Bishop Benjamin of San Francisco and the West was able to give “PravMir” some of his time, which is lucky for us, because his huge territory covers eight states in the United States: Arizona, California, Colorado, Hawaii, Montana, Nevada, Oregon, and Washington. It is one of the largest dioceses in the world, so Bishop Benjamin travels about 180, 000 miles a year by plane and some more by car.... 

A paper submitted by Archpriest Gregory Hallam to the Theological Committee of the Episcopal Assembly of Orthodox Bishops for Great Britain and Ireland, 29th September 2011 Introduction The title of this modest essay reveals its purpose. Archpriest Gregory (Hallam) The author brings before our fathers in God, the hierarchy of the bishops in Great Britain and Ireland, what he believes to be a timely... 

I am so grateful that I was born into the Orthodox faith. There are so many people who wander about in this world with no sense of purpose or belonging, but never an Orthodox Christian. Every Orthodox Christian knows exactly why they are here. In God’s plan, He made all of us, male and female, in His image. And the purpose of our life is to see the image of God in ourselves and in everyone around... 

The hidden ministry of the people needs to be brought into the light. In practice, the church rewards institutional activities and gives little attention to men’s and women’s daily ministry in their workplaces, in their homes and during times of recreation. Church-related ministries are known, recognized, supported, encouraged. Yet there are many works of ministry in the world that, if known, would... 

To hear some Christians talk you would think they had a “hot-line to God.” They are so convinced that God is in daily, direct communication with them, to suggest otherwise would be to compromise on the glorious intimacy that faith and grace bestow. So overweening is this confidence that rarely do they stop to ask:- “Am I hearing right? Is this God or Satan? Is this perhaps me talking to myself?... 

Although Christ proclaims, “Blessed are the peacemakers, for they shall be called the children of God,” too often we see the children of the Church embroiled in destructive conflict and controversy. Has there ever been a parish council free from conflict? Who has not experienced rancorous divisions among fellow parishioners? Who does not know Orthodox families who have gone through acrimonious... 

I came to discover Orthodoxy during a time in my life where I was very heavily involved in performing and writing music. Growing up as an Evangelical Christian and attending a small liberal arts Evangelical College in Northeast Georgia, I struggled for a number of years with reconciling my involvement in music with my Christian faith. How does one maintain both artistic and Christian integrity? Was... 

This article was originally published in the Orthodox Observer, a monthly publication of the Greek Orthodox Archdiocese of America, and addresses Greek Orthodox Christians. We re-post it here on our site because we think that the problem raised by the author can be met not only among Greeks, but among orther Orthodox Christians as well. – Pravmir’s Staff As you read this article, Pascha... 

Palm Sunday, also called the Triumphal Entry, is one of the Great Feasts of the Orthodox Church, celebrated on the Sunday before Pascha. A mere few days before His crucifixion, Jesus Christ was received by adoring throngs at his entry into Jerusalem on the back of young donkey. The crowds threw palm branches (a symbol of victory) in his path in jubilation, and even the children shouted praises to Him.... 

Most of the people in America like sports. Sports are exciting, entertaining, fun. We just love to watch these great players doing their magic on the field: hitting the ball hard, scoring a goal, nailing a touch down. . But as much as we admire them we will always find a barrier between us and the ball field: the TV screen. We entertain ourselves with the idea of watching because being on the field...