As mentioned earlier, it was a busy weekend at St George, Houston — not to mention the NFL! I really did not think that my wishes and predictions — victorious Steelers & Panthers — would prevail. O me of little faith! (Then again, victors in spite of the officiating.) Picture One: Sunrise above our house on Sunday, the day of the Houston Marathon. Picture Two: (L to R) Jordan Henderson, Associate Director at the Orthodox Christian Mission Center (OCMC); old... Read more

Back in 1980, I saw Stevie Wonder in concert in Greensboro, North Carolina. It was a magical show. Stevland Morris performed for 2.5 hours — seemingly covering nothing but Number Ones. Then, for his final encore, he did “Happy Birthday” — his song honouring Martin Luther King, Jr. He tore the roof off. I can still see the magical mayhem. It’s one of those moments beyond time and understanding. Stevie’s campaign was omnipresent in those days. Today, we (as a... Read more

“I got a phone call from Alan’s manager, saying he was going to do a recording of gospel songs for his mom,” says RCA Label Group/Nashville chairman Joe Galante. “He was just going to make a CD copy for her. I said I’d love to hear it.” Jackson says: “It was something I wanted to do. My mom just wore me out, asking me to do some of the songs I heard in the Baptist church growing up, and my... Read more

Some residents were wary Saturday as they celebrated the Russian Orthodox New Year, fearful that ash that ash would disrupt air service, the main source of transportation to and from the village. Many wore dust masks to New Year’s Eve church services Friday as ash began dimming the skies. Read more

On the way to Jerusalem he was passing along between Sama’ria and Galilee. And as he entered a village, he was met by ten lepers, who stood at a distance and lifted up their voices and said, “Jesus, Master, have mercy on us.” When he saw them he said to them, “Go and show yourselves to the priests.” And as they went they were cleansed. Then one of them, when he saw that he was healed, turned back, praising God... Read more

The following is taken from an old book, “The Most Useful KNOWLEDGE for the Orthodox Russian-American Young People,” compiled by the Very Rev’d Peter G. Kohanik, 1932-1934.If we wish to make life beautiful and successful we must give attention to what the world calls little things. Jesus taught that: “He that is faithful in that which is least is faithful also in much.” It seems a small matter to give a cup of cold water in the name of Christ,... Read more

Remember the proposed Theme Park for the Holy Land? Well, Pat Robertson may actually, in a way, have done the work of the Lord. It seems his recent pronouncement on Sharon may have squashed the deal. And all the people say: Amen! (Okay, so that last link was especially for the photo.)HT Serge Read more

You know you’re in Houston when… You can leave your house, head out of town, and an hour later you still haven’t left the city limits. (During rush hour, you haven’t left your neighborhood.) Spring is not the season, Katy is not the lady, and 1960 is not the year. The “farm-to-market” roads have seven lanes. If you want to be a snob about your grocery shopping, you can go to Randall’s, Rice Market, Central Market or a Kroger’s Signature.... Read more

“Brokeback Mountain,” the controversial “gay cowboy” film that has garnered seven Golden Globe nominations and breathless media reviews – and has now emerged as a front-runner for the Oscars – is a brilliant propaganda film, reportedly causing viewers to change the way they feel about homosexual relationships and same-sex marriage. And how do the movie-makers pull off such a dazzling feat? Simple. They do it by raping the “Marlboro Man,” that revered American symbol of rugged individualism and masculinity …... Read more

Mollie at GetReligion offers food for thought on abortion coverage. Read more