Sermons from St. Sophia, Bellingham, Washington

What is the “Indiction”? Why does the Orthodox Church New Year begin on September 1st? Jesus begins his mission in Nazareth with the controversial teaching that He fulfills the words of the prophets. The Greek versus the Christian view of time. For Orthodox Christians, the liturgical year immerses the Faithful in the “Acceptable Tear of the Lord.”

Jesus gives His disciples the exact reason for their inability to heal a demon possessed boy: Their lack of faith. In other words, their connection with their Lord was lacking.... they neglected sitting at the Lord’s feet to learn and to be trained as His disciples.

Why are Orthodox Christians and Their Churches so “Serious”?

You Do Not Have to Be the Smartest Guy in the Room to Be an Orthodox Christian.... Just Believe in and Live By the Power and Wisdom of God Revealed in Christ Crucified

Holy Transfiguration: What the Church Sings About the Transfiguration of Our Lord

The Two Blind Men Healed By Jesus as a model of Discipleship.

Through three miracles Jesus reveals that he has the authority to forgive sins. His whole life work and ministry is to forgive sins.

The word for “anxiety” in Greek means much more that just “anxious.” How a “sound” eye differs from an “unsound” eye.

God sanctifies His saints through their endurance. What does holy “endurance” look like? What can putting up with aggravating people and circumstances do for the Christian? Endurance and patience defines the Christian.

Two aspects of Pentecost. 1) At Pentecost, the Holy Spirit descended on the Church that met “with one mind.” 2) Old Testament Pentecost and how it relates to the Christian Pentecost.

True theology bestows eternal life. The foundation of our life-giving Orthodox Church. Every once in a while we need a theological tuneup. How the Orthodox Church interprets holy scripture.

The Pharisees “prosecute” Jesus on the grounds that he is a blasphemer. From the Pharisees’ perspective that prosecution goes horribly wrong. Through the divine miracle of healing a man born with no eyes, by fashioning eyes for him, Jesus reveals that His teachings of His divine origin are true. The guileless man born blind is a key witness to Jesus’ divinity.

The passage on the Samaritan Woman at Jacob’s Well shows that before a man or woman thirsts for God, God thirsts for man.

The Pool at Bethesda gathered a hopeful people as a “proto-Church.” Why is this seemingly non resurrectional Gospel passage placed during the Paschal season? Jesus’ miracles pointed and prepared men and women for His Holy Resurrection. The risen Christ fulfills all miracles.

We Orthodox celebrate the Resurrection as a 40+ fay season so to make the Paschal spirit a way of life. The sublime service of the Myrrh Bearing Women. Why we celebrate the Resurrection at exactly midnight. The Holy Fire of Jerusalem.

Faith in the resurrection of Jesus Christ is the hinge upon which everything turns. Faith in the resurrection is an all or nothing proposition… Either Jesus has risen from the dead and we are saved or he has not and we remain in our sins. Orthodox Christianity teaches that Christ is risen From the dead end by his death has trampled down death and to those in the tombs He is bestowing life!

Holy Friday Lamentations

Jesus’ triumphal entry into Jerusalem was a movement of children. We must become like children to recognize and worship God in spirit and truth.

Many of us struggle with overcoming our pasts. The story of St. Mary of Egypt is one of a bad early life that led to a good adult life. She struggled, with the power of Christ and mentorship of the Theotokos, to create a new life of constant repentance. Her story of repentance is so powerful, that the Orthodox Church lifts up her life story on the Fifth Sunday of Lent as an example to remember and...

An explanation of the the Icon of the Ladder of Divine Ascent.

The Church Fathers designed this Sunday’s Mid Lent adoration of the Holy Cross to be a consolation and and inspiration to those who are struggling to repent.

We are blessed to be Orthodox Christians because it is a faith based on the teachings of Jesus Christ, His Disciples, Apostles and saints.  Icons are not "idols" because while idols depict figments of imagination, icons depict reality... the reality that Jesus Christ is fully God and man, God among us.  The difference between "ancestor worship" and the true veneration/honor of saints. &n...

Great Lent is the great search for the "normal life" found only in Christ.  What the Church sings about this Sunday's them of the Exile of Adam from Paradise.  Why did Adam cry the most bitter tears of all mankind?  The true treasure found in waking with God versus the pseudo-treasure that Satan uses to deceive us.  How a priest's number one job is to convince everyone that we...

Judgment is paradoxically and mysteriously part of the Good News. Orthodox Christians are called to revere God’s judgment.

How the Christian Parable of the Prodigal Son differs from the Buddhist Parable of the Prodigal Son.