Fr. Stephen looks at creation and its "voice" as described in Old and New Testament and sees what it means for our realtionship with the world around us.

Fr. Stephen talks about the importance of icons in our modern world - helping us to see and understand clearly the truth of creation and God.

Fr. Stephen speaks about the "liturgy of the heart" as the longest liturgy of all and the true nature of worship.

Fr. Stephen looks at the difference between individual salvation and personal salvation and the deep importance found in the distinction.

Fr. Stephen speaks on prayer as an aspect of our participation in the life of God, taking it from words spoken to a presence shared.

Fr. Stephen looks at the role wonder should play in the Christian life.

Fr. Stephen reflects on the meaning of Dostoevsky's statement, "Each man is responsible for the sins of everyone," and its meaning for prayer.

Fr. Stephen looks at how the teaching of the Church differs from opinion and the process of argument. Doctrine is a "verbal icon of Christ."

How we see the world has much to do with our capacity for wonder. Is what we see all there is—or does it point to something beyond itself?

Fr. Stephen looks at language and how it can be seen as an icon, serving as a "Window to Heaven."

Fr. Stephen looks at how it is possible to distort an icon and how the distortions within our own hearts affect what we see.

If you have ever felt like the right words in an argument simply won't come, perhaps you should read these thoughts.

In these brief remarks on this Thanksgiving weekend, Fr. Stephen looks at the essential Christian confession of thanks, "God is good."

There is a modern construct of the self that is something of a delusion. Fr. Stephen speaks about our true life "that is hidden with Christ in God" as taught by St. Paul.

Fr. Stephen looks at the pressures created by our secular culture, particularly how they affect our communion with God.

Fr. Stephen reflects on a few quotes from Fr. Alexander Schmemann's For the Life of the World - and the crisis of secularism in which we live.

The forgiveness of enemies is a commandment of Christ and yet something we find almost impossible to do? Why has Christ asked such a thing of us?

Human beings have their true existence only in communion with God. Our prayer is also a communion - both with God and the whole Church.

Fr. Stephen looks at particular points within the gospel teaching that are sometimes "scandalous," that is a "rock of stumbling" for believers. He examines how important these points are and how essential for our salvation.

Fr. Stephen examines what it means that the Church is the nexus of the crucified Christ's love.

Fr. Stephen suggests that the heart of our faith and our relationship with God can be found more quickly in such things as music and beauty. We often seek to substitute language about religious doctrine in the place of these more primary expressions of our Christian life.

St. Gregory of Nyssa speaks of man both as singer and song. Fr. Stephen explores how we are the "song of God."

On the first Sunday of Great Lent, Orthodox Christians celebrate the return of icons to the Churches. Fr. Stephen looks at the spirit of icon smashing that occasionally infects Christians and various political movements and contrasts it with the spirit of authentic Christianity.

Our feelings and desires are trained by our culture to seek satisfaction. In our spiritual life, we often need to learn how to be disappointed. Fr. Stephen looks at the "disappointment of religion."

When the Church's hymns describe us as "rational sheep," what does it mean? Fr. Stephen offers this meditation on language and humanity. Language is part of our deepest nature - and it is a reflection of God.

Fr. Stephen offers a meditation on the Father's understanding that everything is in motion. What does this mean for the direction of our lives?

How do we lose God in the midst of our plans? How can we keep Him?

Fr. Stephen looks at the connectedness of our lives: of our sin and of our salvation.

Fr. Stephen uses the language of Baptism to describe the "mystical reality" of the Christian life.

Continuing his series on the "Modern Project," Fr. Stephen looks at the role "choice" plays in the modern world and contrasts that with older disciplines in the Christian life.

The frightful pressure felt by the young as they struggle to find their vocation is deeply enmeshed in the Modern Project. Fr. Stephen looks at those expectations as well as the true vocation of Christians.

Fr. Stephen reflects on the hidden nature of God's work.

This podcast is part one of three where Fr. Stephen explores the topic of Orthodoxy and our sexual/gendered existence.

Fr. Stephen offers thoughts on the providence of God—His will working good for us all despite what we may see or think.

Fr. Stephen continues his thoughts on the topic of shame—looking at its place in Christ's death on the Cross.

Fr. Stephen looks at the role of the passions in the formation of the modern soul. There is a better way to live.

Fr. Stephen Freeman speaks from his own experience about depression, anxiety, and a 40-year battle with panic attacks. He sets these within the wisdom of the tradition and offers a way of understanding as well as some helpful ways of moving forward.

The heart of loneliness is broken communion. Fr. Stephen Freeman looks at the roots of this rupture and its experience as shame.

Fr. Stephen Freeman describes the "conciliar" nature of God's actions and our response to Him in our lives. God delights in sharing His work with us.

The truth of words is much deeper than the "facts" they may represent. A true word is found in the heart of God, and in our hearts when we dwell in God.

On Star Trek, the guys wearing the Red Shirts are expendable. Fr. Stephen Freeman tells us there's a lot to think about in that.

Fr. Stephen looks at the role the classical Christian passions play in our modern culture—how they shape what we think, how we feel, and many of the decisions we make—even on the unconscious level.

Fr. Stephen continues his series on the modern world's division between things secular and things spiritual, showing that the Orthodox life should be lived not in a "two-storey" universe but in a "one-storey" universe. This talk looks at our modern understanding of time and how it runs counter to the Church's traditional understanding.

Fr. Stephen describes the spiritual warfare that Christians are to engage in as a battle within the heart—which is where we find the very depths of heaven.

Fr. Stephen continues his series on the One-Storey Universe and looks at what it means for the Church. The Church is concrete and real. The "Fullness of Him that Filleth All in All" is not an abstraction or an "invisible" Church, but rather the very real Church established by Christ.

Fr. Stephen looks at morality and virtue, particularly as understood during the so-called "Age of Enlightenment," and compares it with an Orthodox understanding of right actions in the life of a Christian.

Fr. Stephen looks at the aspect of seeing the world in wonder—an experience shared by both Christian and non-Christian—and suggests, following St. Gregory of Nyssa, that it is the place where our faith should begin.

In this podcast Fr. Stephen speaks about the experience of standing at the "edge" of Tradition as people look at the Tradition of the Church and discuss it, seek to appropriate parts of it, but remain outside of that Tradition. He emphasizes that the Tradition of the faith is nothing other than our union with the True and Living God and His union with us.

Fr. Stephen talks about one aspect of the Orthodox understanding of salvation by grace, and notes that a very large part of it consists in "just showing up," learning to be present to God and to accept faithfully the means of grace given to us.

Fr. Stephen sets for a case for an "Orthodox Interpretation of Scripture" in which the Church itself is seen as the proper way to interpret the Sacred Writings.