ongoing plan to recover His creation. Our hearts are grasped by this unusual book, if read in this light. Hearers are invited to join Edith for a new series after Thanksgiving, focused on the “canticles” of the Church.

Listen to excerpts from this past Sunday's bulletin at St. John the Compassionate Mission, serving the most vulnerable in Toronto.

A community member and Father Nicolaie each reflect on their experience with an aspect of the Gospel story of the young man who was possessed.

Notes from the community that offer a peek at how the community members are seeing God at work in and through each other.

Reader Nicholas Chapman provides an exploration of moves towards Orthodoxy in Britain and later America in a transatlantic connection between the Reformation and the First World War. Our thanks to Fr. Gregory Hallam at St. Aidan Orthodox Church in Manchester (where this talk was given) for the recording.

Piers, who has learning difficulties and sensory issues, says he has missed being in the classroom

Burton Albion and Morecambe are among the EFL sides facing non-league opposition in the FA Cup first round.

However, a coroner says she was unable to conclude Amir Safi had intended to end his life.

Customers are some of your best leads. According to a 2022 HubSpot Blog survey of more than 500 sales professionals, more than 70 percent said that upsell and cross-sell drives up to 30 percent of their revenue.

Also orders power utility to pay Rs3.5m to a victim's familyQ

Imran Khan had earlier defended Gandapur, calling on PTI to expel the 'weak cowards' who had apologised for the K-P CM

Performers dressed as zombies practice their performance before boarding a "Zombie Shinkansen" bullet train bound for Osaka from Tokyo, inspired by the South Korean movie 'Train to Busan', ahead of the Halloween season, in Tokyo, Japan October 19, 2024. — Reuters

It's usually a serene...

Campbell ‘Pookie’ Puckett and her husband Jett Puckett welcomed their first child, a baby girl, just days after Jett gifted Campbell a $12,000 Hermes Kelly bag as a push present.

In an emotional Instagram video shared on Tuesday, Campbell was seen tearfully cradling her new...

Kelsey Ransom scored 14 points to lead sixth-seeded Georgetown to a 55-46 upset of No. 21 Creighton in the Big East Tournament semifinals.

Coco Gauff defeated top-ranked Aryna Sabalenka 7-6 (4), 6-3 and set up a showdown with Olympic champion Zheng Qinwen in the final of the WTA Finals on Friday.

EU BON and CETAF informatics groups had an astronomically successful meeting at Digitarium in Joensuu, Finland, 17-20 March 2015. The event coincided with solar eclipse and show of the decade for northern lights.

Major progress in data standards for information exchange took place during the week when the Biodiversity Information Standards TDWG organisation announced ratification of five new terms for quantitative biodiversity data, which had been proposed by the EU BON project one year earlier. The new terms include, in particular, organismQuantity and sampleSizeValue. This allows for exchange of ecological data in much wider scale than what has been possible until now. The participants of the meeting applauded for this occasion.

Northern lights over Joensuu Science Park 2015-03-18. Photo: Riitta Tegelberg

The meeting included a training workshop on new data sharing tools, and working sessions for designing the EU BON portal, which will allow using biodiversity observation data in research.

The 40 attendees came from 18 different countries.

Participants at the meeting.

During the meeting the attendees also were given presentations and demonstrations of Digitarium's equipment and methods for high-performance digitisation.

The EU project EKLIPSE has joined our family of associated partners. The MoU was signed by Dr. Carsten Neßhöver, UFZ, on behalf of EKLIPSE project Coordinator Dr. Allan Watt (NERC-Centre for Ecology and Hydrology, Edinburgh, UK) and Dr. Anke Hoffmann, on behalf of EU BON Coordinator Dr. Christoph Häuser, during the 2016 GEO BON Open Science Conference & All Hands Meeting in Leipzig, Germany.

Dr. Carsten Neßhöver and Dr. Anke Hoffmann at the handing of the MoU; Credit: EKLIPSE

EKLIPSE is a EU project that will set up a sustainable and innovative way of knowing, networking and learning about biodiversity and ecosystem services. EKLIPSE is an unusual project in several ways, particularly:

• The project is funded for four years to develop a sustainable mechanism  that will be in place for many years to come.

• The development of the support mechanism through the project is facilitated by project partners. Their role is to facilitate linkages between science, policy and society, through different actions, such as knowledge synthesis, identifying research priorities, and building the Network of Networks  that will support the other actions.

EKLIPSE is an EU-funded project that aims to develop a mechanism for supporting better informed decisions about our environment based on the best available knowledge. This short video (4 minute) explains the EKLIPSE process and you can find out more about our science-policy activities on the EKLIPSE website. The project now invites you to describe your views on how to improve the science-policy interface related to biodiversity and ecosystem services and potential ways in which you, or your background organization, would like to contribute to the EKLIPSE mechanism.

Have your say here!

The 1^st EKLIPSE conference will taka place from 6^th to 8^th December, 2016.

The conference will present the first outputs of EKLIPSE, identify further knowledge needs with respect to biodiversity in the context of nature-based solutions and to further develop our joint networking. During the event EKLIPSE will organise jointly with partners including BiodivERsA and EPBRS a series of workshops and conferences in Brussels.

“We didn’t play well enough to deserve the win, and they did.”

The post Jayson Tatum says the Celtics let the Hawks get ‘too comfortable’ in upset loss appeared first on Boston.com.

On Monday, a total solar eclipse will cross 14 states from Oregon to South Carolina. We find out people all across the country are preparing.

Also: we meet an eclipse chaser traveling to the US from Australia; we speak to a cloistered nun who has been getting calls from concerned Catholics worried about the end of times; we learn what solar eclipses have revealed to us about our universe throughout the ages; plus how a new technology can help blind people experience the coming eclipse as well.

(Image: Solar Eclipse related items are offered for sale in Hopkinsville, Kentucky. Hopkinsville is located near the point of greatest totality for the August 21 eclipse. Credit: Scott Olson/Getty Images)

Workers caught in trench collapses rarely survive because soil can be extremely heavy. A cubic yard of soil can weigh up to 3,000 pounds – roughly the weight of a small motor vehicle, according to OSHA.

Washington – A recent blog post by NIOSH sheds light on the thought process that goes into choosing the most effective art for safety materials.