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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Read the full episode transcript here.

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.

​Read the full episode transcript here.

​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

Although women are not ordained in the Orthodox Church, many of them are hearkening to God's call to serve - as chaplains, scholars, diplomats, mothers, teachers, leaders of parish boards and ministries, and in many other roles. Dr. Patricia Fann Bouteneff, founder of Axia Women, shares in this episode what they are learning about parish support of women across the Eastern and Oriental Orthodox traditions. Recalling the Myrrh Bearing Women, they strive to care for the body of Christ and receive and proclaim the Good News of Christ's Resurrection.  Learn more about Axia Women at https://www.axiawomen.org/

Read the full episode transcript here.

The Paschal Homily of St. John Chrysostom rallies excitement among Orthodox Christians every Easter. While it is tempting to be swept up in the grandeur of a winning team after fighting the good fight with long hours of fasting and prayer, it is Christ's victory, not our own, that we celebrate. St. John uses the parable of the workers found in Matthew's Gospel to remind us that the "Lord is gracious and receives the last even as the first." We are called to "rejoice together – rich and poor, sober and slothful" – a poignant reminder for those who quibble over divisions among us today. 

The 2021 Holy Saturday episode of Doulos explores the imagery and poetry of St. John Chrysostom's Paschal Homily through an interview with Andrea Bakas, founder of the Los Angeles Bible Lecture Series. She takes a deeper look at the scriptural content woven into this powerful and enduring sermon. Andrea also explores the rich meaning of the Greek word, epikranthi, used as the basis for her new podcast which releases Pascha Sunday, 2021, VEXED!

See the full episode transcript.

​In our jobs, families, neighborhoods, and church communities, we expect people to exercise an appropriate level of authority to carry out their particular responsibilities. As Christians, the authority that we exercise over people or things in our care require us to serve as one under the authority of God's instruction.

Fr. Sergius looks to Christ, the Theotokos, and the faithful Centurion as shining examples of those who humbly submit to the Lord's instruction and exercise the power of that instruction to carry out their responsibilities for those in their care.

Fr. Sergius Halvorsen, Director of the Doctor of Ministry Program at St. Vladimir’s Seminary and contributor to Doulos – The Intensive Program in Servant Leadership, shares the final episode of a four-part series to explore serving with Christ-like authority and humility.

See the full episode transcript.