PARISH VOICES

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.

A View from the Moon I remember reading about the space shuttle Columbia where astronaut James Irwin walked on the moon in 1971. He said, "I can't describe the thrill of looking out into space and seeing it as only a handful of men have ever seen it. The stars and sun offered the most breathtaking colors humankind has ever witnessed…I could hardly contain myself. "I came to a stop. Moon dust settled down on my boots and chills ran up and down my spine. I thought, WOW!! This i

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 Encounter of Faith I've been intrigued with the parable of the blind man found in Luke 18:35-43 during my Advent journey. The blind man, who was minding his own business begging by the roadside in Jericho, meets the crowd following Jesus and asks what the commotion is about. He is told that Jesus is passing by. Jesus is passing by? Immediately the blind man cries out to Christ, "Jesus, Son of David, have mercy on me!" The crowd tries to silence and distract him, tries to

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.

More Than Just a Holiday Like many things in life, holidays often come and go and for some, holidays have lost their meaning and have become just another day. In recent years many have called Thanksgiving, "Turkey Day" or it has become a day to watch football and eat a big feast without a second thought. ​ As we prepare to come together as family and friends, let’s intentionally strive to make Thanksgiving a day to remember our abundant blessings. As Orthodox Christians we a