Walking an Ancient Path

The pandemic showed us that the online experience will never replace in-person Orthodox worship and its use of all five senses. Most importantly, we cannot replicate the one experience that is the center of our worship.

The pandemic showed us that the online experience will never replace in-person Orthodox worship and its use of all five senses. Most importantly, we cannot replicate the one experience that is the center of our worship.

In this episode Lynnette talks about veneration, Christ’s breaking the barrier between heaven and earth, the early Church’s understanding of one united Church, and three reasons to ask the saints for their intercessions.

In this episode Lynnette talks about veneration, Christ’s breaking the barrier between heaven and earth, the early Church’s understanding of one united Church, and three reasons to ask the saints for their intercessions.

After spending most of her life in a saint-free space, the idea of asking the saints to pray for us didn’t come easily to Lynnette. In part 1 of this two-part look at the subject, we’ll consider the objections to asking the saints for their prayers, the scriptures that reveal their awareness of us and involvement on earth, two categories of heavenly intercessors, and the concept of one united Church.

After spending most of her life in a saint-free space, the idea of asking the saints to pray for us didn’t come easily to Lynnette. In part 1 of this two-part look at the subject, we’ll consider the objections to asking the saints for their prayers, the scriptures that reveal their awareness of us and involvement on earth, two categories of heavenly intercessors, and the concept of one united Church.

As a child, Lynnette watched people make the sign of the cross on TV—a foreign, superstitious, and Catholic thing to do. But it is actually a powerful weapon of prayer that Christians have used from the earliest days of the Church. Let’s reclaim it!

As a child, Lynnette watched people make the sign of the cross on TV—a foreign, superstitious, and Catholic thing to do. But it is actually a powerful weapon of prayer that Christians have used from the earliest days of the Church. Let’s reclaim it!

Lynnette grew up with Good Friday and Easter. Nobody in her Protestant past talked about what Jesus did in the in-between space on Holy Saturday. By celebrating Jesus’ Harrowing of Hades, we reclaim the fulness of the Paschal message and Jesus’ victory over death.

Lynnette grew up with Good Friday and Easter. Nobody in her Protestant past talked about what Jesus did in the in-between space on Holy Saturday. By celebrating Jesus’ Harrowing of Hades, we reclaim the fulness of the Paschal message and Jesus’ victory over death.

A few days ago we celebrated the Sunday of the Holy Cross. In this brief episode we consider the Church’s intention to encourage us in the doldrums of mid-Lent as we struggle and look ahead to Christ’s victory over death.

A few days ago we celebrated the Sunday of the Holy Cross. In this brief episode we consider the Church’s intention to encourage us in the doldrums of mid-Lent as we struggle and look ahead to Christ’s victory over death.

How can I tell my priest what I really struggle with? What if I keep failing and confessing the same things, over and over? Lynnette interviews Fr. Theodore Dorrance, from St. Catherine Greek Orthodox Church in Greenwood Village, Colorado, about the priest’s point of view and the spiritual freedom that comes from authentic and honest confession.

How can I tell my priest what I really struggle with? What if I keep failing and confessing the same things, over and over? Lynnette interviews Fr. Theodore Dorrance, from St. Catherine Greek Orthodox Church in Greenwood Village, Colorado, about the priest’s point of view and the spiritual freedom that comes from authentic and honest confession.

In this fifth installment in “Stumbling Stones on the Orthodox Road,” we examine public confession of sins in the Scriptures and in the practice of the early Church. We also consider the significant differences between Roman Catholic and Orthodox understandings of the Sacrament of Confession and describe what a confession appointment looks like.