PARISH VOICES

Pastor Allan passed away a short while ago. He was the first pastor I remember having when I was a kid at a small Baptist church in eastern Washington. You might wonder why I would share about a Baptist pastor when I am an Orthodox Christian. I remember hearing Fr. Barnabas Powell on Ancient Faith Radio sharing spiritual guidance he received while entering Orthodoxy. He was told, “You cannot be Orthodox until you are thankful for everything that brought you to today.” I am s

During Fr. Tom’s sermon on Sunday, January 26th, something truly resonated with me. The gospel reading was about Zacchaeus, a wealthy tax...

How long can you wait patiently for something? A month? A year? A decade? Your entire life? I don't think I'm particularly patient. I recently grumbled because I spent five-and-a-half slightly uncomfortable hours on an airplane, and in that time traversed the entire continent. Fewer than 200 years ago, that trip would have taken about 140 days in a wagon! We live in an age of miracle and wonder, but to say we also live in an age of instant gratification may undersell just how

For the new year, many people think about their goals and hopes. This New Year, I invite you to consider the place of the Gospels in your life. Back in the fourth century, St. John Chrysostom lamented that many parishioners knew more about the chariot races than they knew about the Scriptures. I doubt if many of us know much about chariot races, but St. John might still have a similar complaint today. Abba Matthew the poor, asks us to consider the value of Scripture in our

As Christmas and the New Year flew by, 2025 has already brought its own challenges. While I don’t usually make New Year’s resolutions, there’s something undeniably special about the new beginning it offers, allowing me to deepen my relationship with Christ and keep Him at the center of my life. Reflecting on Fr. Tom’s sermon from Theophany Eve about being a container of Christ, I was struck by the image of feeling trapped under a container by the weight of expectations and da

To quote Fr. Tom, (again!), what a blessing we have in the Church! The church provides us with many tools to help us remember, enrich, and encourage our walk with Christ. This fills us up with His grace, mercy, and love. Many of us know what it is like to walk without Jesus in our lives—whether we met him later in life, or like many we may have done a bit of wandering away from the church at times. The chorus would respond with an overwhelming “Hallelujah” that walking throu

Every person wants to be loved and feel special, and many of the ways people try to be special are so that they can be loved. Just look at what is popular around us. If someone is seen as special because they are a singer or movie star, they are more lovable. Maybe someone is special and loved because they are an athlete. People try to be special through their job or hobbies. Sometimes, the love of family and friends can feel conditional, so people feel like they must be sp

This time of the year is blessed with music of the season. My favorites are the hymns of Christmas that refer to Christ. (And, Mele Kalikimaka, I love Hawai’i! During this commercialized season of Christmas — when we in the Church remember the birth of Jesus and the salvation He brings — I’ve been impressed for many years how the holiday selections include so many songs, or hymns, where Jesus is the focus! It feels sometimes as if we live in a world that doesn’t remember God.

I heard a saying recently that went, “You can’t control the wind, but you can adjust your sails.” These eleven words could have been Jabran’s motto. He couldn’t control what happened to him but could control his reactions. He had the unwavering ability to live in the present. No lamenting about the past or stressing about the future. He lived life as if that day was the only day that mattered. When Jabran and I moved to the Pacific Northwest from Indiana, we were looking fo

If you open your Bible to the Christmas story, you’ll find an interesting pattern. The angel Gabriel appears to Zacharias and says, “Do not be afraid” (Luke 1:13). Gabriel also visits Mary and says, “Do not be afraid” (Luke 1:30). An angel appears to Joseph in a dream and says, “Do not be afraid” (Matthew 1:20). A host of angels appears to the shepherds in the field, and the shepherds hear, “Do not be afraid” (Luke 2:10). Of course, the angels said much more than this o

The devotional book, Behold A Great Light: A Daily Devotional for the Nativity Fast through Theophany (Ancient Faith Publishing, 2023), has been a pleasure to read this Nativity season. Small, concise devotionals to read each day of the fast, written by a group of people. I encourage you to add it to your library. Here is a little takeaway from the book. Laura S. Jansson wrote the chapter, “‘Fiat: Let It Be” (November 27th reading) Fiat is the Latin from the fourth-century

Reflecting on my journey before joining Holy Apostles, I spent two years battling depression. Around January, Fr. Tom shared a story about a woman who grew violets in her back room. She was struggling with depression, and a therapist suggested she take her flowers to the hospital each day. This act of sharing brought light to her darkness and became a gift to others, illustrating that light is meant to be shared, reminding us that Christ calls us to be His light. In my own jo

There’s an Evangelical Christian worship song that came to my mind recently. I was thinking about the importance of standing in silence in front of God — whether at church during liturgy, in front of one’s prayer corner, or even standing in the silence amongst God’s creation. The words and the melody of the song entered my mind and made me think of the awesomeness of God. He is Love like no other. He is “too wonderful for comprehension” and He is “beautiful beyond description

We are about a quarter of the way into the Nativity Fast leading up to the celebration of Christ’s birth. We have this time of year to prepare for and reflect upon the good news of Christmas. We hear the word ‘Gospel,’ or ‘Good News’ in English, so often that it might lose its meaning, so for today, let’s look at how the good news of Christmas means that light, life, and love are coming. ​ Light is Coming Due to a recent weather event, many of us lost power to our homes.

Growing up in the Midwest, I became quite accustomed to severe weather events. Thunderstorms, tornadoes, blizzards, and ​ice storms were a regular part of life. Yet, in my 40 years, I can't recall ever being without power for more than 24 hours. Now, I am facing up to four days without power. Even during missionary work in a remote village in the Dominican Republic, we had electricity, albeit with occasional short outages. The culture and environment there somehow made it eas