A quiet confession between us: Nostalgic freak that I am, I still like listening to old songs from the Christian folk group Children of the Day. The group is one of the earliest Jesus People music groups and consisted of four young people, headed by Marsha Carter. They were famous for the song "For those tears I died" - also known as "Come to the waters:, written by Marsha shortly after her conversion to Christ at the age of 16. The song contains the sort of emotionalism that often characterizes young 16-year-old evangelical girls, with tears being cried in the dark, as well as that bit of latent calvinism which often characterizes evangelicals. The song begins with the lines "You said you'd come and share all my sorrows, you said you'd be there for all my tomorrows. I came so close to sending you away, but just like you promised - you came here to stay. I just had to pray."

Every so often one encounters something that breaks the head as well as the heart. By that I refer to things that not only wring the heart with grief, but also confound the head because they are so perversely stupid. One such thing is the recent conversion of a Tasmanian Orthodox priest by the name of David Gould who had been Orthodox for 45 years and who then converted to Islam two years after becoming a priest. He now goes by the name of Abdul Rahman.

In reflecting on the Sunday of the Last Judgment, the Very Rev. Dr Bogdan Bucur calls our attention to the difference between the Lord’s invitation to those at his right hand in Matthew 25.34: “Come, you blessed of My Father, inherit the kingdom prepared for you from the foundation of the world,” and the injunction to those on His left, “‘Depart from Me, you cursed, into the everlasting fire prepared for the devil and his angels” (Matt 25.41). In this account of the last judgment, the difference between those on the right and the left is their deeds during their earthly lives. Fr Bogdan urges us to consider the concrete actions the Lord is expecting us to take during our time on this Earth to physically and practically minister to all those in need around us.

When we are reading the literature of the ancient Hebrews (i.e. the Old Testament) it is important to be aware of the kind of glasses we are wearing—that is, we should be aware of the unspoken conceptual presuppositions that we bring to our reading. If we are not aware of our ingrained conceptual presuppositions, we can make mistakes in understanding ancient literature.

Thousands of years ago when I was an Evangelical Protestant in the Anglican Church, I never prayed to the saints or asked for their intercession. It was made quite clear to me by those around me that obedient Christians never did that and that prayer to the saints (especially to Mary) was idolatry of the worst sort and consequently provoked the ire of the Most High. Catholics, of course, prayed to Mary and the saints, but real Christians didn’t. Even when I got out more and grew a bit and realized Catholics were real Christians, I still was convinced that they shouldn’t pray to saints, and that prayer to the saints ran the risk of traffic with demons. So much for ecumenism!

I recently spoke with a dear friend who dolefully reported that a distant family member had left his very traditional Protestant church (with its stress on doctrine and Reformed worship) for a group called “The Bridge”. The name of the group reminded me of similar names of such new churches, such as “Connect”, and “Relate”—i.e. the names were intended to highlight their emphasis on relationships. So much for “St. James Anglican Cathedral”, or “Ferndale Baptist Church”, or even “Living Waters Pentecostal Assembly”.

Many people will (hopefully) identify the above quote as coming from the speech of Polonius in Act 1, Scene 3 of Shakespeare’s Hamlet. It was part of the fatherly talk he gave to his son Laertes before the boy moved away to university. It is now often quoted as a bit of perennial wisdom for life (it was written by Shakespeare, after all). It is not as often known that it was part of a speech that Shakespeare meant to be recognized as almost meaninglessly platitudinous, a kind of Elizabethan “blah-blah-blah, yada-yada-yada”.

The method by which the Orthodox Church receives converts is a very controversial topic, and one which has provoked much online discussion. Should a convert be received by baptism, by chrismation alone, or perhaps simply after a recantation of previously-held errors? All three methods have been used in the past. And which groups should be received in which ways? Should the Oriental Orthodox (such as Copts and Armenians) be received in the same way as Pentecostals? What about Roman Catholics? The issue is far from clear, and has usually generated much more heat than light.

Fr. Apostolos reminds us this Halloween season of the absolute and exclusive claims laid upon us by Jesus Christ.

Fr. Apostolos reminds us that while prayer is difficult, it is essential to our salvation.

Fr. Apostolos continues his homiletic series on prayer.

Fr. Apostolos addresses sin as the animating principle behind the blood-letting we are witnessing around the world. References are drawn primarily from the Prophet Isaiah whose insights are as relevant today as they were 2,700 years ago.

Fr. Apostolos speaks about the importance of attending and participating in the divine services. "No matter how many theological books we read or classes we attend, the treasure of Holy Orthodoxy can only be revealed in and through the medium of divine worship."

Fr. Apostolos talks about the privilege and responsibility we have of knowing Christ personally.

Fr. Apostolos shares about the flash mob that gathered on Palm Sunday and at the trial of Jesus.

Fr. Apostolos encourages us that it is possible to change. May we approach the Feast of the Transfiguration "with a sense of humility and anticipation that we too might be radically changed into that same image from glory to glory."

Fr. Apostolos shares what he says to visiting annual Festival tour groups about the Cathedral space.

Fr. Apostolos talks about the true worship of God, "This week, as we celebrate the Presentation of the Lord of glory into the Temple, may we be reminded that we come into this holy place not in a state of mere passive observance, but in one of active, noetic worship of the One who alone deserves all glory, honor, and worship: the Father, Son, and Holy Spirit, now until the ages of ages."

Fr. Apostolos begins with the story of Brittany, a young girl he briefly knew who suffered from an incurable skin condition who demonstrated for him how to carry a cross. The gist of the homily is simple: there can be no resurrection without a death and no Paschal celebration without the Cross.

Fr. Apostolos invites the faithful to complete the journey from the gates of Jerusalem and Christ's triumphal entry to Golgotha and the borrowed tomb that could not hold the Lord of Life.

Fr. Apostolos talks about the importance of the Cross.

Fr. Apostolos Hill discusses the role of confession in maintaining a healthy spiritual life.

Fr. Apostolos Hill discusses the Sunday of the Cross and the importance of learning to pick up our cross in the simple day-to-day choices we make.

Fr. Apostolos Hill delivers a homily about the belief that leads to salvation as opposed to a nominal "belief" that does not.

Fr. Apostolos Hill discusses on the struggle for salvation as evidence that we are on the right path.

Fr. Apostolos Hill preaches on the Prodigal Son and how easily we write off others and ourselves from the reach of God's love. Another impassioned plea that mostly falls on deaf ears in our fraught times.

Fr. Apostolos Hill speaks about the Hymn of Kassiani's retelling of the sinful woman who wept her tears of repentance over the feet of Christ and of Jesus' retort to Simon, "He who is forgiven little, loves little...." He also tells about the life and love of St. Mary of Egypt.

Fr. Apostolos Hill shares a short homily and prayers for the back-to-school students. The first prayer at the end for parents to offer for their children is from Fr. James Meena of blessed memory which was written in 1978 and printed in the Word magazine. The second prayer is one that Fr. Apostolos wrote for the Cathedral students.

Fr. Apostolos Hill discusses the book "God and the Pandemic' by Anglican bishop N.T. Wright. This book, as Fr. Apostolos notes, is written for us to consider the Christian response to this crisis as one of lamentation.

Fr. Apostolos Hill delivers a simple homily from the Gospel about touching Jesus during a period of necessary distancing.

Fr. Apostolos Hill shares a homily on the Gospel reading, an examination of the difference between following or pursuing Jesus and being casually associated with Him.

Fr. Apostolos Hill preaches about the Living Water that only Christ can give to quench the thirst in the deepest part of humanity.

Fr. Apostolos Hill shares a tribute to fathers after having buried his father the week before.

Fr. Apostolos Hill challenges us with reflections on the Gospel reading of St. Peter's impetuous faith on the Sea of Galilee.

Fr. Apostolos speaks about the evangelical imperative of the Apostolicity of the Church.

Sermon on the Sunday of All Saints (Heb 11:33-12:2; Mt 10:32-33, 37-38; 19:27-30)

Sermon on the Sixth Sunday after Pentecost (Romans 12:6-14; Matthew 9:1-8)

Sermon on the Seventh Sunday after Pentecost (Romans 15:1-7; Matthew 9:27-35)

Sermon on the Feast of the Elevation of the Precious Cross (I Corinthians 1:18-24; John 19:6-11, 13-20, 25-28, 30-35)

Sermon on the Fifteenth Sunday after Pentecost (II Cor 4:6-15; Luke 5:1-11)

Sermon on the Twenty-fourth Sunday after Pentecost (Ephesians 2:14-22; Luke 13:10-17)

Sixteenth Sunday after Pentecost

Sunday of the Paralytic - Fourth Sunday of Pascha