St. Mary Orthodox Church

Do you know how a baby chicken is born? The baby chicken still inside its eggshell discovers that the shell is too small and confining. It has become uncomfortable, so the chick begins to tap the shell with its beak in an attempt to break free. From outside the shell the mother hen hears the sound of tapping and she begins to use her beak to tap against the shell. Eventually, the cooperation pays off and, voila! The baby chick emerges and all is well. Read more »

 

The Feast of the Cross reminds us of the overarching reality of life, that we, and everything in this created order, are impermanent. Everything and everyone is passing away and there is not one thing that we can do about it. Read more »

 

We are about to embark on a new year. September 1 is the beginning of the Liturgical year in the Orthodox Church. In a way it marks "the end of the summer" with everyone back at school and vacation over. I love this time of year for a variety of reasons, one of which is that we experience a reunion at St. Mary's. I am looking forward to seeing everyone again. Read more »

 

Long ago, when I was a little boy, a Roman Catholic priest came to speak at our church in Erwin, Tennessee. We attended a Presbyterian church at that time having left the Baptist church just down the street a year or so earlier. The priest's name was Fr. LaFrance. He was an imposing figure for a small child: tall, a full head of jet black hair, and eyes that seem to have their own source of light. Read more »

 

Christ is Risen! It is amazing how often I hear people saying that they are not worthy to receive Holy Communion as if any of us are or ever could be! Worthiness has nothing at all to do with it. Read more »

 

There are many lessons to learn in Lent and one of them is this: we have only moments to live and each one deserves our full attention. That is why the Fathers instruct us to remember that life is short and can end at any time. Moments are precious. How many of them pass without a notice? Read more »

 

We are made in the image of God. The question then must be asked, "How shall we live in a way that is compatible with that truth?" How we live reveals what we believe that image to be - the smallness or largeness of our ideas about God, the kindness or meanness, the miserliness or generosity, the ugliness or beauty. All is disclosed in the way we live, the things we say and how we treat our fellow human beings. Read more »

 

The Gospel of Jesus Christ is a radical message. In every age it is unwelcomed by prideful men and women. The Lord was not an ideologue. He was not conservative or liberal. Jesus does not fit into any category. He is above them all. Truth will not be hemmed in by our pet values, ignorance, fear or blindness. We want Jesus to be like us, to believe as we do, to justify our anger, our fear and our ignorance. This he will not do. Read more »

 

When we are faced with difficulties we have options. Denial, resistance or acceptance. It does no good to deny the problem. Denial may distract us from the issue for awhile, but sooner or later it will resurface and even more energy will be needed to pretend the issue doesn't exist. The old adage about one rotten apple contaminating the whole barrel comes to mind. Read more »

 

People often see the spiritual life as superfluous. Prayer does not seem relevant and church attendance even less so. The rules and regulations that make up the content of much of what passes for spirituality are off-putting, seen as cultural relics of a less enlightened age. Some of the trappings, I admit, do obscure the point. But I suspect that the real problem is that the spirituality (or lack of) people have been taught simply does not work. It makes no discernible difference in day to day life. Read more »

 

I was greatly inspired by this quote from the famous Roman Catholic mystic, Bede Griffiths. He wrote that God cannot be expressed, cannot properly be thought. It is present everywhere, in everything, yet it always escapes our grasp. Read more »

 

Christ is risen! How wonderful to be able to greet you with the joyous Paschal Greeting! Once again we were blessed to journey together through Great Lent and Holy Week to the Empty Tomb of the Savior. Now we enter the Paschal Season in which there is usually some let down, perhaps even a little confusion. What do we do now? Where do we go from here? Read more »

 

St. Ignatius of Antioch writes that the Nativity of Christ is a "mystery wrought in the silence of God." Olivier Clement writes the Nativity is a "secret recreation" of all things in the womb of the Virgin Mother. So much of God's work is done in secret and in silence. The desire for fame and notoriety are not in God's interest. Read more »

 

The pursuit of peace is a major tenant of our Faith. This means peace within and peace without. Peace is in the heart and mind for our neighbors. We pray for it in every service because we are commanded by God to "seek peace and pursue it." St. Seraphim's famous advice that makes peace in our own hearts will bring thousands around us to salvation seems to encompass the whole of the Orthodox spiritual life. Read more »

 

The new Liturgical Year has begun with the return of our parishioners, Church School children, and college students. We are so happy to see you! There are many new faces among us. New couples and new students. If we can be of assistance to you in any way, please do not hesitate to contact Marilyn or me in the church office. A wonderful thing about St. Mary's is that hospitality is serious business with us. Read more »

 

A letter from a former visitor to our parish thanking members of our community for their warmth and kindness in welcoming her and praying for her. Read more »

 

Bishop KALLISTOS (Ware) in his wonderful book THE INNER KINGDOM points out that our "lack of concentration, this inability to be here and now with the whole of our being, is one of the most tragic consequences of the Fall." It is possible to pass through life without being aware of being alive. Read more »

 

May God's richest blessings be yours in this most holy season! It is time to rejoice and celebrate. Death is slain and we are endowed with life! This is the Gospel preached by the apostles and their successors and which we continue to share with the world. Read more »

 

In the afterglow of this most holy season, let us not forget to continue to embrace one another with joy and share the spirit and content of Great and Holy Pascha. In this way, we can keep Pascha alive each and every day. Read more »

 

This is our work as Christians, to lift up and magnify the name of the Lord both in the congregation and in the world around us. First and foremost, we do this in and through the Divine Liturgy. We also do this by living gracefully in the world as ambassadors of Christ, sharing his infinite love with everyone we meet, and doing all we can to help those in need. Read more »