Voice of Russia World Service presents another edition of its program the "Spiritual Flowerbed" an addition to its regular feature, The Christian Message From Moscow.By Tatyana Shvetsova Approximately 300 kilometres to the south of Moscow, in the Kaluga region, beside the virgin pine woods and the river Zhyzdra, there stands the ancient Russian Orthodox monastery - Optina Pustyn. It went down in the history of Russian Orthodox Church as one of the centres of spiritual renaissance that emerged in Russia in late 18th early 19th century. That spiritual renaissance was intertwined with the lives of the elders of Optina Pustyn who gave spiritual advice to Orthodox believers coming to them from all over Russia.Read the full text "Spiritual Flowerbed. Reverend Amvrosy of the Optina Monastery" at the Voice of Russia website.You are also welcome at the Mansfield & United Lutheran podcasts to hear this week's sermon from an ELCA Lutheran perspective.

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Part III (3) of Dictate of Madness, Prepared by Tatyana Shvetsova."We have grown accustomed to the word combination 'information war'. In this war the enemy doesn't have a specific face. His weapon, instead of arousing terror and indignation, sparks a desire to enjoy it again and again. While we do not make the slightest attempt to protect ourselves or, most importantly, our children, who are in the greatest peril from this information weapon. Read the full text "Dictate of Madness" at the Voice of Russia website.You are also welcome at the Mansfield & United Lutheran podcasts to hear this week's sermon from an ELCA Lutheran perspective.

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Dictate of Madness, Prepared by Tatyana Shvetsova."We have grown accustomed to the word combination 'information war'. In this war the enemy doesn't have a specific face. His weapon, instead of arousing terror and indignation, sparks a desire to enjoy it again and again. While we do not make the slightest attempt to protect ourselves or, most importantly, our children, who are in the greatest peril from this information weapon. Read the full text "Dictate of Madness" at the Voice of Russia website.You are also welcome at the Mansfield & United Lutheran podcasts to hear this week's sermon from an ELCA Lutheran perspective.

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Music from Russian composer Gleb Pichonkin "Pesnisslav" choir. Sad to say, I cannot find the correct spelling and have simply tried to guess from the way it sounds. VOR has not provided me with the information, so I have nothing else to go by.Contemporary choir (1990s) sings old Russian Orthodox church music. Very good program.You are also welcome at the Mansfield & United Lutheran podcasts to hear this week's sermon from an ELCA Lutheran perspective.

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Georgy Konstantinovich ZhukovThe story of the great Russian military leader of the Great Patriotic War (WWII) Georgi K. Zhukov. Excerpts from the book his daughter wrote. An interesting site with an overview of Marshall Zhukov's life and career can be found here, which contains other links. Most of this information does not appear to talk about his faith, but it does give other historical information. You are also welcome at the Mansfield & United Lutheran podcasts to hear this week's sermon from an ELCA Lutheran perspective.

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Today we will be aquainted by material from the Moscow based musician and journalist, Orthodox Christian Nikolai Turin, who will be telling us about the outstanding Orthodox composer, Alexander Kastalsky (1856-1926). http://tcmfm.blogspot.com

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Part II of "True Stories", with this section about "Father Sergius." the description of events that happened to the author, Lidiya Zaparina and her acquaintance. Read the full text "True Stories" at the Voice of Russia website.You are also welcome at the Mansfield & United Lutheran podcasts to hear this week's sermon from an ELCA Lutheran perspective.

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Part II of "True Stories", the description of events that happened to the author, Lidiya Zaparina and her acquaintance. Read the full text "True Stories" at the Voice of Russia website.You are also welcome at the Mansfield & United Lutheran podcasts to hear this week's sermon from an ELCA Lutheran perspective.

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Part I of "True Stories" is the title of a book excerpts from which we offer you. This book is a description of events that happened to the author, Lidiya Zaparina and her acquaintance. There isn't a word of fiction here. We would like to hope that through this book you will learn to better understand the soul of an Orthodox person. The author Lidiya Sergeevna Zaparina was a gentlewoman by birth. She was born in 1903, graduated from the gymnasium, yet couldn't continue her studies due to her noble ancestry. After the revolution of 1917 this people of noble origins were persecuted by the bolsheviks. And thus, Zaparina was obliged to find herself a job at a kindergarten. Later, when the repressions were slackened somewhat, Lidiya Zaparina was able to find employment as bibliographic expert at the State Book Chamber. She worked there right up until her pension came up.Read the full text "True Stories" at the Voice of Russia website.You are also welcome at the Mansfield & United Lutheran podcasts to hear this week's sermon from an ELCA Lutheran perspective.

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Part II (2) of excerpts from a book by Orthodox clergyman Mikhail Ovchinnikov. After a serious car accident, he experienced multiple clinical deaths. During each one of these he had very important encounters in the other world, which he scrupulously described in his book. By will of God, despite forecasts of the medics, Father Mikhail survived and now continues to serve at one of the Monasteries of the Crimea. Without doubt, everything narrated by Father Mikhail will be of interest and use to all Christians.Read the full text ""Between Life & Death" story by Orthodox clergyman Mikhail Ovchinnikov" at the Voice of Russia website.You are also welcome at the Mansfield & United Lutheran podcasts to hear this week's sermon from an ELCA Lutheran perspective.

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Excerpts from a book by Orthodox clergyman Mikhail Ovchinnikov. After a serious car accident, he experienced multiple clinical deaths. During each one of these he had very important encounters in the other world, which he scrupulously described in his book. By will of God, despite forecasts of the medics, Father Mikhail survived and now continues to serve at one of the Monasteries of the Crimea. Without doubt, everything narrated by Father Mikhail will be of interest and use to all Christians.Read the full text ""Between Life & Death" story by Orthodox clergyman Mikhail Ovchinnikov" at the Voice of Russia website.You are also welcome at the Mansfield & United Lutheran podcasts to hear this week's sermon from an ELCA Lutheran perspective.

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A radio version of the documentary story by Orthodox writer Nikolai Kokuhin. This is a documentary story and is a perfect occasion to dwell on the purpose and benefit of sufferings that the Lord sends the Christians for their Salvation.Read the full text ""Artiomushka" story by Nikolai Kokuhin" at the Voice of Russia website.You are also welcome at the Mansfield & United Lutheran podcasts to hear this week's sermon from an ELCA Lutheran perspective.

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Orthodox believers call Saint Alexi Mechyov their "Moscow elder", in that way emphasizing his spirituality. He was not only revered, but was dearly loved by those who came into contact with him. The pastoral service of St.Alexi Mechyov fell on the beginning of the 20th century, on the years of revolution in Russia. The life of people, especially of the believers, had changed radically in those times. The Orthodox Christians were being persecuted. Many of them, finding themselves without roof over their heads, without bread and under constant fear, were seeking some protection for themselves. Through the grace of God they found it in the St.Nicholas Church in Moroseika Street, where St.Alexi Mechyov served as a priest. His spiritual children said that he had a "generous" heart, which made him very sensitive to the sufferings of others. About himself he used to say that by nature he had a very compassionate heart.Read the full text "A Moscow Father" at the Voice of Russia website.You are also welcome at the Mansfield & United Lutheran podcasts to hear this week's sermon from an ELCA Lutheran perspective.

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A musical program dedicated to the Orthodox church holiday "Saint Trinity"You are also welcome at the Mansfield & United Lutheran podcasts to hear this week's sermon from an ELCA Lutheran perspective.

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Pavel Chesnokov, a prominent Orthodox composer and the onetime leader of many church choirs, was born in 1877 to the family of hereditary Russian precentors who lived near Moscow. Graduating from the Moscow school of church music in 1895, he then apprenticed with the prominent composer Sergei Taneyev who was then director of the Moscow Conservatory.Pavel Chesnokov's compositions are a performer's dream, they take out the very best there is in the singer. Read more about Pavel Chesnokov here.You are also welcome at the Mansfield & United Lutheran podcasts to hear this week's sermon from an ELCA Lutheran perspective.

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Part II of St. Nicholas the Miracle-Maker, By Tatyana Shvetsova, continued from last week.St. Nicholas the Miracle-Maker is one of the Saints particularly revered by the Russian Orthodox Church. Clergyman Boris Levshenko, teacher at one of Moscow's Orthodox Higher Educational establishments, said the following in an interview for our correspondent.Read the full text "St. Nicholas the Miracle-Maker" at the Voice of Russia website.You are also welcome at the Mansfield & United Lutheran podcasts to hear this week's sermon from an ELCA Lutheran perspective.

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St. Nicholas the Miracle-Maker, By Tatyana ShvetsovaSt. Nicholas the Miracle-Maker is one of the Saints particularly revered by the Russian Orthodox Church. Clergyman Boris Levshenko, teacher at one of Moscow's Orthodox Higher Educational establishments, said the following in an interview for our correspondent."There are 20 churches in Moscow, consecrated in honour of St.Nicholas. And this, not counting the 50 side altars dedicated to him in other churches. Prior to the Bolshevik revolution of 1917, there was not a single city in Russia that did not have a church of St.Nicholas," says Father Boris. "So, why is it we thus honor a Saint, who lived in the 4th century, moreover, not here in Russia, but in Asia Minor, and was a Greek by nationality? Because through prayers, addressed to him, people always received help. He extended help to everyone, on land and sea. His life story abounds in descriptive tales of help, extended to various folk, in his lifetime, and already after his demise." Well, let us then turn to the life narrative of Saint Nicholas, born around the year 280, passed away approximately around the period of the years 345 - 351.Read the full text "St. Nicholas the Miracle-Maker" at the Voice of Russia website.You are also welcome at the Mansfield & United Lutheran podcasts to hear this week's sermon from an ELCA Lutheran perspective.

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"Green is my favorite color" based on a story by Natalia Sukhinina. All Christians know about God's commandments - love your neighbour as thyself. Every sincere Christian strives to adhere to this commandment. But how difficult it is, in words and deeds, to observe it! The story we are going to tell you is about that. We did not make it up. It is a real story and a very instructive one. We believe it will be instructive for every Christian to read it.Read the full text "Green is my favorite color" at the Voice of Russia website.You are also welcome at the Mansfield & United Lutheran podcasts to hear this week's sermon from an ELCA Lutheran perspective.

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Popular Russian cinema director and actor Nikolai Burliaev is well-familiar to cinema-lovers due to his roles in films directed by the celebrated Andrei Tarkovsky. Orthodox Christians of Russia and other Slav countries, however, recognize him as a tireless ascetic struggling to revive spiritual and Christian values in our cinematography. Today Nikolai Burliaev tells us about his road to Orthodox Faith.Read the full text "A Road The Length Of A Lifetime" at the Voice of Russia website.You are also welcome at the Mansfield & United Lutheran podcasts to hear this week's sermon from an ELCA Lutheran perspective.

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Part II of excepts from the book "The Blessed Fire". Miracle... People often take for miracle things that they do not comprehend. "Miraculous cure", telekinesis, telepathy, spiritism, poltergeist, UFO and much, much more besides. But these are not miracles.The only miracle is worked by God Himself creating everlasting life in a mortal body. And when the Israelites asked to be shown a sign from heaven, the Saviour answered to all and for all times: "A wicked and adulterous generation seeking after a sign; and there shall no sign be given unto it, but the sign of the prophet Jonah," (Matthew, 16.4) that is the Resurrection.Read the full text "By the Rivers of Babylon" at the Voice of Russia website.You are also welcome at the Mansfield & United Lutheran podcasts to hear this week's sermon from an ELCA Lutheran perspective.

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Voice of Russia World Service presents the Christian Message from Moscow and a program entitled "Miracle"http://tcmfm.blogspot.com

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