- 5 months ago
Rev 10:7-8
7 But that when the days come when the trumpet call of the seventh angel is about to be sounded, then God's mystery (His secret design, His hidden purpose), as He had announced the glad tidings to His servants the prophets, should be fulfilled (accomplished, completed). [Dan 12:6,7.]
8 Then the voice that I heard from heaven spoke again to me, saying, Go and take the little book (scroll) which is open on the hand of the angel who is standing on the sea and on the land.
7 But that when the days come when the trumpet call of the seventh angel is about to be sounded, then God's mystery (His secret design, His hidden purpose), as He had announced the glad tidings to His servants the prophets, should be fulfilled (accomplished, completed). [Dan 12:6,7.]
8 Then the voice that I heard from heaven spoke again to me, saying, Go and take the little book (scroll) which is open on the hand of the angel who is standing on the sea and on the land.
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LifestyleTranscript
00:00Today
00:29in this sharing, our subject
00:32and title have to do with
00:33faith, and the title is called
00:36The Mystery of Genuine
00:38Faith Has a Timeline
00:40in the Early Orthodox
00:42Church. And when
00:44we talk about faith,
00:45we are not talking about something
00:47earthly or about
00:50faith in oneself to be
00:52able to do something or get something
00:54tangible that we want
00:56or need, because this
00:57involves rational thinking.
01:01No, we
01:02are specifically discussing
01:04that which takes us on
01:06the path and place of where
01:08we have an encounter with
01:10God Almighty and how we
01:11respond to His call.
01:14And in saying this, it
01:16must be noted that it is
01:18difficult to believe in God
01:19if we do not heed His call
01:21and His nudgings to answer
01:24or respond to Him when
01:26He does call us.
01:27Or for example, like in Matthew
01:29chapter 4, beginning in verse 17,
01:32where Jesus was walking
01:34along the Sea of Galilee.
01:36And we read,
01:37From that time, Jesus
01:39began to preach and to say,
01:41Repent, for the kingdom
01:43of heaven is at hand.
01:45Four fishermen called
01:46His disciples,
01:48and Jesus walking
01:49by the Sea of Galilee
01:50saw two brothers,
01:52Simon and Peter,
01:53and Andrew and his brother,
01:55casting a net into the sea,
01:57for they were fishermen.
01:58And He said to them,
02:00Follow me,
02:01and I will make you
02:02fishers of men.
02:03They immediately left
02:05their nets and followed Him.
02:07Going on from there,
02:08He saw two other brothers,
02:11James, the son of Zebedee,
02:13and John, his brother,
02:14in the boat with Zebedee,
02:16with their father,
02:17mending their nets.
02:19And He called them,
02:20and immediately
02:21they left the boat
02:23and their father,
02:24and they followed Him.
02:26Dear listener and followers,
02:29have you ever wondered
02:30what prompted these men
02:32to respond so favorably?
02:35And maybe you even
02:36thought like I did
02:38in thinking,
02:39what was the secret
02:41for the fact
02:42that they heard
02:42Jesus' voice
02:44and responded so readily
02:46to abandon everything
02:48to follow Him
02:49in His first encounter
02:52to call them?
02:54Then don't forget
02:55the opposite response
02:56with the young rich man
02:58who had everything
02:59and heard Jesus
03:00summon Him to follow.
03:02but He,
03:03on the other hand,
03:05went away very sorrowful
03:06because He could not
03:08or would not
03:09follow Jesus
03:10because His riches
03:12were more valuable
03:13to part with
03:14than to answer a call
03:16that had eternal value
03:17and promise.
03:19Could we say
03:20that He was tethered
03:21to earthly life
03:22and values?
03:24In our first account,
03:26the fishermen were poor
03:27in comparison
03:28to the young rich man,
03:30but the fact is,
03:32the fishermen knew
03:33to a certain degree
03:34that their treasure
03:35was found in Jesus Christ
03:37rather than a treasure
03:39found on this earth.
03:41Dear ones,
03:42I believe that
03:43if we are all honest
03:45with ourselves,
03:46not one of us
03:47can say or deny
03:48the fact
03:49that we have
03:50some treasure
03:51on this earth,
03:53be it in the form
03:54of people,
03:55places,
03:55things,
03:56or even
03:57the busyness
03:58of life
03:58that keeps us
03:59from really
04:00knowing God
04:01or from having
04:02a relationship
04:03or a deep fellowship
04:04with Him,
04:05which is a requirement
04:06in developing
04:07genuine faith
04:09that lies solely
04:10in the divine trinity.
04:13Now,
04:13it is true
04:14that many people
04:15come to faith
04:16in different ways.
04:18We see this
04:19all throughout
04:19the New Testament,
04:21and Apostle Paul
04:22is one of those
04:23who had a rude
04:24awakening
04:25of who Jesus
04:26really was.
04:27And the opposite
04:28in the example
04:29of Paul
04:30would be the example
04:31of Judas Iscariot
04:33who walked with Christ
04:34and His disciples
04:35but eventually
04:37denied Him
04:38by selling His Lord
04:39out
04:40with 30 pieces
04:41of silver
04:42and a kiss.
04:43There are so many
04:45recorded examples
04:46held by the
04:47Orthodox Church
04:48that tell
04:49of the Church
04:50Fathers
04:50who came
04:51to Christianity
04:52in various ways
04:54and it would be
04:55impossible
04:55to share
04:56very many of them
04:57in this condensed
04:58version today
04:59in what we call
05:00the mystery
05:02of genuine faith
05:03as a timeline
05:04in the early
05:06Orthodox Church.
05:08And again,
05:08dear listener
05:09and followers,
05:10as I always want
05:11to preface,
05:12I am not a spokesman
05:14for the Orthodox Church
05:15but I am merely
05:17a newly baptized
05:19member
05:19and I am delighted
05:21to share
05:22my journey
05:23into these
05:25wonderful missing
05:26holy truths
05:27found only
05:28in the ancient
05:29faith of Orthodoxy.
05:31Many of our
05:32listeners and followers
05:33have responded
05:34so favorably
05:35and kind
05:36in response
05:37of hearing
05:38these sharings
05:38that are so important
05:40for those of us
05:41who were former
05:42Protestants
05:43or Catholics,
05:44Evangelicals
05:45and so on
05:47in learning
05:48what we knew
05:49in these denominations
05:51and what they
05:52were missing
05:52knowing especially
05:54about the timeline
05:55of the church history
05:57and her beginning
05:58or birth
05:59at 29 AD
06:00and what transpired
06:02in her continuity
06:04in maintaining
06:05these precious truths
06:06which were brought forth
06:08from holy traditions
06:09and the holy word
06:11of God
06:11even up
06:12until
06:13our present day.
06:14How very surprising
06:17to know
06:18and learn
06:18that the New Testament
06:20Bible
06:20did not suddenly
06:22appear
06:23in its form
06:24before the pages
06:25were written.
06:27The birth
06:28of scripture
06:29in holy tradition
06:30existed long
06:32before
06:32the New Testament
06:34was penned.
06:35The church
06:35was alive
06:36active
06:37and growing
06:38in leaps
06:39and bounds.
06:41It began
06:42not with books
06:43but with fire
06:45at Pentecost
06:46when the Holy Spirit
06:47descended upon
06:49the apostles
06:49and filled them
06:51with divine wisdom.
06:53They preached,
06:54baptized,
06:55healed,
06:56and taught
06:56forming communities
06:58of believers
06:59to break bread
07:00and live
07:01in unity.
07:02This living
07:04and genuine faith
07:05passed from Christ
07:07to the apostles
07:08and from the apostles
07:09to their disciples
07:11and became
07:12what the
07:13Orthodox Church
07:14calls
07:15holy tradition.
07:17Now,
07:17holy tradition
07:18was not a
07:19vague set
07:20of customs.
07:22It was full
07:23of the experience
07:24of the church,
07:25the teachings
07:26of Christ,
07:27the practices
07:27of worship,
07:29the interpretation
07:30of the Old Testament,
07:32and the guidance
07:33by the Holy Spirit.
07:34It was dynamic
07:37in its practice
07:38and purpose
07:39and yet
07:39unchanging
07:40in its core
07:41and substance.
07:44You see,
07:45in those early decades,
07:46the church
07:47had no New Testament.
07:49The gospel
07:49was preached
07:51orally.
07:52The Holy Eucharist,
07:53also known as communion,
07:55was celebrated
07:56in homes.
07:57The faithful believers
07:58memorized
07:59the teachings
07:59of Christ
08:00and the apostles
08:01and the bishops.
08:02These were ordained
08:04through apostolic
08:05succession
08:06and they guarded
08:07this sacred gift.
08:10Only later,
08:11as the church
08:11grew and spread,
08:13did the need
08:14arise
08:14to record
08:15these teachings.
08:17The gospels
08:17were written
08:18to preserve
08:19the life
08:20and words
08:20of Christ.
08:22The epistles
08:22released apostolic
08:24instruction
08:25to the growing
08:26number
08:26of Christian
08:27communities.
08:29These writings
08:30were born
08:30within the church
08:31and not outside
08:33of her
08:33and were recognized
08:34as scripture
08:35because they echoed
08:37the living tradition
08:39already known
08:40and practiced.
08:42You see,
08:43the Orthodox Church
08:44does not see
08:45scripture and tradition
08:47as rivals.
08:49Rather,
08:49scripture is the most
08:51authoritative
08:51written expression
08:53of holy tradition.
08:55As the Orthodox Church
08:57explains,
08:58holy tradition
08:59is not at all
09:00limited to what
09:02is written.
09:03It is the total
09:04life and experience
09:05of the entire church
09:07transferred from
09:09place to place
09:10and from generation
09:11to generation.
09:13It has not lost
09:14its continuity
09:15from the beginning
09:16and again,
09:18I love to repeat,
09:20since Pentecost
09:2129 AD.
09:23Can you begin
09:24to see how the
09:26timeline of the
09:27church in her
09:27beginning is so
09:29important to know
09:30and understand?
09:32I marvel,
09:33I still marvel
09:34at this
09:35and am so thankful
09:36to God
09:37for introducing
09:38to me this
09:39valuable,
09:40life-saving knowledge
09:42and understanding
09:43in my latter years.
09:46I have learned
09:46as well
09:47that the canon
09:48of the New Testament
09:49was gradually
09:50affirmed through
09:51the church's
09:53liturgical use
09:54and the discernment
09:55of the Holy Fathers.
09:58The councils
09:58of the 4th century
10:00confirmed the books
10:01that had already
10:02been read
10:03and revered
10:04in the church.
10:05But even then,
10:07the Bible
10:08was never seen
10:09as a stand-alone
10:10authority.
10:11It was always
10:12interpreted
10:12through the lens
10:14of tradition,
10:16through the lives
10:17of the saints,
10:18and through the hymns
10:19of the church
10:20and the teachings
10:20of the Holy Fathers.
10:23So,
10:23dear listeners
10:24and followers,
10:25the story
10:26of the New Testament
10:27is not the story
10:29of a book
10:29that created the church.
10:32It is a story
10:33of a church
10:33that gave birth
10:34to a book.
10:36A church
10:36that was already
10:37living,
10:38worshiping,
10:39and proclaiming
10:40the gospel
10:40before a single word
10:42of the New Testament
10:44was written.
10:46You see,
10:46in learning
10:47this missing truth
10:48throughout my 28 years
10:50of teaching the Bible,
10:51I was greatly impacted
10:53by learning
10:54these important facts
10:55that were missing.
10:56And I freely admit
10:58that I felt
10:59cheated at first
11:00because these things
11:01were not found
11:02in the King James Bible.
11:05But in retrospect,
11:07I must say,
11:08not all was lost
11:09because what I did know
11:11and learn
11:12through the Bible,
11:13I truly cherished
11:15as God's truth.
11:17and all
11:18that I did know
11:19has brought me
11:20here today
11:20in my personal journey
11:22of conversion
11:23into the ancient faith
11:25of the Orthodox Church,
11:27which again
11:28had its beginning
11:29at Pentecost 29 AD.
11:33I've been so surprised
11:34by the love of God
11:35and His loving kindness
11:37that He knew
11:38the time and day
11:40that these awesome mysteries
11:41would be introduced,
11:43slowly unfolded,
11:45and slowly accepted.
11:47I must add, however,
11:49not without some resistance
11:51that I did accept
11:52many of these foreign truths
11:54that were shown to me.
11:57I armed myself
11:58with many scriptures
11:59to show and defend
12:01what I knew to be truth.
12:04Needless to say,
12:05when these differences
12:06in understanding
12:07were explained,
12:09the love of God
12:10has shown through
12:11the darkness
12:12of my understanding
12:13and comprehension
12:14to see the light
12:15of the truth.
12:17And I don't believe
12:18this was a rational
12:20understanding,
12:21but rather the grace
12:23of the Holy Spirit
12:24of God
12:24to open up
12:25a hungry and receptive heart
12:27to see and understand
12:28and know
12:29by faith
12:30what was presented.
12:31You see,
12:33in the Orthodox Church,
12:35true or genuine faith
12:37is considered a mystery
12:39because it transcends
12:41mere intellectual assent.
12:44It is a divine gift
12:45from God.
12:46It is a spiritual reality
12:48and a personal encounter
12:50with God
12:51that cannot be fully explained
12:53or grasped
12:54by our rational minds alone.
12:57In his book called
12:59Orthodox Christianity,
13:01Bishop Alexander McMillian
13:04tells us that
13:06our souls possess
13:08the amazing ability
13:10to sense God.
13:12He continues,
13:13although this awareness
13:15of the divine presence
13:16is weak and hazy
13:17in a person
13:18just beginning
13:19to grow spiritually,
13:20it gets stronger
13:22and becomes more
13:23and more conscious
13:24with a virtuous way
13:26of life.
13:28And this in turn
13:30strengthens one's faith
13:31in him
13:32so that the inner feeling
13:33of God grows
13:34to a strong
13:35religious conviction.
13:37In such a state,
13:39the omnipresence of God,
13:41his infinite love
13:42and fatherly care
13:44are continuously felt
13:46and become
13:47a source
13:47of inner peace
13:48and strength.
13:50Bishop Alexander
13:51adds and finishes
13:53by saying,
13:53true faith
13:55cannot be satisfied
13:56with a cold
13:57recognition
13:58of God's existence
13:59but strives
14:01to be in close
14:02communion with him.
14:04It was St. Paul
14:05who was the first
14:06to use the phrase
14:07mystery of faith.
14:10But other church fathers
14:11like St. Clement,
14:13St. Ignatius
14:14and St. Arrhenius
14:15expanded on this idea,
14:18especially in the context
14:20of the Holy Eucharist.
14:22I learned
14:23that their writings
14:24helped shape
14:25the theological understanding
14:26that would later
14:28be formalized
14:29in liturgical language.
14:31Dear listener
14:32and followers,
14:33I pause to tell you
14:35that I cease
14:36to be amazed
14:37in learning
14:38that the history
14:39of the Orthodox Church
14:40is rich
14:41and never-ending
14:43in its supply
14:44of truth
14:45that has been
14:46available
14:46for thousands
14:47of years
14:48but yet
14:49undiscovered
14:50by many of us
14:52who were Protestant,
14:53Catholic
14:54or from other
14:55denominations.
14:57I encourage you
14:58to study
14:58the timeline
14:59of the Church
15:00and its continuity
15:01from 29 AD
15:03when she first
15:04began up
15:05until this present time
15:07in which you
15:07and I now live.
15:09I have been learning
15:10why faith
15:11is a mystery
15:12in Orthodoxy.
15:14Faith is not just
15:15a belief
15:15in doctrines
15:16but it is
15:17a mystical union
15:19with Christ.
15:20It is received
15:21through the Church
15:22and the sacraments
15:23which are themselves
15:24called holy mysteries.
15:27Saint Paul
15:27the Apostle
15:28was born
15:29and lived
15:30in 5 through
15:3267 AD
15:33and writes
15:35in 1 Timothy
15:36chapter 3
15:37verse 9
15:38that the deacons
15:39must hold
15:40the holy mystery
15:41of the faith
15:42in pure conscience
15:44and he uses
15:45the Greek word
15:46mysterion
15:47to refer
15:48to divine truths
15:50revealed
15:50through Christ.
15:53Paul saw faith
15:55not merely
15:55as a belief
15:56but a sacred covenant
15:58revealed
16:00through Christ's death
16:01and resurrection
16:02often formalized
16:04like sacrament
16:06actions
16:07like baptism.
16:09And we have
16:10Saint Arrhenius
16:11of Lyon
16:11who lived
16:12in 132
16:14202 AD
16:15and he emphasized
16:17that the truths
16:18of faith
16:18were once hidden
16:20but revealed
16:21through Christ
16:21and the apostles.
16:23Saint Arrhenius
16:24spoke out
16:25against heresies
16:26that arose
16:27in his time
16:28and he argued
16:29that the mystery
16:30of faith
16:31is passed down
16:32through apostolic
16:33succession
16:34and lived out
16:35in the church
16:36sacramental life.
16:38And Saint Clement
16:39of Alexandria
16:41who lived
16:42in 152
16:43215 AD
16:45described
16:46Christian faith
16:47as a mystery
16:48revealed
16:49progressively
16:49to the soul
16:50through purification
16:52and illumination.
16:54He connected
16:55faith
16:55to gnosis
16:56which is
16:57spiritual knowledge
16:59but always
17:00within the framework
17:01of the church's
17:02sacramental
17:03and communal life.
17:05Saint Gregory
17:06of Nyssa
17:06who lived
17:08in 335
17:09to 395 AD
17:11taught
17:12and spoke
17:13of faith
17:14as a journey
17:15into the
17:15unknowable depths
17:17of God
17:17and he emphasized
17:19that true knowledge
17:20of God
17:21begins with faith
17:22and ends
17:23in awe
17:24calling the
17:25spiritual ascent
17:26a cloud
17:27of unknowing.
17:30I love that.
17:31Dear listener
17:33and followers
17:33we really need
17:35to understand
17:36why the mysteries
17:37of genuine faith
17:38really matters
17:39in orthodox theology.
17:42You see
17:42faith is not
17:43just to believe
17:44but rather
17:45it is a sacred
17:46participation
17:47in divine life
17:49of almighty God.
17:51Mystery
17:52in orthodoxy
17:53doesn't mean
17:54confusion
17:54it means
17:56sacred depth
17:57something revealed
17:58by God
17:59but never fully
18:00grasped
18:01by human reasoning.
18:02these saints
18:04remind us
18:05that faith
18:06is both a gift
18:07and a calling
18:08and is rooted
18:09in trust
18:10the sacraments
18:11and transformation
18:12into the image
18:13and the likeness
18:14of our dear
18:15Savior
18:16Jesus Christ.
18:18Bishop
18:18Alexander
18:19Militant
18:20tells us
18:21that true faith
18:22cannot be satisfied
18:24with a cold
18:25recognition
18:26of God's existence
18:27but strives
18:29to be in close
18:29communion with him.
18:31The believing
18:32soul naturally
18:33reaches to God
18:34as a sunflower
18:35turns towards
18:36the sun.
18:36In turn
18:38an active
18:39relationship
18:40with God
18:40further strengthens
18:42the person's faith
18:43so that his faith
18:44becomes a spiritual
18:45guide
18:46based on
18:47personal experience.
18:49Bishop Alexander
18:51continues
18:51in some
18:53particularly gifted
18:54people
18:55faith grows
18:56into an
18:57all-illumining
18:58and constantly
18:59inspiring idea
19:01that leads
19:02them from this
19:03world of vanity
19:04into the
19:05transcendent
19:06world of
19:07eternal life.
19:08Among such
19:09people
19:10were the
19:10Virgin Mary
19:11St. John
19:13the Baptist
19:13Apostles
19:14John and Paul
19:16and countless
19:17other saints
19:18like
19:18Seraphim
19:19of
19:19Saval
19:20John
19:21of
19:21Kronstad
19:22Herman
19:22of
19:23Alaska
19:23and
19:24Blessed
19:25Xenia
19:26of St.
19:26Petersburg
19:27to name a few.
19:29Bishop Alexander
19:30finishes by saying
19:31the significance
19:33of faith
19:34in a person's
19:35development
19:35lies in the
19:36fact that
19:37it gives
19:37proper direction
19:39to all of
19:40his aptitudes
19:41and powers.
19:42Specifically
19:43it gives
19:44clarity
19:44and correct
19:45outlook
19:46to this
19:47intellect
19:47direction
19:48and purpose
19:49to his will
19:50and it
19:51ennobles
19:52and refines
19:52his senses.
19:54Faith
19:55brings harmony
19:56to the
19:56person's
19:57inner world.
19:59It frees
19:59one from
20:00base
20:01earthly
20:01interest
20:02and leads
20:02him or
20:03her
20:03into a
20:04realm
20:04of higher
20:05and holier
20:06experiences.
20:09I really
20:10appreciate
20:11Bishop Alexander's
20:12teachings
20:13and again
20:14I highly
20:15recommend
20:15this book
20:16called
20:17Orthodox
20:17Christianity.
20:19It is a
20:20wonderful
20:20resource
20:21that teaches
20:22about the
20:22principles
20:23of the
20:24Orthodox
20:24Church
20:25and goes
20:25through all
20:26the aspects
20:27of life
20:28within
20:28Orthodoxy
20:29and what
20:30is involved
20:30and explains
20:31in a
20:32simple
20:32format.
20:34Now
20:34in finishing
20:35up this
20:36sharing
20:36today
20:37I just
20:38want to
20:38add
20:38faith
20:40is
20:40mysterious
20:41because
20:41it involves
20:43trusting
20:43in what
20:44is unseen
20:45as St.
20:46Paul says
20:46and writes
20:47in Hebrews
20:48chapter 11
20:49verse 1
20:50saying
20:50faith is
20:52a substance
20:52of things
20:53hoped for
20:54and the evidence
20:55of things
20:56not seen.
20:56faith is
20:59personal
21:00and transformative
21:01and brings
21:02great change.
21:04It is not
21:04just a set
21:05of truths
21:06but a
21:07lived experience
21:08of God's
21:10presence.
21:11The Orthodox
21:12Church teaches
21:13that faith
21:13is appropriated
21:16personally
21:16often through
21:18the sacraments
21:19prayer
21:20and ascetic
21:21struggle.
21:22In the
21:23Rokor
21:24or Russian
21:25Orthodox Church
21:26outside of
21:27Russia
21:27as in
21:28the broader
21:29Eastern
21:30Orthodox
21:30theology
21:31faith
21:32itself
21:33is not
21:33classified
21:34as a
21:34mystery
21:35or sacrament
21:35in the
21:36same way
21:37that baptism
21:38and the
21:39Holy Eucharist
21:40and Charismation
21:41are.
21:42But
21:42however
21:43faith
21:44is deeply
21:45intertwined
21:46with the
21:46mysteries
21:47and is
21:48considered
21:48essential
21:49for participating
21:50in them.
21:52The Orthodox
21:53Church teaches
21:54that faith
21:55is a gift
21:56from God
21:57revealed through
21:58divine grace
21:59not merely
22:00a human
22:00decision
22:01or intellectual
22:03assent.
22:04As the title
22:05of this
22:05sharing
22:06states
22:07the mystery
22:08of genuine
22:08faith
22:09has a
22:10timeline
22:10in the
22:11Orthodox
22:12Church
22:12and we
22:13learn
22:13that
22:14Pentecost
22:15was the
22:16spark
22:16of this
22:17holy faith.
22:19In this
22:19event
22:20a sound
22:21like a
22:22rushing
22:22wind
22:23filled
22:23the
22:23house
22:24and
22:25tongues
22:25of
22:25fire
22:26appeared
22:27over
22:27each
22:27disciple
22:28and
22:29they
22:29were
22:29filled
22:29with
22:30the
22:30Holy
22:30Spirit
22:31and
22:31began
22:31speaking
22:32in
22:32languages
22:33they
22:33hadn't
22:34learned
22:34according
22:35to
22:35Acts
22:35chapter 2
22:36verses
22:371
22:37through
22:374
22:382
22:40and
22:40this
22:41fulfilled
22:42Jesus'
22:43promise
22:43that
22:44stated
22:44you
22:45will
22:45receive
22:46power
22:47when the
22:47Holy
22:47Spirit
22:48comes
22:48upon
22:49you
22:49and
22:49you
22:50will
22:50be
22:50my
22:50witnesses
22:51Acts
22:52chapter 1
22:53verse
22:538
22:54and
22:55dear
22:56ones
22:56from
22:57this
22:57time
22:57on
22:57since
22:58Pentecost
22:59the
23:00Holy
23:00Spirit
23:00has
23:01filled
23:01multi
23:02millions
23:02of
23:03believers
23:03with
23:04genuine
23:04faith
23:05for
23:05almost
23:062,000
23:06years
23:07faith
23:08for
23:09the
23:09orthodox
23:09believers
23:10is
23:11quite
23:11different
23:11from
23:12western
23:12denominations
23:13faith
23:14is
23:14nurtured
23:15daily
23:15through
23:15prayer
23:16and
23:16ascetic
23:17practice
23:17to
23:18fasting
23:18season
23:19like
23:19great
23:20lent
23:20and
23:21these
23:21practices
23:22cultivate
23:23humility
23:24and trust
23:25in
23:25God
23:25sacramental
23:27life
23:27which
23:28includes
23:28the
23:28mysteries
23:29of
23:29baptism
23:30Holy
23:30Eucharist
23:31confession
23:32and so
23:32on
23:33are all
23:34channels
23:34of
23:35God's
23:35grace
23:36that
23:36strengthens
23:37our
23:37faith
23:37through
23:38divine
23:38encounter
23:39community
23:40and
23:41liturgy
23:42and
23:42worship
23:42are
23:43communal
23:43faith
23:44grows
23:45through
23:45shared
23:46experiences
23:46by
23:47chanting
23:47processions
23:49feast days
23:50and
23:50mutual
23:50support
23:51and I
23:52must
23:53add
23:53that
23:53theosis
23:54which
23:55means
23:55the partaking
23:56of the
23:56divine
23:56nature
23:57of
23:57God
23:57is
23:58the
23:58ultimate
23:59goal
24:00of
24:00orthodox
24:01life
24:01it is
24:03union
24:03with
24:03God
24:04the
24:04very
24:04creator
24:05of
24:05the
24:05universe
24:06and
24:06all
24:07that
24:07is
24:07in
24:07it
24:08faith
24:09is
24:09the
24:09path
24:10towards
24:10this
24:11transformation
24:11dear
24:12ones
24:12and
24:13it
24:13is
24:13not
24:14merely
24:14a
24:14belief
24:15but
24:15it
24:16is
24:16actually
24:16participation
24:17in
24:18the
24:18divine
24:19life
24:19of
24:19God
24:20almighty
24:20I
24:22I
24:22am
24:22on
24:22this
24:23sacred
24:23journey
24:24and
24:24what
24:25I
24:25share
24:25with
24:25you
24:26dear
24:26ones
24:26I
24:27am
24:27learning
24:27as
24:28I
24:28glean
24:28and
24:29study
24:29and
24:30apply
24:30these
24:30holy
24:31virtues
24:31and
24:32life
24:32changing
24:33truths
24:33to my
24:33own
24:34life
24:34and
24:35I
24:35am
24:35actually
24:35endeavoring
24:36to live
24:37them
24:37and not
24:38just
24:38talk
24:39about
24:39them
24:39I
24:41invite
24:41you
24:41again
24:42to
24:42come
24:43along
24:43with
24:43me
24:43on
24:44this
24:44next
24:44sharing
24:45as
24:45we
24:45unfold
24:46these
24:46wonderful
24:47and
24:48transformative
24:48mysteries
24:49and
24:50truths
24:50found
24:51only
24:51in
24:52the
24:52ancient
24:52faith
24:53of
24:53the
24:53Orthodox
24:53Church
24:54may
24:55the
24:56Lord
24:56God
24:56almighty
24:57have
24:58mercy
24:58on
24:59us
24:59until
25:00then
25:00Amen
25:09Amen
25:11Amen
25:13Amen
25:15Amen
25:17Amen
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