PARISH VOICES

For the past 15 years I've worked in technology, learning new tools and software that promise to help us work smarter, not harder. Yet I've also seen how these same tools, if left unprotected, can make us work harder and even cause us to lose something far more precious than data - our true identity. Last month we heard a presentation on Unseen Intruders reminding us how quickly artificial intelligence (AI) has become part of our daily lives. When ChatGPT launched three year

It's that time of year again! Need I say more? The stores are already decked out for the dark days of December making them a beautiful sight to the eyes. How many Christmas songs come to mind about the holidays - snowfall, holly, Christmas trees, reindeer and jingle bells. An exciting time for many. It also brings about a pressure to do it right, provide the best Christmas for the family and be joyful doing it all. For others, it is a time of mourning as they remember loved o

A few years back, a friend was talking to me and used the phrase, "Middle-aged people like us." It was one of those phrases that made me stop listening to whatever else he was talking about. I looked around and noted that only the two of us were present. I realized with shock that my friend thought that I was middle-aged. I received a second shock when it occurred to me that my friend was right. I suppose another indicator that I am aging happens when I'm around teenagers...

A dear, old friend texted me. She had questions about Orthodoxy. She was raised Catholic and has been Protestant over 45 years. We have known each other the same amount of time so she knows my journey and my joining the Orthodox church eight years ago after first attending a liturgy eleven years ago.

On November 21st we celebrate the Feast of the Presentation of the Theotokos in the Temple. The story of Mary's early life is not found in the Bible but rather the Book of James (also called the Protevangelion). According to tradition, Mary was just three years old when her parents, Joachim and Anna, fulfilled their promise to offer her to the Lord. She ran joyfully into the arms of the priest Zacharias, even danced, and remained in the temple for nine years until she was rea

Sometimes, I forget to appreciate all that God has given to us. It's easy to get caught up in the minutiae of daily living and forget that He is at work all the time. We may not recognize God's visible and invisible work due to the worldly concerns and activities that press in on us. All things, living and inanimate, are here on earth by His design. God's abundant and everlasting love for each one of us on earth encompasses everything.

Next time you are at Liturgy, consider the idea that there are three flames. The first flame burns before the throne of God always. The second flame is passed down to a candle at the altar in the Liturgy. The third flame is passed on to you, like a little candle that you light when you take communion. Imagine trying to keep that little candle lit as you leave the church and keep that little flame burning throughout the week. Of course, you might point out that there aren't re

As we begin another year of Bible study, we're diving into the Gospel of John. Fr. Tom invited us to sit with the opening verse from the Gospel of John. Instantly, the word that came to mind for me was connection. We would not exist without Him. Through the Word, all things were made. We are in Him and He is in us. We are connected to Christ. But life moves fast. Many can relate to days filled with meetings, emails, logistics, and multitasking...

I just started reading The Journals of Father Alexander Schmemann, 1973-1983. They are transcribed just as he wrote them prior to his passing over 40 years ago in 1983 at the age of 63. Honest thoughts from a respected priest, professor, and preacher. His son, Serge, says in the foreword that it is unclear if Fr. Alexander intended them for publication. If so, perhaps not in the exact wording as written in his journals. So far, I have found it an interesting read.

Plans are underway to remodel our beautiful church. This reminds me of a verse from Psalms that says, "Unless the Lord builds the house, those who build it labor in vain" (Psalm 127:1). The house in this verse can refer to multiple things. It can refer to you in your own soul, to your community, or to a specific work or task you are undertaking. It can also refer to the church building that we are remodeling. We can always be asking, what kind of house are we building?

I've always loved fall, not just because the heat of summer fades, but because it feels more like a new beginning than New Year's ever did. The church begins the new ecclesiastical year quietly and tenderly. The first major feast day we celebrate is the Feast of the Nativity of our beautiful Theotokos. Wrap our heads around that—we celebrate the new year not with fireworks or resolutions, but with birth. With the arrival of the one who said "yes." The one who changed the cour

Jesus loves the little children, All the children of the world. Red and yellow, black and white, They are precious in His sight, Jesus loves the little children of the world. —Clarence Herbert Woolston, 1856-1927 We are in Europe. Having a daughter who has lived in Scotland for 14 years and another daughter who has lived across The Pond for 7 years, currently living in Switzerland, has enabled us...

Shonda Rhimes is an influential storyteller in modern television. As the creator of Grey's Anatomy, Scandal, Bridgerton, and more, she's known for crafting complex, diverse characters and emotionally rich narratives. Several years ago I read her memoir Year of Yes. In this book she shares how learning to say "yes" transformed her life from fear and burnout to joy and authenticity. Saying yes doesn't guarantee ease or clarity. But it opens the door to transformation. It's brav

I hope you are finding time to read the Scriptures! You can read a little each day, and there are multiple apps that can give you the church's daily readings or help you follow a reading plan. Have you ever been reading and had a verse jump out at you that you hadn't noticed before? This happened to me recently when I was reading 1 Corinthians chapter 9. Verse 23 struck me, which states, "This I do for the gospel's sake, that I may be partaker of it with you."

The Transfiguration of Christ is one of the most beautiful and radiant feast days in the Church. We are able to experience it today because the disciples witnessed it firsthand. Their humanity was evident as they fell to their faces in awe, but there is also something strangely comforting about that. Christ saw them and reassured them, "Don't be afraid." Then He asked them to keep this revelation quiet until after the Resurrection. Can you imagine carrying something that monu

August 1 brings us to the Dormition Fast. This special time of year again reminds us that our dear Theotokos is a great example for us. She is not an exception to the human race. She began her life being presented in the temple, she bore Jesus within herself, and she ended her life having become a Temple of the Holy Spirit. We are called to do likewise. The way that she walked with Jesus is the way we are called to walk with Him.

As we enter August, our Orthodox Church invites us into a special time of preparation for one of the most beloved feasts of our liturgical year, the Dormition of the Theotokos on August 15th. To help us prepare spiritually for this celebration, the Church asks us to follow traditional fasting guidelines and be especially intentional in our prayer and charitable works while focusing our hearts and minds on the example of the Theotokos.

My friends in the Midwest are experiencing thick, smoky air from the Canadian wildfires. For those of us in the Pacific Northwest, that heaviness is all too familiar. It starts with one small spark and suddenly thousands of acres are scorched, homes are displaced, and the sky is filled with haze. As I've watched the fires unfold back in my home state, I've found myself reflecting on how quickly things spiral out of control in our relationships and within communities. Misunder

St. Mary Magdalene is commemorated July 22 I'm blessed to call St. Mary Magdalene my patron saint. Called Equal to the Apostles, St. Mary Magdalene is known for suffering great torment, experiencing the healing and salvation of Christ, and dedicating her life to supporting Jesus' ministry and message. I'm sure I'm not the only person to feel both a special kinship to her patron saint and to wonder what she was like in life. Certain things about her life—universal human things

"God loves us beyond comprehension and we cannot diminish God's love for us." - St. Peter This quote is attributed to St. Peter. Many sources listed it but also noted that it is not from the Bible. Perhaps Peter spoke these words. Nonetheless, this is simple and strong language about God's love for us that summarizes a lot of what is in the Bible. No matter how far we have fallen or how distant our minds may be from Him, He is still loving us, ready to embrace us.