478. Christian Nationalism, Part Three

Since we began this topic two weeks ago, I’ve discovered very many editorials and articles about it in the press and online. I had no idea we’d be in fashion. A quick review, with a little additional information I’ve come across: Remember, Patriotism is a good thing. (See the first Post of this series.) Sadly, Christian […]

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472. Fifth Sunday after Pascha: The Woman of Samaria

Christ is risen! Truly He is risen! The Samaritan Woman  Text: John 4:5-42 You long-term readers: Yes, I know. I’ve written about the Samaritan Woman at least twice before. However, this is one of my favorite stories in all the Scriptures, and every time I hear it, I hear more in it. It was read […]

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469. Doubting Thomas? Part Two: Seeking Truth (or not)

As I said last Post, this week I am sorely tempted to just tell the lovely story of how Saint Thomas came to faith again, and conclude. However, I think the Apostle Thomas’ desire for the truth naturally leads us to ask some questions about the contemporary search for truth, or lack thereof, and not […]

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449. The Fifth Sunday of Lent: Saint Mary of Egypt – Penitence

I love this story. In the late Fourth Century monks from the Monastery of Saint Savas (Mar Sabas) * down below Jerusalem in the West Bank, spent Lent alone in the desert. A priest-monk Zosimas, walking alone one day on the Jordanian side of the river, to his surprise saw someone ahead of him. He […]

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442. The Parable of the penitent Prodigal Son and the forgiving Father and the stupid Elder Brother, in three Scenarios

The word in New Testament Greek is άσωτος/asotos, “dissipated, debauched, dissolute”. The old English word for this was “prodigal”. This guy who has wasted his life on nothing, worse than nothing, thrown away his family inheritance on pig’s slop: What kind of fuzzy-minded liberal would forgive somebody like that? I still remember my granddad feeding […]

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