Whom do you seek to please? Whom do you fear? A powerful leader seeking to please himself, King Herod desired to kill John the Baptist for referring to God's law above Herod. Fearing the people, Herod at first refrained from killing John because the people considered him a prophet. Seeking to please his unlawful wife's daughter and his dinner guests, Herod finally ordered John's head on a platter. Herod's reference points were whimsical, multiple, and self-serving.
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Fr. Timothy Lowe shares the story of Herod and John the Baptist, reminding us that our reference points matter. We are called to refer to One Lord, serving and  fearing only Him.

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Leaders would rather lead change and preach repentance and mercy. But what happens when time has run out? 

Standing in the Lord's presence, the prophet Isaiah cries, "Woe is me! I am undone!" and charged with a confounding message of coming judgment and destruction. Fr. Timothy Lowe, in a study of Isaiah 6, suggests it's time to sober up in the midst of utter devastation. Our only hope is in the seed of the Lord that might sprout from the burned and fallen stump. 
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Read the full episode transcript here.​

We may think the Canaanite woman offers a leadership example of persistence and humility, content with the crumbs that fall from the Master's table. But the lesson is far beyond successful negotiation. 

As an outsider, the Canaanite is like a dog compared to those who feast at the Master's table within the religious community. Jesus honors her great faith which stands in stark contrast against the disciples and religious leaders who reflect such little faith throughout Matthew's Gospel. The challenge presented even today is whether those who presume to feast at the Master's table are willing to offer even just a crumb to those in need. 

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In our parish councils and other teamwork, we strive to appreciate the diversity of ideas and opinions in the group and work toward consensus. But when it comes to the Gospel of Matthew, all voices are silenced by the one crying in the wilderness which culminates with Jesus crying out from the cross and yielding his spirit. What follows is the apocalyptic quaking of the earth, tearing of the temple curtain, opening of tombs, and the raising of saints who all witness to the same message proclaimed by the one voice. 

As we celebrate All Saints, Fr. Timothy Lowe suggests they witness to the message that must shake our own world, break our idols, and silence the noise that distracts us from the race we are called to run according to the Gospel. 
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Do you ever get the feeling that the more you own, the more it owns you? Why are we so tempted by accumulation? What do our cupboards, closets, garages, and storage units reveal about our trust in the Lord's provision? How do we faithfully steward what the Lord so generously provides?

Professional organizer, Presvytera Stacey Dorrance, reflects on the teaching of Jesus who instructed, "Do not lay up for yourselves treasures on earth, where moth and rust consume . . but lay up for yourselves treasures in heaven." (Matt 6:19-20)

Presvytera Stacey Dorrance is one of many presenting at this year's National Leadership Conference which you are invited to attend online or in person.

​Read the full episode transcript here.

Loyalty, faithfulness, and reliability is what every servant leader pledges, just as Peter assured Jesus, "Even if I must die with you, I will not deny you!” Yet that very night, after invoking a curse and anathema upon himself that he knew not the arrested Jesus, the words of Jesus to Peter, "Before the rooster crows you will deny me three times," were made manifest. Fr. Timothy Lowe suggests that arrogance must run its full course so that our only hope is in the mercy of the Lord. 

​Read the full episode transcript here.​

We all want a champion for our cause. But a naked man hanging dead from a cross doesn't look like a winner. Even the disciple Peter rebuked Jesus who foretold of his suffering in Jerusalem by the elders, chief priests, and scribes.

Who among us doesn't pay good money to protect, preserve, and champion our beliefs, our way of life, our prestige? Perhaps Judas sought to protect religiosity or force the hand of Jesus against the Roman occupation or was simply captivated by his own greed when he betrayed Jesus. Regardless, the will of the Father was accomplished through Jesus Christ, the ultimate Champion on the cross. 

Fr. Robert Holet, DMin, author of The First and Finest: Orthodox Christian Stewardship as Sacred Offering, discusses Judas's entanglement with money and his ultimate betrayal of an innocent man.

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​From the Sermon on the Mount, Jesus teaches private prayer and gives us the words to pray in "Our Father." A discipline of prayer, meditating on the words of Scripture, transforms a doulos who serves in the Lord's household, to seek and do His Father's will. Prayer supports the transformational process of self-emptying, where we might truly pray, "Not my will, but Thine be done."

Michelle Moujaes, Director of Faithtree Resources, shares The Encounter - a prayer book, app, and community initiative to support a discipline of transformational prayer.

Read the full episode transcript here. 

"It is time for the Lord to act," is the psalm verse invoked at the start of every liturgy. It's a beautiful yet ominous way for the liturgy to begin because the entire verse account is, "It is time for the Lord to act, because your law has been broken." (Ps. 119:126) Fr. Marc reminds us that we don't gather around God and call for His action. God is the one who gathers his scripture around us and surrounds us with his instruction.  It is the same Word that creates, gathers, feeds, and leads the liturgical community with the Lord's life-giving commandments.

Read the full episode transcript here.

What does money have to do with salvation? 
Isn't the whole-burnt offering an archaic, wasteful practice? 
Can tithing be understood as a Church tax?
Isn't almsgiving simply giving a few spare coins to one in need? 
Shouldn't parish fundraising use a ministry-centric approach?

An interview with Dr. Andrew Geleris, author of the forthcoming book Money and Salvation: An Invitation to the Good Way, challenges many of these notions after his study of Scripture challenged him. 

After listening to the podcast, consider these questions:

1. What is the difference between a "ministry-centric" and  "soul-centric" financial discussion? How did Jesus teach? Why does the difference matter? What implications does this have for how we do fundraising?
2. Why is the topic of almsgiving so important in Orthodox worship and practice? 
3. How does thinking about offerings as participating in a divine mystery affect how we think about giving to the church and the needy poor?  
4. What is the biblical teaching in terms of expressing gratitude and recognizing the tithe as holy?
5. If you do not now tithe or give as generously as you would like to give, how does it feel to humbly confess your weakness to God?

​Continue the conversation by joining the Summer Stewardship Series, August 2021.

​Read the full episode transcript here