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An UpWord Glance

“Logical Sense”

“Doesn’t it make logical sense!” So said a couple of young men who were trying to convince me of a doctrine that is far removed from the Christian Truth that has been handed down through the centuries. Logic, in fact, has played a huge role in the presentation of many heresies through the centuries. These […]

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An UpWord Glance

Hearing vs Listening

Have you ever laid down in your bed at night, hearing the sounds your house normally makes every night? Then comes a sound that is not normal; it is out of place. Immediately, you begin to listen intently. You are no longer hearing the sounds, but you are completely focused. One instance of this that […]

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An UpWord Glance

“Time and tide wait for no man!”

I remember reading the Hobbit for the first time back in 1971 (yep, a long time ago). I remember it because I didn’t want the book to end. I was on an adventure with Bilbo Baggins and I didn’t want that adventure to stop. I had thought about not reading the last chapter just to […]

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An UpWord Glance

“What is that sinner doing in my church?”

Imagine for a moment that you are in a deep sleep having a dream. In the dream, you are in your church. You are sitting or standing in your usual spot (just guessing that you have a usual spot). You look at the back of the church and you see someone walk in. You can […]

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Remember Your Soul

“If we make every effort to avoid death of the body, still more should it be our endeavor to avoid death of the soul. There is no obstacle for a man who wants to be saved other than negligence and laziness of soul.” ~Saint Anthony the Great In this world we live in, there is […]

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An UpWord Glance

Only the Penitent Shall Pass

For those of us who enjoy the Indiana Jones movies, there is a line in the “Last Crusade” that has always stuck with me. He is trying to get to the Holy Grail, but must pass through some “tests” to get there. His father has discovered some clues for each of the tests. Already several […]

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An UpWord Glance

“Not my will, Lord, but Your will be done!”

Today Orthodox Christians around the world celebrate the Annunciation when the Holy Archangel Gabriel appeared to Mary and told her that she was “highly favored; the Lord was with her; and she was blessed among women!” You can read the whole story in Luke 1. Her response to the angel literally changed the course of […]

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An UpWord Glance

Persevere

So how did the Holy Prophet Elisha ever get to be such a great man of God? The answer is found in 2 Kings 2 (4th Kingdoms 2 if you use the Septuagint). We find Elisha, a man of faith, as the apprentice for the Holy Prophet Elijah. One day, Elijah tells Elisha that he […]

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An UpWord Glance

The Mountain of Prayer

“Come, let us go up to the mountain of the Lord, to the house of the God of Jacob; that He may teach us his ways and that we may walk in His paths.” (Isaiah 2:3) The Holy Prophet Isaiah has just invited us to climb a mountain to draw closer to the Lord. Climbing […]

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An UpWord Glance

Great Lent Begins

“In the beginning God…” (Genesis 1:1) The very first verse we read as we begin our Lenten Journey comes from Genesis 1:1. “In the beginning God…” God is the beginning of everything for us. He gave us the gift of life and we have an opportunity to live in a way that pleases Him. What […]