St George Orthodox Church is less than a mile from Joel Osteen’s arena. We’re neighbors. Bless our hearts. I fault no one for adopting a more positive outlook as a survival aid in this negative age — just don’t confuse it with Christianity. They say it takes all types, and I’m sure there’s all types that make up the 40,000 worshipers Joel packs in on a Sunday. One things for sure, it makes getting on Highway 59 a little more... Read more

The folks over at Get Religion do a marvelous job of covering the media’s coverage of religion. Seminarian Symeon Kees (who is less than one month away from being a married man) recently posted a survey about common errors in religion reporting. I now draw your attention to the following paragraph, stolen from a news article about the theft of a relic in a church in Massachusetts. While the story is a sad commentary on our times and evil in... Read more

Thanks to an Ad Book solicitation for an upcoming event in the Diocese of Wichita and Mid-America (check it out), a pic was needed — not, mind you, a shot of any ol’ Joe … What, you think we don’t know Jack? (The clergy of St George, Houston – from left to right: Deacon Joseph Carter, Priest John Salem, Archpriest Joseph Shahda, and Priest Joseph Huneycutt.) Fr John Salem shall be elevated to the rank and dignity of Archpriest on... Read more

Years ago, back before they put the curvature in the earth, my parents took me and a friend to a big concert in Charlotte with some big name bands and artists: The Four Tops, Charlie Daniels, Gallery, Johnny Nash, Billy Preston … The final act was a very noisy rock band named Black Oak Arkansas. (Think “banging gong, clanging cymbal” – minus the love part – and, as far as I could tell, they were speaking in tongues.) Anyway …They... Read more

In the midst of prosperity the mind is elated, and in prosperity a man forgets himself; in hardship he is forced to reflect on himself, even though he be unwilling. In prosperity a man often destroys the good he has done; amidst difficulties he often repairs what he long since did in the way of wickedness.— St Alfred the Great, Founder of the English Nation Taken from Fr Josiah’s blog. Read more

Pawleys Island, South Carolina is pretty peaceful (though far from empty this time of year)! I would offer pics, but I’m on dial-up. While away from the mic this week, AFR is offering a repeat podcast — one which generated many emails! The Orthodixie Podcast on Ancient Faith Radio. Read more

America demonstrates invincibly one thing that I had doubted up to now: that the middle classes can govern a State. … Despite their small passions, their incomplete education, their vulgar habits, they can obviously provide a practical sort of intelligence and that turns out to be enough.— Alexis de Tocqueville, born on this date in 1805 Stolen from The Writer’s Almanac. Image Source Read more

Normally, I don’t watch television; we don’t subscribe to cable or satellite at our house. But on a recent road trip I found myself lying on a hotel bed holding the old clicker and getting very, very sleepy. You know how it is. Tick, tock, tick, tock, tick, tock … You’re getting very sleep. Very.Very. Sleepy. Anyway, I was dozing with one eye, and surfing the channels with the other, when I heard a great commotion. It was a woman... Read more

The seminarian, soon to be M.A.R.R.I.E.D. -- Dana Symeon Kees -- requests:"I thought it would be interesting to makea list of common or uncommon inaccuraciesthat appear in press reports about Orthodoxy.I just put an entry on my ... blog. I would appreciate it if you could put a link fromyour blog to that entry, or you could copy asimilar entry onto your blog. I would liketo produce something actually useful to somebody."Click H E R E.Help him out! It's easy... Read more

Er … I’ll explain later. Can you say campy? This was my official Camp Outfit. In case you missed it, Fr John Monto and I performed a song about it on last week’s Orthodixie Podcast. This guy? Well, this is Doctor Mark. In this photo, he is, believe it or not, preparing to Break Dance! Not bad for an 85 year old man. (I think that’s right.) Anyway, Dr Mark receives an honourable mention (i.e., an “also ran”) in this... Read more