You will often hear people speak of the importance of having balance in our lives. And generally speaking, it is a good idea to have a balanced life. This is especially true if by having balance in our lives we mean that we try to avoid extreme attitudes or behaviours. However, the trouble with the concept of having balance in our lives is that it is not a Christian concept. That’s not to say that the concept is not useful to Christians. It can be quite useful in some contexts to think of having balance in one’s life. It can be useful especially in identifying when something is wrong in our life—when we feel that our life is out of balance. Nevertheless, using the concept of balance as a criterion for the Christian life can also be dangerous.

If we do not work on that relationship, if we do not nurture longing for God, if we do not take the time to nurture our inner life, then we also grow apart from God. We are still baptized, still joined to Christ, but growing apart we become bored with God, our longing wanders to more exciting possibilities; and if we are not careful, God become a stranger, even an enemy to us. And this, perhaps, is what hell is like: to be joined to God, yet be bored with Him; to go to your own wedding, despising your fiance; to spend eternity knowing that you ignored for a lifetime the God who loves you so much that he allows you even to ignore His love.

Steven and Christian discuss being exposed to darkness through art and whether or not there is merit in pressing through things that are difficult to watch. They deal with themes of light and dark, weaker brothers and stronger brothers, and why neither of them could make it past (or in Christian’s case through) the first episode of the critically acclaimed Breaking Bad. As always, the guys end with a top 5 list.

Christian and Steve take a dive into the world of stand-up comedy with the John Mulaney’s Netflix special The Comeback Kid. The guys discuss views of masculinity, the power of self-reproach and honesty, and the ability of comedy to take heavy topics and make them approachable-if-irreverent. They close with their Top 5 Comedy Specials.

The guys are huge fans of NBC’s hit comedy, The Good Place. They discuss popular conceptions of the afterlife, how relationships impact character, and the unity of the spirit and the flesh. They close with their Top 5 Supernatural Beings.

The guys take a hack at the Black Mirror’s groundbreaking choose-your-own-adventure episode, Bandersnatch! Besides being thoroughly creeped out by it, the guys discuss participatory culture, the role of freedom in the human life, and how our desire to control is born out of fear. They close with their Top 5 Breakings Though the Fourth Wall.

The girls take on the latest Disney re-make, Aladdin. They discuss how true power is made manifest in service, how compassion makes a ruler strong, and how our hearts are not necessarily shaped by our circumstances. They close with their Top 5 Supernatural BFFs.

Christina and Emma invite Hibbah to join the conversation around the fourth season of the Amazon Prime Original, The Marvelous Mrs. Maisel. They discuss questions of what it means to be a woman, different types of friends, and community. All that, plus what they're cooking!

Steve and Christian explore the new DC superhero movie, "The Batman." Spoilers ahead! They explore lies, power, trauma, and radicalization.

The point of the Christian life is a participation in the healing of the human person, struggling against the forces of evil in our own souls.

Responding to the call to come to the heavenly banquet requires us to leave behind those things to which we are enslaved.

Fr. Philip LeMasters reflects on the baptism of Christ by the Holy Prophet and Forerunner, John the Baptist.

Fr. Philip LeMasters reflects on the nativity of St. John the Baptist and it's meaning for us today.

Fr. Philip LeMasters shares the story of the conception of St. John the Baptist, and how the troubles of our lives provide us with an additional opportunity to walk by faith.

In today’s gospel lesson, there were people so used to focusing on their daily routines and worldly responsibilities that they had lost the ability to recognize something new and joyful. One owned real estate, another had animals, and a third was married. Even though these are commonplace conditions, they used them to justify their refusal to accept the invitation to the great party. No one forced them to do so; instead, they excused themselves. As a result, the master commanded his servant to “Go out quickly to the streets and lanes of the city, and bring in the poor and maimed and blind and lame.” Because there was still room, the master ordered him to go out even further to “the highways and hedges, and compel people to come in, that my house may be filled.”

At Theophany, we celebrate that no dimension of our life or world is intrinsically profane or cut off from sharing in the holiness of God. All things, physical and spiritual, visible and invisible, are called to participate in the divine glory that our Lord has brought to the world, to become even now signs of the coming fullness of God’s Kingdom.

As we begin our Lenten journey, we remember today how Adam and Eve stripped themselves naked of the divine glory and were cast out of Paradise into a world enslaved by death. During Great Lent, we follow the path that leads back to Paradise.

Regardless of the particulars of our life circumstances, let us use the challenges posed by the global pandemic as reminders of the folly of making life in this world our false god.

The Cross is truly the Tree of Life through which we return to the blessedness of Paradise.

Like the saints we remember today, let us turn away from such distractions and instead orient ourselves toward the blessedness of a Kingdom that remains not of this world. Let us offer all our blessings back to Him with gratitude, for that is the only way to live as those who know that the good things of this life are not ends in themselves, but points of entrance to eternal life.

The feast of the Dormition of the Theotokos calls us to live faithfully as those who have put on Christ like a garment in baptism, been filled with the Holy Spirit in chrismation, and become guests at the heavenly banquet in the Eucharist.

Those who have put on Christ in baptism and who receive the Communion of His Body and Blood must become epiphanies of His fulfillment of the human person in God’s image and likeness. As we prepare to celebrate Theophany, let us gain the spiritual clarity to behold the glory of Christ’s baptism by straightening the crooked areas of our lives.

May every step of the journey lead us further away from exile and closer to our true home, the Paradise that our Lord has opened to us through His glorious resurrection on the third day.

In this introduction to the final part of Paradise and Utopia, Fr. John reads the prologue to his recently released book, The Age of Nihilism: Christendom from the Great War to the Culture Wars. The episode introduces the nihilistic philosopher Friedrich Nietzsche and the role compositions by Richard Wagner played in his formation. Included are musical excerpts of the latter's famous "Wedding March" and "Ride of the Valkyries."

In this episode, we join Fr. John Parker at a fundraising dinner for the OCMC sponsored by the DC Metro Area Pan-Orthodox Missions Council. Fr. John's keynote address was entitled, "Here I Am, Send Me: How Every Christian can Answer the Great Commission."

Fr. Chad Hatfield, Dean of St. Vladimir's Orthodox Seminary, gave a Lenten retreat at Fr. John Parker's Holy Ascension Orthodox Church. He spoke on Basic Christian Discipleship - Three Proven Methods for Holy Living. This is part 1.

Fr. Chad Hatfield, Dean of St. Vladimir's Orthodox Seminary, gave a Lenten retreat at Fr. John Parker's Holy Ascension Orthodox Church. He spoke on Basic Christian Discipleship - Three Proven Methods for Holy Living. This is part 2.

Fr. Chad Hatfield, Dean of St. Vladimir's Orthodox Seminary, gave a Lenten retreat at Fr. John Parker's Holy Ascension Orthodox Church. He spoke on Basic Christian Discipleship - Three Proven Methods for Holy Living. This is part 3.

In this episode, Fr. John interviews Fr. Jason Foster, pastor of Holy Nativity Orthodox Mission in Shreveport, LA. Fr. Jason is doing amazing and catalytic missionary work in Louisiana.

Fr. John Parker visited Albania in May of 2014 and while there interviewed OCMC missionaries Nathan and Gabriela Hoppe.

Fr. John recently spoke at St. Basil's Mission in Wilmington, NC, on their parish feast and on the occasion of the blessing of land for the construction of a church. He discusses the definition of "success" for a mission and parish.

We look at the Psalms, the purpose of the Torah for the Hebrew people, and the story of David dancing before the ark to illumine the theme of liberty seen in our readings for this coming Divine Liturgy.

We look to the gospel and epistle readings for this feastday, in order to give us wisdom and courage in meeting the challenges of our own. Luke 1: 1-80, 3:16-20, Malachi 4, Romans 13:11-14:4

We reflect back upon the Psalm “By the Waters of Babylon,” heard by many of us in the past three weeks, as a preparation for Great Lent. Its troublesome final verse is read with the help of other portions of Scripture, St. John Chrysostom, Cassiodorus and others, so that we can understand why the psalm retains a valuable place in our worship together.

This week we consider Revelation 16 as an intensification of Exodus 7-12, looking to Haggai 2:6-7, and various other NT passages, as well as some Church fathers, in our reading of this sobering passage.

This week we consider Revelation 18:1-8, considering the inevitable judgment of Babylon in the light of the prophet Isaiah (13:21-22; 47:7-9) and Malachi.

This week we behold the dramatic laments and final symbolic action concerning Babylon. The colorful vision of Rev 18:9-24, amplified by Amos 3:15-4:2, reveals the network of evil and oppression surrounding “Babylon,” and leads us forward towards joy in the victory of the God’s light and truth.

The prophet Habakkuk, who waits with us during the Paschal vigil, gives us much to consider in the fourth Old Testament canticle, taken from Habakkuk 3. Modelling humility, giving us grounds for hope by remembering God’s mighty acts in Exodus and Joshua, and lifting our eyes to the places on high, he continues to speak with force and poignancy even to those of us who know the fuller story of the Cross, Resurrection, and Ascension.

The Last Battle from The Chronicles of Narnia by CS Lewis, Chapter 12 The Chronicles of Narnia are published by Harper Trophy, A Division of Harper Collins, New York, New York. They are available for purchase here. We want to thank CS Lewis Pte. Ltd. for granting us permission to bring these wonderful stories to you. (Legal info).

"Saint Cecilia" and "Saint Barbara" from Saints: Lives and Illuminations, written and illustrated by Ruth Sanderson, read with permission by Eerdmans Books for Young Readers, 2007.

"Saint Basil" and "Saint John Chrysostom" from Saints: Lives and Illuminations, written and illustrated by Ruth Sanderson, read with permission by Eerdmans Books for Young Readers, 2007.

"Saint Columba" and "Saint Gregory the Great" from Saints: Lives and Illuminations written and illustrated by Ruth Sanderson, read with permission by Eerdmans Books for Young Readers, 2007.

"Jesus Heals a Woman on the Sabbath," from Feasts of Christ and the Theotokos and Miracles of the Lord by Spiritual Fragrance Publishing (2012)

"Saint Bartholomew," from The Disciples of Christ, Illustrated Biographies, by Spiritual Fragrance Publishing (2012)

"Saint Barnabas," from The Co-Workers for the Gospel, Illustrated Biographies, Book 5, by Spiritual Fragrance Publishing (2012)

"Saint Basil the Great," by Vasilia Tussing, age 11, winner of the 10-year anniversary children's story competition.

"Saint Barbara," from Women of Faith, written by Calee M. Lee, illustrated by Lisa Graves (Xist Publishing, 2015)

"Saint Basil the Great," from The Lives of Our Saints, Illustrated Biographies Book 8 (Spiritual Fragrance Publishing, 2012) Available at Spiritual Fragrance Publishing.

Welcoming the Christ Child: Family Readings for the Nativity Lent, "God’s Law and Joshua and the Battle of Jericho," by Elissa Bjeletich, illustrated by Jelena Jeftic (Sebastian Press, 2017).

Welcoming the Christ Child: Family Readings for the Nativity Lent, "The Prophet Ezekiel and The Prophet Daniel in Babylon," by Elissa Bjeletich, illustrated by Jelena Jeftic (Sebastian Press, 2017).