If Possible, Gather Wisely and Safely

Religious Education in a Virtual World 3 There is still a great deal of uncertainty about what parish life will look like this fall because of the pandemic. While virtual meetings will still be...
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By Rev. Dr. Tony Vrame 08/07/2020 religious education virtual religious education History History 30 Views

Musings on 1 Corinthians 13, Today…

Love is free and it multiplies the more you share it. It doesn’t run out unless you squander it or measure it. Love doesn’t say, “You’re perfect just the way you are,” but rather “I love...
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By Presvytera Melanie DiStefano 08/06/2020 faith matters love eternity History History 23 Views

Ask Good Questions

Here’s a second installment of Religious Education in a Virtual World. A Good Question Will Start the Conversation In the New Testament, one of the central elements of the encounters that...
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By Rev. Dr. Tony Vrame 07/31/2020 religious education teachers virtual religious education lesson plans History History 150 Views

Relationships Are Central to Religious Education

Religious Education in a Virtual World There is a great deal of uncertainty about what parish life will look like this fall because of the pandemic. In particular, what might happen to...
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By Rev. Dr. Tony Vrame 07/23/2020 religious education teachers virtual religious education online religious education History History 293 Views

The Pastor as Teacher

 “And they devoted themselves to the apostles’ teaching and fellowship, to the breaking of bread and the prayers.” (Acts of the Apostles 2:42). In the New Testament and throughout the life of...
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By Rev. Dr. Tony Vrame 07/15/2020 religious education parish life priests adult education teaching methods History History 166 Views

The Apostles’ Life: No Pain No Gain

Presvytera Melanie DiStefano It is arguably one of the most “under-rated” Feast days of our Ecclesiastical Year – The Feast of the Apostles; and yet, it is through these 12 men and the line...
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By Presvytera Melanie DiStefano 06/26/2020 feast days call of god marriage and family parenting special needs feast of the apostles History History 679 Views

What Three Days Without Running Water Taught Me About Being Thankful

I never realized what a luxury it is to be able to flip on the water to wash our hands or dishes, to be able to flush a toilet, or step into the shower...until a pipe burst in our basement!
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By Family Care 06/23/2020 marriage and family History History 570 Views

Racism and Orthodox Christianity in America: A Modern Commentary

In light of recent tragic acts of racism and brutality — including the heinous execution of George Floyd at the hands of police in Minneapolis, the murder of a black man simply for jogging in Georgia, and the weaponizing of the police against a black man in New York City, I humbly offer this blog entry, taken from a speech I presented in October 2019, which highlights racism and the Orthodox Christian Church in the USA today.
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By Nicholas Anton 06/03/2020 faith matters racism equality equity protest History History 2234 Views

That's a Wrap! Celebrating the Sunday Church School Year

Suggestions for ending the 2020 Church School and Parish Ministry year...
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By Angeliki Constantine 05/29/2020 religious education graduation History History 866 Views

TOWARD A SOCIAL ETHOS OF THE ORTHODOX CHURCH A New Document of the Ecumenical Patriarchate

In January 2020, the Ecumenical Patriarchate approved a social document crafted by a theological commission that was charged with formulating general parameters and guiding principles for the role of the Orthodox Church as well as the responsibility of Orthodox Christians in the modern world.
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By Fr. John Chryssavgis 05/28/2020 ecumenical patriarch faith matters social ethos History History 1185 Views

Ascension and Pentecost

As we get closer to observing the Feasts of the Ascension and Pentecost, a closer look at their origins is timely. If you like solving puzzles, the upcoming feasts of Ascension and Pentecost...
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By Rev. Dr. Tony Vrame 05/15/2020 religious education scripture new testament liturgical year feast of pentecost feast of ascension History History 641 Views

Orthodox Perspective on the Ministry of the Church Online

Rev. Dr. Nicolas Kazarian * New York City is still the epicenter of the pandemic and people continue to “shelter in place.” Our churches remain closed. However, parishes of the Greek...
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By Rev. Dr. Nicolas Kazarian 05/12/2020 faith matters worship ministry online orthodoxy History History 839 Views

What Does God Have in Store for Us?

What might the Lord have in store for us as we seek him through our prayerful rhythms in the privacy of our own homes? Be ready: we could be in for something we don’t expect.
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By Family Care 05/12/2020 marriage and family History History 766 Views

Isaiah the Prophet

The Orthodox Church commemorates Isaiah the Prophet on May 9. Isaiah is often considered the greatest of the Old Testament prophets. Christians often refer to the Book of Isaiah as the “fifth...
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By Rev. Dr. Tony Vrame 05/08/2020 religious education old testament isaiah prophets History History 500 Views

Who Were Joseph and Nicodemus

At the beginning of the Gospel lesson for the Sunday of the Myrrh-bearers we hear how Joseph of Arimathea went to Pilate to request the body of Jesus so it could receive burial. In the Gospel of...
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By Rev. Dr. Tony Vrame 05/04/2020 religious education bible study new testament History History 560 Views

The Myrrh-bearing Women: Fearless Females

The Myrrh-bearing women are my personal heroes. If I spent a lifetime praying about it and trying to follow their example, I might hope to say that I, too, carried through the most difficult moments of my life with half as much faith, duty, bravery, and good works as they did.
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By Family Care 04/30/2020 women sunday of myrrh bearers resurrection marriage and family hero History History 1479 Views

Consensus Parenting

Certainly, parents carry the burden of responsibility for the decisions, consequences, and overall well-being of the family. But do we welcome the presence of the Holy Spirit in the process? Do we offer reasonable choices to even the youngest members of our family, allowing them to discern the risks and rewards of their decisions in the short run and the long term?
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By Fr. Alexander Goussetis 04/28/2020 pascha marriage and family parenting History History 1422 Views

Church at Home

These days of staying at home and practicing our faith at home have in some respects given us an experience of the New Testament church. In the Acts of the Apostles and the letters of St....
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By Rev. Dr. Tony Vrame 04/24/2020 religious education church at home dura-europos new testament History History 692 Views

Palm Sunday at Home

  Growing up, one of my favorite parts of my parish’s Holy Week preparations was gathering together a day or two before Palm Sunday in order to fold palm branches into palm crosses! It was...
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By Angeliki Constantine 04/10/2020 religious education religious education at home History History 1099 Views

Lamb of God

How do we understand the phrase, "lamb of God" when we apply it to Christ? How does the Orthodox Church use this term in its liturgical life?
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By Rev. Dr. Tony Vrame 04/10/2020 religious education great lent jesus christ holy week bible study History History 719 Views

St Mary of Egypt

What can we learn about repentance and the experience of the desert from the life of St. Mary of Egypt?
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By Rev. Dr. Tony Vrame 04/10/2020 religious education great lent repentance st mary of egypt History History 591 Views

St John Climacus in 2020

In light of the stay at home orders during Great Lent, we're all monastics now. What can we learn from the life of St John Climacus, remembered on the fourth Sunday of Lent.
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By Rev. Dr. Tony Vrame 04/10/2020 religious education great lent sunday of st john climacus st john climacus monastic life History History 625 Views

A Study of the Crucifix Icon

A study of the icon of the Cross of Christ, useful for the Third Sunday of Great Lent.
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By Rev. Dr. Tony Vrame 04/10/2020 religious education great lent icons cross History History 577 Views

The Gift of Life

Last night I lay down with my son at bedtime, holding his hand as is our usual routine. He had suffered a nasty virus the past week and his normal fitful sleeping pattern was even more...
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By Presvytera Melanie DiStefano 02/12/2020 life trust parenting special needs History History 1141 Views

I Surrender!...to Motherhood

It is a miraculous gift from God to be able to bring a child into this world, one that I thank Him for every single day. I never thought I was capable of this type of overwhelming love until I met...
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By Family Care 01/15/2020 marriage and family History History 1487 Views

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