Be Transfigured Ministries

Bring in the Catch

When considering the Gospel story of the calling of the Disciples as told in Luke 5.1-11, we must remember the Lord is calling us to go out and fill the Church with faithful. Unfortunately, many times we are too busy with our own agenda and cannot recognize Christ when we hear Him calling us. If could only engage the life of the Church so we could recognize God when we meet Him. Then we will be willing to leave everything behind and follow Christ.

The Fruit of the Church is Making Disciples

Christ tells a story of a vineyard which is lent out to workers. Unfortunately for the workers, when they tried to keep the fruit of the vineyard to themselves, the master of the vineyard took it away from them and gave it to other workers. Of course, it isn’t a vineyard the Lord is speaking about. The vineyard is the Church, and we will all be called to account for the fruit of the Church.

What Keeps You Away from God?

We like to think we want to be with God in heaven, but when we hear what is expected of us, how many times do we turn away from God and walk away? We hear of a rich man in Matthew 19.16-26 who said he wanted eternal life, but when God told him he had to sell everything and give it all to the poor, he left sad. For this man, it was money. What keeps you away from God?

All Sin is Against God

Jesus calls us each of us to forgive others from our heart or risk eternal torment. Many however find it difficult to forgive others because we feel the pain of the sin. In Psalm 50 we pray, “Against You only have I sinned and done that which is evil in your sight.” If our sin is only against God, then all sin is only against God. Maybe when we come to terms with the truth, then we can more easily forgive.

Why do I always talk about fasting?

Every Wednesday and Friday, the forty days before Christmas, almost sixty days before Pascha, an average of two weeks in June, and another two weeks in August; a total of over two hundred fasting days in 2017. If you’re paying attention to the Church calendar and at least trying to live the Orthodox Christian life, you may ask yourself why all the talk about fasting? Now you’ll know.

The evil eye has no power

In a discussion of what to do with wedding crowns, the question was asked if something would happen to us if our ex-spouse threw away our wedding crowns after the divorce. In truth, we cannot be hurt by the actions of others. As Orthodox Christians, we do not believe in curses, bad luck and most especially the “evil eye”. It is enough to believe in the power of God for our protection, although sometimes our faith is weak. Thankfully the Church offers us prayers and blessings even in our weakness.

How do we dispose of blessed objects?

The question was asked, “What should we do with the Sunday Bulletin when we are finished reading, since it has an icon on the cover. Can it be thrown away?” This is a wonderful and thoughtful question which reflects a deep faith and love for the Lord and His Church. There is a simple answer, but as with many questions about our Faith, there is always more to the question than meets the eye?

Questions and Answers: Baptizing Children

The question of when the Orthodox Church began to baptize children and babies is a simple answer. We have been baptizing children along with their family since the very beginning of the Church. But this week’s “Ask Father Sermon” expands the topic to include WHY we baptize children and makes the case of taking seriously our life in Christ in the Church.

Do You Have to be Orthodox to be Saved?

This week’s “Ask Father” sermon is a follow up last week’s question, “If we believe that Orthodox is the true faith, ten why don’t we evangelize?” In the setting of the Sunday of All Saints, we discuss why it is important to be Orthodox and what it really means to live as an Orthodox Christian.

UNITY: It’s What God Wants

Shortly before our Lord ascended the Holy Cross, He prayed for us to “be one” as He is one with the Father. The Church has struggled for centuries with this dilemma as we are fallen human beings. We tend to gather in separate groups. If we are going to answer the call of Jesus Christ, we must learn to put aside the different groups in favor of being ONE Church, ONE family, ONE Body of Christ.