Glory to God

If you have ever felt like the right words in an argument simply won't come, perhaps you should read these thoughts.

Fr. Stephen shares two stories from the lives of the desert fathers and offers reflections. The grace of God given to us in forgiveness and the Spirit of peace involve the healing of the soul.

What does Christ mean when He says, "Blessed are the poor in spirit, for theirs is the Kingdom of heaven?" Fr. Stephen looks at this familiar verse in the context of St. Paul's teaching on weakness and necessity.

The Orthodox faith is grounded in the experience of knowing God. Fr. Stephen looks at the boundaries of such knowledge and simple path to such knowledge given to us in the Tradition of the Church.

Fr. Stephen reflects on the "theology of the image," particularly its importance in St. Paul.

Fr. Stephen looks at how it is possible to distort an icon and how the distortions within our own hearts affect what we see.

Fr. Stephen looks at language and how it can be seen as an icon, serving as a "Window to Heaven."

How we see the world has much to do with our capacity for wonder. Is what we see all there is—or does it point to something beyond itself?

Fr. Stephen looks at how the teaching of the Church differs from opinion and the process of argument. Doctrine is a "verbal icon of Christ."

Fr. Stephen reflects on the meaning of Dostoevsky's statement, "Each man is responsible for the sins of everyone," and its meaning for prayer.

Fr. Stephen looks at the deep importance that Christ as the "image of God" carries for our faith and how that image teaches us about the nature of all images.

Fr. Stephen suggests that the truly great things are those that are most hidden from our sight - and that the last battle may be fought in the silence of a human heart.

Fr. Stephen looks at the nature of authority and its root in the reality of the Cross.

Fr. Stephen looks at the role wonder should play in the Christian life.

Fr. Stephen looks at what it means to be the "chief of sinners" and the solidarity Christ has with us—even in our sin.

Fr. Stephen speaks on prayer as an aspect of our participation in the life of God, taking it from words spoken to a presence shared.

Fr. Stephen looks at the difference between individual salvation and personal salvation and the deep importance found in the distinction.

Fr. Stephen speaks about the "liturgy of the heart" as the longest liturgy of all and the true nature of worship.

Father Stephen looks at the history and architecture of the Church of the Nativity in Bethlehem and draws lessons for our own humility.

Fr. Stephen turns our thoughts during this week of the Nativity to the "smallness" of God. God has come to save us through His "weakness" as St. Paul says and invites us to share in that humility.

Fr. Stephen reflects on the monastic cave in which St. John of Damascus dwelt and compares it to the "cave" of our heart.

Fr. Stephen talks about the importance of icons in our modern world - helping us to see and understand clearly the truth of creation and God.

Fr. Stephen looks at the Christian understanding of power and the marvelous works of God. God's power is utterly unlike that of the world.

Fr. Stephen looks at the problems presented by cynicism for belief in God. Worldly wisdom and the wisdom of God are very different things.

Fr. Stephen contrasts what we think of as "normal" with the vision of the Christian life described in Scripture and the Orthodox faith.