515. Lazarus Saturday morning Divine Liturgy

   Now we begin our twice-daily commentaries on the services and themes of Holy Week and Pascha – based on talks I gave at these services during the twenty-five years when I was Pastor of Saint Nicholas Church, Cedarburg, Wisconsin. Each year I’ve altered them just a bit as I’ve come across new information, to […]

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509. The Church’s Last Minute Instructions as we go into Lent

Do we want to keep a good, holy Lent? No problem. In this Sunday’s Scripture readings, the Church tells us exactly how to do it. If you find this Post suspiciously familiar, that means you read my Forgiveness Sunday Post two years ago and have a good memory. I’m proud of you. This is a […]

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499. Is Christmas a Fairy Tale? Part Two

So Jesus’ birth was the result of Mary’s being raped by a Roman soldier?! That is the suggestion of Elaine Pagels, Professor of Religion at Princeton, University. * The evidence for this is…  You’re right. There isn’t any. As for the Christmas stories?  They, she says, are  only “metaphors”. Metaphors for what? That’s not clear. […]

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