Orthodoxy & Homosexuality I was listening to talk radio recently and heard about Fred Phelps and his “Baptist” Church that sponsors the “God Hates Fags” ministry. Apparently they had picketed the funeral of a soldier killed in Afghanistan claiming that America’s soldiers are dying because of America’s general acceptance of gays. The family of the soldier is suing the Phelps’ ministry. Terry Mattingly, an Orthodox religion writer, recently wrote an editorial about Fred Phelp’s “Church” Homosexuality is one of the issues that not only divides Christians from non-Christians, but Christians from Christians... Read More »
	How to Study the Bible One of the things that I’ve noticed in some “Orthodox literature” is that it seems to assume one of two things (or both): first, the readers are “Bible savvy ex-protestants” and second, that the readers are more interested in patristics and canons than the Bible. From the email we get from our listeners, there is a whole middle ground of Orthodox Christians who didn’t graduate from a Protestant seminary, attend Sunday School for 12 years and remember it all, can’t quote the Bible in two languages and would like to know what people mean by phrases like “the Pentateuch, the Minor Prophets, the Pastoral Epistles”, exactly what is the difference between the “Old Testament” and “New Testament”, and more importantly, what is in them. Unfortunately I’ve not found a good, simple and relatively complete introduction to the entire Bible for Orthodox Christians...until now.... Read More »
	Bill's Corner: The Six Psalms Many hold the opinion that, next to the Divine Liturgy, the service of Matins (Orthros in Greek) is the most significant service in the Eastern Orthodox Church’s great daily cycle of prayer. It is a rich collection of “psalms and hymns and spiritual songs” ­– to quote St. Paul the Apostle (Eph. 5:19) – chanted and sung daily in the monasteries, usually following the Midnight Hour (or sometimes within a Vigil service, following Vespers) and preceding the Divine Liturgy. In most parishes Matins is done either in the Vigil or just prior to the Divine Liturgy on Sundays and major feast days... Read More »
	Listener Questions Question 1 Dear Steve and Bill, How did your work through all this with your wives? How did they react to your interest in Orthodoxy? For example, the book "Searching for God in the Land of Shallow Wells" came close to causing a divorce. I was so impressed with the arguments while my wife felt, as I shared the arguments, that I was attacking everything she believed and held dear. She thinks I am crazy and refuses to even consider visiting an Orthodox Church with me.... Read More »
	Help Wanted! Wanted: Transcribers and translators. What: Transcribe selected programs (in English). Format and guidelines for transcriptions will be provided. You can sign up for one program or as many as you think you can realistically handle. When: We’d like to complete the transcription project within 4 months and the translations following close behind. Why: To provide transcriptions to overseas and rural internet users who only have dial up and have difficulty downloading the large audio files. Read More »
	We Need “First Contact Churches” Would your Parish or Mission be willing to be a “first contact Church” for inquirers looking for an Orthodox Church to visit? We have had contact with inquirers from all fifty states and over 25 foreign countries. Many of these people will eventually make a first visit to an Orthodox Church. We often have listeners who have never attended an Orthodox Church ask us “where should I visit?” Sometimes we can make a recommendation, but most of the time we just have to tell our listeners to go to a phone book or Orthodoxy in America and start calling parishes or just show up at a local parish and then email us about the experience.... Read More »
	Blogs & Stuff Second Terrace Which is Easier... Read More » Notes From a Common-Place Blog Sweatin’ for Jeezus... Worshiptainment in Evangelicalism Read More » Fr. Stephen Freeman The Fullness of the Cross ... How do we interpret the Cross of Christ? Read More » Pithless Thoughts Self Image, Narcissism and Loneliness... the story of our life. Read More » Orthodoxy on YouTube Divna, the female chanter we play for our break music. Watch Now » An Orthodox “First Communion” at St. John’s Mission where Bill and I attend. Watch Now »
	Orthodox Bible Study Update “The seed is the Word of God...” Luke 8:11 Well folks, it finally happened. The requests for the “Free Orthodox Study Bible to non-Orthodox listeners” just overwhelmed us and we’ve had to temporarily (we hope) suspend the offer. However, we are not suspending sending Bibles to those who have requested one. Even if you have not ordered one, we ask that you read this article... Read More »