The darkness roots deeply within us all, both personally and collectively, and nothing but the brilliant glory of the Lord can overcome it. Whether we know it or not, we inevitably sink like stones into the abyss whenever we make anything or anyone else the foundation of our lives.

If you are like me, there are times when you become worried or upset over matters of very little importance. It often does not take much to punch our buttons because we base our sense of self and wellbeing, as well as our hopes for the future, on illusions that cannot fulfill them. Due to our darkened spiritual vision, we do not see ourselves, our relationships with other people, or where we stand before the Lord very clearly. When the inevitable challenges of life cause us to catch even a small glimpse of these uncomfortable truths, we usually do not like it and can easily start to sink into the churning sea of our passions.

We read the stories of the Holy Martyr George (celebrated this Sunday April 23, along with St. Thomas Sunday) in the light of Job, Isaiah and Revelation 12, seeing him as a mirror to our victorious Lord, who cleansed the chaotic waters of all that lurked there, and trampled down death by death.

A new church school class has started at St. Ignatius Orthodox Church in Franklin, TN taught by Dn. Michael Hyatt. Dn. Michael is teaching through the popular book by Dr. Jeannie Constantnou - Thinking Orthodox. This is the introductory lesson. If you don't have a copy, order one today. Available in print, eBook, and Audiobook formats.

Dn. Michael Hyatt begins looking at chapter 2 of Thinking Orthodox by Dr. Jeannie Constantinou. It's called The Distinctiveness of Orthodox Christianity.

In this week’s class, Dn. Michael considers Orthodox Thinking from four different perspectives: Ancient Greek literature, the Biblical text, the writings of the fathers, and the practice of ordinary Orthodox Christians.

Now that we’ve discussed the two major expressions of the Western phronema (episode 122), Dn. Michael returns to the Orthodox phronema to compare and contrast it. If we are going to acquire it, we need to know what we’re looking for. In this episode he discusses the five main attributes of an Orthodox phronema.

The concept of “phronema” (a mindset, approach, stance, or way of thinking) is inescapable. Everyone has one. However, the phronema of the West is very different from that of the East. In this episode, Dn. Michael unpacks the two major expressions of the Western phronema: Protestantism and Roman Catholicism. While they seem very different, they are more similar than you might think.

Up until this point, we have focused on understanding the concept of an Orthodox phronema—what it is and how it is different from the Western phronema. In this episode, we explore five actions you need to take in order to acquire an Orthodox phronema. Thinking Orthodox by Dr. Jeannie Constantinou

Many people view theology as a dry, academic pursuit. In the Orthodox tradition, however, we understand theology as talking to God, not merely talking about Him. In this episode, we look at the three saints in the church’s history who bear the title “Theologian.” Their examples show us what true theology is and how to make it part of our Christian experience.

Tradition is the foundation of Orthodox Christianity. It permeates everything we believe and do. But when Orthodox Christians talk about Tradition, they mean something different that Protestants or Roman Catholics. In this episode, we consider five questions about Tradition, including what it is and what it’s not

We’ve seen the important role Tradition plays in the shaping of our phronema. But what role does the Bible play in its development? To answer that question, we consider Holy Scriptures from three perspectives: Inspiration, Interpretation, and Instruction. We also look at how Tradition and Scripture relate to each other.

An Orthodox Phronema sits on a three-legged stool: Tradition, Scripture, and the Fathers. In this episode, we consider the role of the Fathers. Specifically, we answer several questions about them: Who are they, why are they important, and how do they relate to Scripture and Tradition.

As we have learned, “the theologian is one who prays.” While that is certainly important, it’s not the only characteristic of true theologians. There’s more to it than that—much more. In this episode, Dn. Michael considers ten characteristics of true theologians. Surprisingly, they’re relevant to all Orthodox Christians not just theologians.

In this study, Dn. Michael wrap up his series on Thinking Orthodox. He summarizes the book, by looking at How Jesus Christ is the epitome of an Orthodox phronema. He considers seven truths about developing an Orthodox mindset.

Fr. Apostolos Hill preaches about the Living Water that only Christ can give to quench the thirst in the deepest part of humanity.

In my "Spam Suspects" email folder today, I noticed some spam which used Google as a redirection service, by linking to http://www.google.com/url?q=http://www.somespamsite.com. When trying this technique with some other site, I found that google responds to this query with a 302 redirect to the site in question. Clearly, the spammer was using this system to lure people who trust Google... (176 words)

Readers Sarah Werner and Catherine Kostyn review Thinking Orthodox: Understanding and Acquiring the Orthodox Mind by Dr. Jeannie Constantinou.

Dr. Albert Rossi encourages us to be aware of the ways in which our thoughts are directing the course of our lives, both towards evil and good, and calls us to embrace those thoughts which align our lives with the thoughts of Christ.

Is Orthodoxy really somehow immune to the liberalism and worldiness that afflicts everyone else in North America? Fr. Lawrence Farley argues, "No!"

Bobby Maddex is joined by Dn. Andrei Psarev to discuss the upcoming "Links between Times: Conclusions and Perspectives" Conference taking place in Belgrade, Serbia from November 22–26, 2021. The aim of the conference is to make sense of processes connecting the past and present of the Russian Orthodox Church Outside of Russia. Interested listeners can learn more and register from the conference at the ROCOR Studies website. You can also learn more at the conference Facebook page.

Fr. Pat preaches on the Parable of the Rich Fool found in Luke 12:16-21.

A new study from the Pew Research Group has some interesting numbers. Do they show that Christianity is shrinking? While it's true that people are leaving the Church, we can't panic. Instead, we should use these numbers as a challenge. Our challenge is to be the bee and live Orthodoxy: to help people find God and to live the Faith everyday.

"Thoughts" are the imaginings and fantasies that can distract us from God. And they can turn into action after they enter our hearts. So how do we deal with the thoughts that bother us? Instead of fighting them, we can turn away from them.

How can we receive the peace of Christ during Great Lent and throughout our lives?

BBC Sport Scotland speaks to some of the nation's top athletes to get their views on Glasgow hosting the 2026 Commonwealth Games.

The instrument is usually on display in the Robert Burns Birthplace Museum in Alloway.

The new electricity plant plans to use the gas rather than releasing it into the atmosphere.

A Nottingham theologian says the resignation of Justin Welby is "unprecedented".

The wooden boat took on water very quickly as it tried to navigate the harbour in the early hours.

Ten containers holding tonnes of waste are found abandoned in the Midlands in recent weeks.

The latest candidate for the post has withdrawn just days after the appointment was announced.

New car market falls by -6.0% in October, as businesses, fleets and private buyers register 9,241 fewer vehicles. Battery electric the only vehicles to see higher uptake as manufacturers subsidise […]

The post EV deliveries rise in October as overall market shrinks appeared first on Tech Digest.

Windmill – Digital Art Electron-based displacement map generator. (tags: 3d javascript displacement textures )

The Healing Power of JavaScript | WIRED "With static sites, we've come full circle, like exhausted poets who have travelled the world trying every form of poetry and realizing that the haiku is enough to see most of us through our tragedies." A line that particularly resonates in this lovely Craig Mod article on the […]

CG Cinematography Archives – Chris Brejon A remarkable book – and resource – from Chris Brejon. All on lighting for CG animation, but as usual with this sort of reference, so much to say about cinematic lighting fullstop. (tags: animation 3d compositing lighting book reference cinematography ) R Luke Dubois on Joel Chadabe A deeply […]

GitHub OCTO | Flat Data Github experimenting with a formalised approach for using Actions/repositories as datastores. Interesting to see their end-to-end approach, including, in particular, custom VS Code plugins for generating configurations; it's a neat and accessible way to build end-user UI. (tags: data git github tools storage patterns )

Mare’s Hair | Avidly "Here’s an important and (as far as I can yet tell) unaddressed question for Mare of Easttown criticism: when, exactly, did Mare Sheehan stop dying her hair blond? This question may seem trivial compared to more pressing Mare of Easttown questions, such as “was that ending good?” and “is this copaganda?” […]

Frog Vision and Tom’s Diner – Valhalla DSP "However, the most important factor for me at this point is that I have heard “Tom’s Diner” so many times that *I no longer hear it*. Like frog vision, I no longer notice what remains the same, only what has changed. I don’t hear the song anymore, […]

Primož Roglič – Path to 2021 Tour de France Glory Wonderful writing from Kate Wagner, on Primož Roglič, and cycling, and the arcs of careers, and change. (tags: cycling primozroglic sport katewagner writing ) playing the believing game – by Sara Hendren – undefended / undefeated "… believing, Elbow says, is a separate muscle entirely, […]

Oddkin: A working letter · Buttondown "Either your workplace is a family or it’s not. It’s not, of course. The very concept of the workplace as family is a tool for exploitation. But if it’s not, where does that leave us in relation to each other? What does it mean to care about your colleagues, […]

George and Ann "My only objection [to the coverage of le Carré's death] would be: not enough discussion about the relationship between le Carré’s greatest character, George Smiley, and his wife, Ann, which plays out over the five novels where George Smiley appears as a central figure and is one of the weirdest portraits of […]

Book riverside igloos and rooftop domes for your festive socialising.

"Clang clang clang went the trolley..."