In June 2022, I was invited to speak on Eastern Orthodox Christianity at Zootown Church in Missoula, Montana. I talked with with my bishop, and he agreed that it was an opportunity I couldn’t pass up. It was a wonderful visit. I met some very devout and kind hearted believers, and I made some new friends. The theme of my message was how the ancient Christian Church understands the story of our salvation.
“Glory to God for All Things!”
An Akathist Prayer is sacred poetry, consisting of thirteen segments. The word “akathist” means “without sitting,” indicating that these prayers are meant to be recited standing up.
The earliest and best known Akathist is to the Mother of God. A contemporary Akathist that has captured the hearts of Orthodox faithful throughout the world is the Akathist of Thanksgiving, also known as “Glory to God for All Things” (St. John Chrysostom’s final words.
The Akathist of Thanksgiving is the 20th-century composition of a Russian Orthodox bishop, Metropolitan Tryphon (Turkestanov) who died in 1934. A copy of the text was found on the body of Father Gregory Petrov after his death in a Soviet prison camp. In the midst of that man-made hell, Fr. Gregory found solace in the words of this hymn.
Here’s a link to the Akathist of Thanksgiving on my church’s website. I pray that these words fill your heart with comfort and encouragement.
Love in Christ,
+FrAJ
Why the Incarnation?
A look at how the Eastern Orthodox Church understands why the Son of God had to become human and what his incarnation did for us.
What makes Orthodoxy different?
I was recently asked to provide offer a quick overview of the beliefs and practices that make Eastern Orthodox Christianity different from the Western Christian confessions. This is no easy task; to get it done you need to paint with a pretty wide brush. With that said (and for what it’s worth) here’s my response…
To start off, it needs to be stressed that these are generalizations only. There are many different Western Christian confessions and Orthodoxy overlaps here and there with a lot of them. But the differences are significant and some of the big ones are as follows.
First, we understand salvation as being healed from a life-threatening wound, not getting a reprieve from a death sentence. The Church is a hospital, not a courtroom.
Second, becoming a Christian is not about making an intellectual agreement to a specific set of principles; it is about entering into a living relationship with Jesus Christ, through his Body on earth – the Church.
Third, there is more to reality than what we can see. The unseen world is real, it has an impact on us and we can impact it. And we connect with the unseen world through symbols, icons, and liturgy (ritual).
Finally (and I’ve saved the big one for last), we believe that heaven and hell are the same place. Actually, they are not places at all but reactions to, or experiences of, God’s Presence. At the end of this age everyone will be in the presence of God, some will like it and others won’t – that’s heaven and hell.
Again, these are only generalizations, but if they’ve piqued your curiosity at all, feel free to reach out and I’ll be happy to delve into them a little deeper with you.
Prayer and “vain repetition”
In his teaching on prayer in Matthew 6, is Jesus really condemning repetition in prayer? If so, why do we see multiple examples of repetitive prayer in the scriptures? Visions of heaven, in fact, show that around God’s heavenly throne all you hear is repetitive prayer: “Holy! Holy! Holy!”
Pentecost and the Tower of Babel
What does the Tower of Babel have to do with the day of Pentecost? More than you might think.
Find more videos on my YouTube channel → https://www.youtube.com/@fr.ajarmus
“Let my pray arise as incense…”
In the Eastern Orthodox Church, the use of incense in worship and personal prayer holds profound symbolism. There are two significant meanings attached to the fragrant smoke that fills our sacred spaces.
First, incense symbolizes is our prayers rising to heaven, as we read in Revelation 8: “And another angel came and stood at the altar with a golden censer, and he was given much incense to offer with the prayers of all the saints on the golden altar before the throne…” We also find this petition in Psalm 141: “Let my prayer be counted as incense before you, and the lifting up of my hands as the evening sacrifice!”
The other symbolic meaning of incense has to do with the Temple in Jerusalem. On the Day of Atonement, when the High Priest entered the Holy of Holies, he would carry a bowl filled with much incense. The smoke served as a filter to protect him from the Divine Glory sitting on the mercy seat. In II Chronicles 5 we read that the priests couldn’t serve in the Temple when the Lord’s Glory descended upon it. And in Isaiah 6, when the prophet is given a vision of the heavenly Temple, he says “the house was filled with smoke.” Incense, then, also indicates our entrance into the Presence of God when we gather for worship.
Our sixth sense
The Orthodox Church teaches that we are created with, not five, but six senses. Our sixth sense is the least developed and yet the most important, because through it we are able to perceive reality in its fullness.
Resisting Orthodoxy
Q: I want to draw closer to Eastern Orthodoxy but my spouse wants no part of it. What do I do?
A: These situations are more common than you might think. In fact, they are more the rule than the exception. Because this is an issue that touches directly on someone’s core values, you cannot push your spouse into a decision. Take your time and do your best to be a good witness to the Orthodox Faith, answering questions with kindness and accepting their resistance with patience. It’s a longer road, but one with much more fruitful possibilities for your family’s faith journey. And, of course, pray without ceasing that the Lord warms your spouse’s heart to the beauty and truth of Eastern Orthodoxy.
Online group for Orthodox seekers
The Fellowship of St Theophan the Recluse is a ministry of the Orthodox Church in America’s Bulgarian Diocese. We currently have over 100 members. Most members are from North America but we also have people from the British Isles, Latin America, Africa, and Australia.
It’s a mixed bag of interest levels. Some are very intentional about becoming Orthodox, but aren’t anywhere near an Orthodox church. Some would like to become more involved in the Orthodox Church, but cannot for a variety of reasons. Others are just checking Eastern Orthodoxy out.
We also have Orthodox Christians who can’t get to church regularly, or the church they attend has services and programs in a language they don’t understand.
All are welcome.
I send out an email every weekday to stay in touch and once a month we have a live meeting on Zoom.
If this sounds like something you might find helpful, send me an email for more info.
Eastern Orthodoxy 