When the Church's hymns describe us as "rational sheep," what does it mean? Fr. Stephen offers this meditation on language and humanity. Language is part of our deepest nature - and it is a reflection of God.

The truth of words is much deeper than the "facts" they may represent. A true word is found in the heart of God, and in our hearts when we dwell in God.

Fr. Stephen Freeman looks at the notion of "allegory" as it is used in the New Testament and in the Orthodox worldview. He also considers the true nature of "literalism" and how we should understand it.

Bill Marianes provides a valuable and informative service for our listeners with this episode recorded in the midst of the Corona Virus. In the event of a pandemic or other disruptive crisis, there are at least 10 strategic areas where we as individuals, and our churches, can focus to address needs, live better lives and fulfill our mission and calling. This is a program every priest and parish council member should listen to and share.

Frederica shares some insights from her grandson Isaac, who was born blind but regained his sight after being baptized.

Fr.Tom asks us to heed the scriptures and use our words carefully. Specifically he identifies several terms that are often incorrectly used in Orthodoxy today.

I've become obsessed with site speed over the last six months, systematically working through each of my sites to improve their speed. Supposed SEO benefits aside, the faster your site is, the better the user experience. And the better the user experience, the higher the conversion rate – sales, leads or newsletter subscribers; whatever a…

The post 10 Simple Ways to Make Your WordPress Site Faster appeared first on Sugarrae.

If you've looked into search engine optimization as a promotional technique for your website, you have likely come across the advice to make your website secure (having an https:// appear in front of your URLs instead of http://). Google has been very vocal in pushing for all websites to make the move to being secure,…

The post How to Make Your WordPress Website Secure (SSL) in 6 Steps appeared first on Sugarrae.

In his continuing series on the Divine Liturgy, Fr. Thomas reflects on the hymn sung at every Liturgy with its origins attributed to Sts. Justinian and Theodora in the sixth century.

As the Little Entrance is concluded a transition is taking place to the proclamation of the Word of God. Today Fr. Tom comments on that transition as well as the choice of readings for the Divine Liturgy.

Fr. John shares from Psalm 118:49-56.

Fr. John speaks from 2 Timothy 4:1-8.

Fr. John shares from Psalm 118:81-89.

Fr. John reflects on Psalm 118:89-96.

Fr. John Whiteford shares from Psalm 118:137-144.

Fr. John Whiteford shares the story of the Kursk-Root Icon as a reminder that God always prevails over evil.

I would argue that when it comes to making money online, the most important skill you need is not in being able to find untapped niches, knowing how to do A/B testing, creating attractive websites or even having a great ability to write. Instead, the most sought after skill in my eyes is being able […]

The post 6,595 Words on a Traffic Generation Tactic You’re Not Using (But Should Be) appeared first on ViperChill.

You can run into the most amazing and interesting blog on the web, only to find out it’s a chore to navigate. When it comes to websites, good content alone doesn’t make for success – the entire experience needs to be enjoyable. Think about your blog as a library. It needs to be inviting, easy […]

The post How to Design a User-Friendly WordPress Blog appeared first on Leaving Work Behind.

Keyword research is a lot more difficult than you might imagine. Finding popular keywords is only the start. You also have to be able to spot which keywords your blog can realistically rank for and where your competitors are vulnerable. If you want your blog to grow organically, you have to play the Search Engine Optimization (SEO) […]

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In her final episode as OCF’s Podcast Student Leader, Danielle was joined with Dn. Michael Hyatt. In their conversation about starting a new chapter, they discuss themes of work-life balance, boundaries, priorities, and authenticity. Congratulations to the Class of 2022!

The words that come out of our mouths have a direct connection to the Word that became flesh and dwelt among us.

Fr. John explains how all the Church's words are full of grace and truth—an example for us all as we celebrate the birth of the Word.

"A 'thank you' toward Heaven is nice, but how much more does it mean when it flows from sincerity—from a changing life? The human being says 'thank you' to God by becoming more like him."

Fr. John Oliver reflects on what it means for God to speak a Word, and how our own words can drip with the honey of truth and love.

As we begin the Nativity fast, Fr. Joseph has some helpful reminders for us. He's also looking for your questions on fasting - serious, humorous or otherwise. Write him at his email address above.

In Homily 43, St. Isaac speaks of three areas of ‘discipline,’ or areas in which we must guide or rule our life. Proper discipline in these areas leads to purity. These three areas are bodily discipline, leading to purification of the body; discipline of the mind, leading to purification of the soul; and spiritual discipline, leading to purification of the mind.

Steve and Christian discuss the new Netflix series, "The G Word with Adam Conover." They explore Christian approaches to politics, power, and the Kingdom of God. Leave your comments for the 200th episode at 917-524-7483 (call or text) by July 1, 2022.

Fr. Philip LeMasters encourages us to live faithfully before the Lord, as did the Theotokos.

Fr. Philip LeMasters reflects on the struggle to believe when the circumstances we face seem overwhelming, growing in faith into the image of Christ.

John 7:37-52; 8:12 and Acts 2:1-11 are paired in this Holy day’s readings, showing us Jesus’ promise and the fulfillment of his words. Let us consider also how Pentecost, a multi-sensory event, was the undoing of the confusion of Babel, and the fulfillment of the words of Amos and Ezekiel, not only for Israel, but for the whole human race. With this confidence, let us pray for our patriarchs in Crete and across the world as they consider and work towards our common life together.

As we approach the depth of Holy Week, we hear Jesus’ call to repentance, and promise for those who follow Him into victory, in Revelation 2:12-17. We are helped in understanding this word to Pergamum and to us by reading Numbers chapters 24-25 and 31, and Hebrews 4:12.

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 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.

Fr. Ted calls us to put to use one of the most powerful tools that we have in fighting the passions—fasting!

Fr. Theodore Paraskevopoulos reflects on the life and ministry of St. John Chrysostom, Archbishop of Constantinople.

Andrew says seeking union with anything or anyone outside of God gradually takes away our freedom, takes away our personhood, takes away our ability to be uniquely ourselves. Read the transcript HERE.

In this program, we revisit Orthodox Holy Week with selected passages from the Holy Tradition - in the hope of trying to convey the richness of the "conversation" between God and the Church. For Christ invites us to go with Him to the Holy Cross, and we find ourselves both willing and unwilling, like the repentant harlot and the betrayer Judas, like the good thief and the blind and unbelieving crowd. Glory to God in Christ! He overcomes the wrath and sins of mankind through love and humility in His Suffering and tramples down Death by Death.

The priest is vested, the Gifts have been prepared for the celebration of the Eucharist, and now the Divine Liturgy begins. The first half of the Divine Liturgy is called "the Liturgy of the Word" or "the Liturgy of the Catechumens". In the Liturgy of the Word we hear the Church's teaching about the saints, feasts and events being commemorated that day, the Epistle is read and the Gospel is preached. We see it is not always easy to follow along, even with a service book in hand. Steve and Bill offer some insights into the structure and flow of the Liturgy of the Word that will help newcomers participate more fully in the service.

Professor Herman Tristram Engelhardt, Jr., a professor of ethics at Rice and emeritus professor of medicine at Baylor University, delivers the St. Ambrose Society lecture on "Preaching the Word of the Lord: Being an Orthodox Christian in a Post-Christian Public Square.” The outline for Dr. Engelhardt's speech is attached here as a PDF.

Dn. Michael takes a break from his "in But Not Of" series to discuss different aspects of Christian living. This week he addresses reconciliation.

Dn. Michael begins a new series on the Conciliar Press book Spread the Word by Fr. Michael Keiser. Here he discusses the five critical components of Early Church evangelism.

Dn. Michael shares the four New Testament sources from which we can learn about evangelism.

Dn. Michael details the three ways in which the Early Church demonstrated its emphasis on evangelism: roving evangelists, the appointment of clergy for evangelistic efforts, and the expectation that ordinary lay people should be involved in evangelistic outreach.

Listen to excerpts from this past Sunday's bulletin at St. John the Compassionate Mission, still open and serving the most vulnerable in Toronto. "This becomes a time when we get to experience what real life has been for others. We are receiving the good news of the Resurrection so we can witness and testify for the sake of those who do not know when the darkness is going to end, to those who have not seen the dawn just yet."

How the concept of punishment in the world to come was understood at the time of Christ.

The parable of the soils sets the tone for other parables taught by our Lord. Fr. Thomas reminds us that this parable brilliantly expresses the importance of both hearing and actively receiving the Word of God in us. (Sixteenth Sunday after Pentecost)

Lent is a time of great anticipation as we move toward the celebration of Christ's holy Pascha. But Fr Thomas reminds us that it is also a preparation for our entire Christian life, where we face the challenges of increased prayer, fasting and almsgiving and in turn, learn much about our true selves. (Forgiveness Sunday)

The first parable that Jesus taught is the beloved Parable of the Sower. Fr Thomas explains its place in the scripture and its crucial importance in our lives.

The Parable of the Sower, also known as the Parable of the Soils, teaches us important lessons about how different people receive the Word of God. Fr Thomas reminds us that the ultimate lesson of this famous parable is, "Let us attend! Pay attention!"