The Way

This week, we witnessed the tragedy of yet another school shooting.

It’s clear that there’s evil in the world doing its worst.



However, Jesus is working to birth “new creation”—one in which evil has been stamped out.

The Good News is that we are all invited to be a part of this new world.

The only requirement is that we must drink “living water” and be “born from above.” 



How does this happen? Through an encounter with the scriptural Christ.



Tune in to hear about two different encounters, and find out if they are able “see” as Christ asks them to.

Sometimes, it feels like life is a battle for power.

Unfortunately, it also feels like when someone gets power, it goes to their head and all sorts of bad things happen and people get hurt.



Yet, Jesus challenges our human power with authority that was given to him by his Father. 

When Jesus does this, what happens to the paralytic? How does society react?

Tune in to find out!

This past Sunday, we remembered both Joseph of Arimathea, who asked for the body of Christ, and the Myrrh-Bearing women, who went to the tomb to anoint the body. 

Both these stories are a test of sorts

The real question is: did they pass the test, or did they fail miserably?



In today’s episode, we find out who walked the Way and who didn’t.

What does the Kingdom look like? How does it treat people. Have a listen to St. John's homily and find out!

Life, in general, is full of ups and downs.

But, what happens when our spiritual life is also full of ups and downs?



Is this normal? Should we expect this? Or should we be concerned?



Today, we learn about the “desert” experience and how we are firmly anchored in place.

At the midpoint of Lent, Orthodox Christians are reminded of the journey they’re on: the Way to resurrection by Way of the cross.



As a part of this mid-Lent celebration, we sing a hymn about that cross which goes, in part, like this: “Save, O Lord, Your people and bless Your inheritance, granting victory to the faithful over the enemy …”



But, if you know Greek and you’ve seen the original hymn, you know that this hymn is purposely mistranslated! There’s something hidden.



Today, we’ll discover what this hymn actually says, and we’ll learn a bit more about how the meaning of the cross was purposely flipped for early Christians.

On the second Sunday of Lent, the Orthodox Church celebrates St. Gregory of Palamas, a 14th-century bishop of Thessaloniki. 



St. Gregory taught that God is truly present in the world, especially through silent prayer.



Also on this Sunday, the Orthodox Church also reads the Gospel passage about the paralytic who is lowered through the roof of a house so that Jesus can forgive his sins.



But, what does the celebration of St. Gregory have to do with this paralytic?



As we’ll see in today’s episode, walking the Way is not only about understanding the connection between the two, but it's about living in trust.

On the Sunday of Orthodoxy, we remember the Triumph of Orthodoxy over Iconoclasm. 



Many of us like to celebrate this event by parading around the church holding our icons. We imagine we’ve won a great victory for truth over lies.



But, how, exactly was this victory won? Does it look like other victories? Is is the same sort of victory that the Emperors won in battle?



As we dig into this celebration, we may be surprised by our discovery, and how we’re supposed to walk the Way in light of this “triumph.”

Our world is built on credit, which is, essentially, building a life on a mountain of debt. 



We go to school and accumulate school debt. We graduate and buy a car. Now we have a car loan to pay off. If our job doesn’t support our lifestyle, we don’t hesitate to build debt on our credit card. When the time comes, we look to buy a house and we go deeper in the hole with a mortgage. And, if you’re like most Americans, you’re probably in debt due to medical costs.



While there are ways out of debt, there is one debt that St. Paul says is acceptable. In fact, it’s the one debt we need in order to walk the Way!