Frederica Here and Now

Frederica Mathewes-Green explains that traditions can be beneficial for a family or community, and that all churches have their own “tradition.”

Frederica Mathewes-Green ponders the tremendous amount of work it took to weave fabric by hand, and how it felt to be clothed in someone’s labor; what we miss, by living entirely amid machine-made things.

The Mother of our Lord is often a stumbling block for Protestants who are exploring Orthodoxy. Frederica Mathewes-Green discusses how to disregard medieval excesses, and see how the early Christians saw her.

Frederica Mathewes-Green presents a Romanian elder’s take on the simple faith that is held by many Americans, and how God responds to it, and she also reports a prayer experience that conveyed the same idea.

Recently, I uploaded an old video to YouTube, of one of the strangest and funniest experiences I ever had with an interview. It was 1996. A producer for a viewer-call-in political talk show, "Capital Watch," phoned me about the work I was doing with a group called Common Ground for Life and Choice. We brought pro-life and pro-choice people together in dialogue, to get better understanding of each other's beliefs. (To get past misunderstanding so we could arrive at genuine disagreement, I used to say.) I put it on my calendar, and drove to the studio on Capital Hill. But while I was standing just off the set, waiting to be introduced, I heard the host say I was going to talk about common ground between Republicans and Democrats. I knew nothing about that. I didn't follow politics at all. But in a matter of seconds I had to walk on the set, sit down, and basically fake it for 20 minutes. I guess the producer had written "Common Ground" on the schedule without any further explanation, and that's what the hosts thought I was there to talk about. It's pretty funny. You can see me making guesses about what answer the hosts expected me to give, trying to sound like I actually knew something about the topic. Afterward I wrote a column about it, and how you can see someone on a talk show who appears to not know what they're talking about, "the idiot beside the potted plant." Well, that would be me. Watch the interview at www.youtube.com/watch?v=SneiaHIiogA. Read the column at: frederica.com/writings/whos-that-idiot-next-to-the-potted-plant.html.

Frederica Mathewes-Green explores, in three parts, her experience as a beekeeper. She mispronounces “propolis” every time!

Frederica Mathewes-Green explores, in three parts, her experience as a beekeeper. She mispronounces “propolis” every time!

Frederica Mathewes-Green explores, in three parts, her experience as a beekeeper. She mispronounces “propolis” every time!

Frederica Mathewes-Green reads the life of St. Mary of Egypt as found in her book First Fruits of Prayer.

Frederica Mathewes-Green recounts an unusual and somber dream.

Frederica Mathewes-Green offers an analogy for the way prayer sometimes “clicks” and becomes a genuine connection with God.

Frederica Mathewes-Green explores the ways the 22nd/23rd Psalm reflects a year of shepherding a sheep.

Frederica is at the 40th anniversary conference of Birthright, International in the Chicago area and recorded an interview with Doris Asante of Birthright, Ghana. Doris was also selling handmade jewelry and stoles to raise money for Birthright in Ghana and she invited correspondence if you are interested in purchasing or donating.

Frederica Mathewes-Green defends pro-lifers’ right to wear that name, and choose for themselves what causes to support.

Frederica explains that whereas other Christian traditions have mystics, people devoted to the contemplative life alone, the Orthodox Church has wonderworkers, saints who are contemplative, yes, but also very active in the lives of their neighbors.