Fr. John Whiteford describes how obedience helps us grow in humility.

Fr. John Whiteford considers the costliness of worship in response to the extravagant love of God. (Palm Sunday 2023)

Fr. John Whiteford reflects on the great love and faith the Myrrh-Bearing Women had for their Lord.

Fr. John Whiteford describes the important role of motherhood as seen through life of the Theotokos, the mother of our Lord.

Fr. John Whiteford speaks about our need to know and love the truth so that we can stand firm in the faith. (2 Thessalonians 2:1-17)

Fr. John Whiteford preaches on the Feast of Holy Pentecost about the seal of the Holy Spirit.

Fr. John Whiteford reflects on the call to trust in God and how we can 'fret not' when the wicked parish. (Psalm 36[37]:1-11)

Fr. John Whiteford offers a corrective perspective when viewing the 'success' of the wicked, and how the wicked fret when they see the righteous who rebuke their way of living. (Psalm 36:12-24)

Fr. John Whiteford speaks on the life of St. Anthony of the Kiev Caves, the founder of monasticism in Russia.

Fr. John Whiteford calls us to believe and live the true Orthodox faith. (1 Timothy 6:11-16)

Fr. John Whiteford discusses the meaning of the parable of the unmerciful servant (Matthew 18:23-25).

Fr. John Whiteford explains the purpose and importance of the Hymns of Ascent. Psalm 119 is featured.

Fr. John Whiteford discusses Psalm 120 (LXX).

Fr. John Whiteford continues his exploration of the Psalms of Ascent, focusing this time on Psalm 121.

Fr. John Whiteford talks about the life of St. James the Just.

Fr. John Whiteford focuses on another of the Psalms of Ascent, Psalm 122:1-4.

Fr. John Whiteford's sermon from December 24, 2023.

Fr. John Whiteford talks about the name of Jesus in context of Matthew's genealogy (Matthew 1:1-25).

Fr. John Whiteford tells of the life of St. Nectarius.

Fr. John Whiteford's sermon from March 10, 2024.

Fr. John Whiteford preaches on forgiveness.

Fr. John Whiteford's homily from Sunday, March 24, 2024.

Fr. John Whiteford's sermon from June 30, 2024.

Fr. John Whiteford's sermon from July 21, 2024.

Fr. John Whiteford's sermon from July 28, 2024.

Fr. John Whiteford's sermon from August 18, 2024.

Fr. John Whiteford's sermon for September 1, 2024.

Fr. John Whiteford's sermon from September 15, 2024.

Fr. John Whiteford's sermon from September 22, 2024.

Fr. John Whiteford's sermon for September 29, 2024.

How is it possible to find silence in the middle of the city? Why does it matter? On the lessons learned from St. Isidora and the daily task of floor washing.

As the light of the Nativity comes closer, how does silence fit into the last minute rush for gift buying, baking, caroling and office parties? In this episode of The Wilderness Journal, join host Angela Doll Carlson in the second half of her conversation with author Summer Kinard as they talk about Advent, silence, self care, and Amish/Alien romance novels.

The start of Great Lent begins with preparation. We prepare our refrigerators, freezers and pantry for the fast, emptying it of meat and dairy. But we prepare our hearts as well, emptying it of resentments or grudges, wrongs we have done or wrongs done to us in our community. On navigating Forgiveness Vespers as an introvert.

It’s often intimidating to walk into a new space filled with strangers. It’s hard to be the stranger but it’s also sometimes intimidating to be the one charged with welcoming the stranger. How does “coffee hour” or “fellowship” after Liturgy remind us, as William Butler Yeats wrote, “There are no strangers here; Only friends you haven’t yet met.”

While most Mother’s Day celebrations include things like cards, brunch or carnations, there are other, more tangible ways to embrace the more non-commercial aspects of appreciating mothers. What would it look like to connect daily gratitude with the small moments of mothering? How might it transform us?

In this episode of the Wilderness Journal, Angela talks with poet Scott Cairns about having a sense of “place” in one’s life, as well as the importance of language, dialogue, and literature in the task of building the self.

Angela Doll Carlson shares her plans for the podcast for 2019, particularly reading from her new book titled The Wilderness Journal: 365 Days with the Philokalia.

The prayer of St. Ephraim is a familiar one for Orthodox Christians, especially during Lent. This season offers us the chance to practice the prayer and to come face to face with our own inner “construction” as we come closer to Pascha. What roads are we paving? What bridges are we building?

What is stirring when we meet our rebel self? And when that rebel self shows up, what wisdom will we find there? On this episode of The Wilderness Journal, Angela explores the familiar landscape of rebellion, its role in conversion and in deepening our journey of faith.

Since God will judge the secrets of men according to St. Paul's letter to the Romans, it just makes sense to order our lives so that our secrets don't undo our words and our faith.

There is a huge difference in trying to be something and living either the realization that you ARE something. It changes your motivation and your attitude about who you are. Well, you ARE the light of the world.

Circumstances can be intoxicating and Fr. Barnabas says that true contentment begins in the heart not with our circumstances.

Why does the Church offer us the Feast of the Exaltation of the Holy Cross? Because the Christian faith is about dealing with reality and having our all too easy temptations to delusions and the fantasy of what I'm afraid of or what I wish for blind us to the reality God wants us to embrace! Waking up is hard, but it has to be done!