Chief Among Sinners?

Originally posted on The Modern Monastic Order Of Saint Simon of Cyrene:
“…that Christ Jesus came into the world to save sinners, of whom I am chief …”     From Paul’s First Letter to Timothy 1:15 “O God, cleanse me, a sinner, for I have never done anything good in thy sight.”  From the First Prayer…

Transition: A New Metropolitan, Building, and Six Months In Orthodoxy

Originally posted on The Modern Monastic Order Of Saint Simon of Cyrene:
Not only have I made a major change from being Baptist to Orthodox.  Other major changes are under way now.  The change that affects all of us Antiochians is that of our new Metropolitan Joseph.  Metropolitan Philip (Memory Eternal) has left a tremendous…

Risk Worthy

A sister at my church said that her neighbors don’t consider her and her husband as good Christians because they are Orthodox.  She and her husband are white.  If much of white Protestant America does not consider the Orthodox Church as a valid expression of Christianity, there is no doubt that black inquirers (and even … More Risk Worthy

Kiss The Who’s What?

Now, here is a practice that modern day African-Americans (or anyone else outside of a liturgical tradition) ain’t havin’.  “Hmph!  Kissing some preacher’s hand.”  Maybe it wouldn’t be the worst obstacle for a black inquirer if the priest looks like Fr. Maximus Cabey or Fr. Jerome Sanderson.  Maybe it would be easier in an Ethiopian, … More Kiss The Who’s What?