This present life is not a jest nor a plaything, although men have turned it into a jest and a plaything. They heedlessly play with time, given for preparation for eternity; they play with idle words. They assemble at their friends’, sit and talk idly, and then begin to play at something. They go to […]

After Pascha, I managed to find some time to get around the Ortho-blogosphere a little and came across this post of Jan’s that I really liked. Then in the past week, my work schedule has suddenly exploded and I haven’t had much time to do anything. Well, that’s a story for another blog-post. In the […]

The reign of life has begun, the tyranny of death is ended … This is the day the Lord has made — a day far different from those made when the world was first created, and which are measured by the passage of time. This is the beginning of a new creation. On this day, […]

Our overcast day turned stormy, so it’s a good thing I pulled dandelions yesterday. The neighbors might’ve thought I was just being an overanxious gardener, but in truth I was trying to harvest enough of the roots to get me through the week.
Inspired by a book called “Healing Teas,” I’ve been trying to have a […]

Given the discussion below about some of the ways that we new and not-so-new converts can get things wrong, I thought today’s lectionary reading from Isaiah was interesting. And maybe a little comforting, at least insofar as it lets you know that the fight isn’t something new. How do we exhibit righteousness without becoming self-righteous? […]

So here we are in the homestretch of Lent. Passing the fifth Sunday, we bear down on Lazarus’ tomb and Christ’s triumphal entry into Jerusalem. The Holy Week services are lengthy, to be sure, but they don’t seem like work. The Church has done the work. The standing, the praying, the chanting, reading, listening, repeating […]

… yogurt.
That’s today’s random Lenten mid-point factoid.

My current workload allowed for a morning off, and so I’m whooping it up in my usual way — hanging out at the bookstore, perusing books I probably won’t buy. It’s not completely unfair to them, since I do occasionally pick one up. And besides, I’m thoughtful enough to patronize the cafe and always leave […]

I almost forgot that I got a request for a blog post re-run the other night from Nicodemus. Since I don’t get many of those (or any, come to think of it), I’m happy to oblige. Especially since the information I’m passing along on there is one of my favorite observations about how the Orthodox […]

And just like that, Lent starts again. We hear the cries of Adam in Orthros:
Woe is me; I cannot bear the disgrace, I who was formerly king over all earthly creatures. Behold, I am now captive because of a counsel aside from the law.
We hear Christ telling his disciples how to fast and how not […]