Glory To God

Fr. Stephen turns our thoughts during this week of the Nativity to the "smallness" of God. God has come to save us through His "weakness" as St. Paul says and invites us to share in that humility.

Fr. Stephen looks at the human soul and what it means that it is a mystery—known to God—but not fully known to us.

Fr. Stephen reflects on the monastic cave in which St. John of Damascus dwelt and compares it to the "cave" of our heart.

Fr. Stephen talks about the importance of icons in our modern world - helping us to see and understand clearly the truth of creation and God.

Fr. Stephen looks at the Christian understanding of power and the marvelous works of God. God's power is utterly unlike that of the world.

Fr. Stephen looks at the problems presented by cynicism for belief in God. Worldly wisdom and the wisdom of God are very different things.

Fr. Stephen contrasts what we think of as "normal" with the vision of the Christian life described in Scripture and the Orthodox faith.

Fr. Stephen looks at creation and its "voice" as described in Old and New Testament and sees what it means for our realtionship with the world around us.

Fr. Stephen speaks of the Church as a culture of remembrance—not of a dead past—but of death trampling down death.

Fr. Stephen speaks of the power of remembrance—both the remembrance of wrongs done to us and the remembrance of God. He speaks of how it is that the remembrance of God alone establishes us in the Truth.

The strange relationship of prosperity and piety.

Despite a drive to simplify everything - Fr. Stephen contends that Orthodoxy describes not a simplicity but a fullness of life and invites into that fullness and not just a small religious corner.

Fr. Stephen looks at last week's podcast on truth and existence and the impact it should have on how we live.

Fr. Stephen looks at the Orthodox connection made between truth and our existence and what it means for our life.

Fr. Stephen looks at the virtue of humility and its place in the life of Orthodox Christianity, suggesting that it is our only path towards union with God.

This week, Fr. Stephen focuses on the healing of the heart as the most essential work in our spiritual lives.

Fr. Stephen speaks about the paradox of prayer and the personal character it has in our life as well as the personal character of beauty and the resolution of all paradox.

Fr. Stephen reflects both on his own generation's fascination with the "last days" and with much of modern Christianity's fascination with the same. He argues that Orthodox Christians should focus on Christ in the Eucharist who is the "One Who Is To Come."

Fr. Stephen looks at the role the classical Christian passions play in our modern culture—how they shape what we think, how we feel, and many of the decisions we make—even on the unconscious level.

Fr. Stephen speaks this week about the "habit of prayer" and the understanding of prayer as communion with God.