Reflections

Last week, the Diocese of the Midwest had to deal with the sad and tragic repose of one of our Protodeacons and his Matushka. They were found murdered in their home last Sunday, November 11. What do we do when something like this happens? For that matter, what do we do when our children have to deal with a tragic … Read More

In the past few weeks, I have attempted to demonstrate that decision-making, skill mastery, and the freedom to act is a process that begins early in life and continues throughout childhood and into adolescence. So at what point should one allow one’s child to decide whether or not to go to church on his or her own? I think it … Read More

The ages of 12 to 15 often see a reemergence of the struggles between parents and their children that are comparable to the so-called “terrible twos.” Battles of control and independence are common during this time as teens seek greater freedom from their parents and may rebel against limits that have been placed on their behavior. Yet teens are not … Read More

The ages of 12 to 15 often see a reemergence of the struggles between parents and their children that are comparable to the so-called “terrible twos.” Battles of control and independence are common during this time as teens seek greater freedom from their parents and may rebel against limits that have been placed on their behavior. Yet teens are not … Read More

I have heard a number of parents say to their children, “As long as you live under my roof you are going to church.” I don’t know how popular this sentiment is. The implication in this statement is, if one won’t go to church, one would have to move out. One could choose to accept this rule, but is the … Read More

For what have I to do with judging outsiders? Is it not those inside the church whom you are to judge? God judges those outside. “Drive out the wicked person from among you” [1 Corinthians 5:12-13].  I would like to clarify a few things concerning these verses to which I alluded in last week’s reflection.  What is the intent here when … Read More

I ended my reflection last week with this quote from 1 Corinthians:  I wrote to you in my letter not to associate with immoral men; not at all meaning the immoral of this world, or the greedy and robbers, or idolaters, since then you would need to go out of the world. But rather I wrote to you not to associate with any … Read More

This Sunday — October 7, 2018 — I will be hosting my third live stream on YouTube on the topic of teen relationships. I have painted a very wide stroke of the brush here, encompassing many facets of this rather broad topic. Today I would like to talk about the LGBTQ phenomenon that has appeared in the last five years. … Read More

There is a popular series on Netflix titled, “13 Reasons” which, deals with the topic of teen suicide. In the series the lead character, Hannah Baker, records 13 cassette tapes of herself citing 13 reasons why she decides to take her own life. The series deals with the troublesome dynamics of teen culture, such as sexual abuse, bullying, and drug … Read More

Last week, I encouraged people to attend the services for the Great Feast of the Exaltation of the Precious Cross. As I reflect upon the message of the Cross in these days of the post-feast, I am reminded of a question often asked of me about family life: how does one balance one’s time between school related commitments and the … Read More