Who is this King of Glory? With the image of Jesus on the cross, recall Isaiah 53:3: He was despised and rejected by men; a man of sorrows, and acquainted with grief; and as one from whom men hide their faces he was despised, and we esteemed him not. Fr. Timothy Lowe looks to the Gospel of Matthew as the climax to the biblical story in the people's search for a leader. The Son of Man is presented as an anti-king, securing no power in an army, palace, or wealth. As one who submits to the will of ...
Apr 15, 2023•20 min•Ep. 107
King Josiah led his people in a magnificent building campaign to beautify their temple. But it all came to a screeching halt when the Book of the Law, neglected for generations by the Kings of Israel, was discovered and its words read aloud. King Josiah realized the Lord's judgment was at hand, and so he led his people in repentance. "There was no king like him, who turned to the Lord with all his heart and with all his soul and with all his might." Still, the Lord declares to remove Judah and I...
Apr 08, 2023•20 min•Ep. 106
We had hoped the young King Solomon, in his request to the Lord for wisdom, would avoid the typical temptations that come with power and prestige. But the frailty of the human ego shows itself again in the wayward path Solomon takes in seeking not the Lord, but wealth and security in other gods and earthly alliances. In this line of biblical kings, is there any hope that one would lead according to the commandments of the Lord, and walk in His ways?
Apr 01, 2023•17 min•Ep. 105
If you had only one wish, what would it be? The young King Solomon asked not for long life, nor riches, nor victory over his enemies. We learn from the story in I Kings that the Lord was pleased that Solomon instead asked for a "listening heart," to govern and discern what is right. Fr. Timothy Lowe reminds us that the right beginning, the initial baptism and the right confession of faith doesn't necessarily secure God's favor. It's in the doing and walking in faithful obedience, ever mindful of...
Mar 25, 2023•20 min•Ep. 104
If we claim to live as a servant of God, a doulos tou theou , we must reckon with the daily choice: Do I serve and protect my own interests and my own life? Or serve the will of God, even at the cost of my own comfort and life? Fr. Chris Salamy compares the story of the man, Adam, in the Garden of Eden with the story of the man, Jesus, in the Garden of Gethsemane. He reminds us that serving our own wills surely ends in death, while serving the will of our Heavenly Father opens unto life. Fr. Chr...
Mar 18, 2023•22 min•Ep. 103
Who is the real David? On the one hand, a humble shepherd boy who courageously obeys the Lord and is anointed king of Israel. On the other hand, adulterer and murderer in his dealings with Bathsheba and Uriah. On the first hand, sorrowfully repentant, and Psalmist. On the other hand, abandons his duty in providing justice for his daughter, Tamar, who is raped by David's firstborn. On the first hand, commissions his successor, Solomon, to keep the commandments of the Lord and to walk in faithfuln...
Mar 04, 2023•21 min•Ep. 102
Not long after the Lord establishes his shepherd, David, over his people Israel, does King David turn to devour his own flock. Bored and distracted at home while his armies fight the king's battles, David takes another man's wife. To cover up his adultery, he betrays and murders his loyal and faithful servant, Uriah the Hittite. We are reminded again through this story that, "No one is good but God alone," and "Whoever would be greatest must be servant of all." Fr. Timothy Lowe suggests, "If you...
Feb 25, 2023•16 min•Ep. 101
Safe from his enemies and finally secure in his own palace, King David desires to build the Lord a house of cedar. The Lord reminds David through His prophet Nathan that the ark of the Lord moves and dwells in a tent. The Lord has no need for a house. Furthermore, it is the Lord who establishes David and his house, and not the other way around. Taking him from the pasture, the Lord has established David as shepherd over His flock. The warning for His doulos is to attend to the business of caring...
Feb 18, 2023•20 min•Ep. 100
Constantly searching for impressive candidates - from elected officials, to job postings, to new recruits on parish councils - we hope to find leaders in whom we can trust. Yet every leader who comes from the seed of Adam falls short. Fr. Timothy Lowe looks to the story of God's regret that He had made Saul king over Israel, a similar regret we hear in Genesis after God had created man. From this harsh reality emerges our only hope in submitting to the Lord as King and His mercy through His anoi...
Feb 11, 2023•21 min•Ep. 99
Good leaders manage expectations. Good leaders provide clarity and a path forward to eliminate surprise and disappointment. Since the beginning, the Lord makes it clear that all will be well for those who do His will. As Jesus concludes the Sermon on the Mount in Matthew's Gospel, he reiterates His Father's expectation. The crowds who follow Him are impressed with His prophesies, healings, and mighty works, yet they are nevertheless filled with false expectations about entering the Kingdom. Jesu...
Feb 04, 2023•18 min•Ep. 98
What's the connection between functioning as a servant of God and hoping in the inheritance as a son of God? Fr. Paul Hodge remembers the aphorism of Fr. Thomas Hopko of blessed memory, "Beware of consolation before the crucifixion." Like a child who wants dessert before dinner, we may want all of the glory of God's promises now. Looking to Romans 8, we are reminded of the order and the responsibility to receiving God's gift. Sharing in the inheritance as sons comes after suffering with Christ, ...
Jan 28, 2023•22 min•Ep. 97
What do you wish for in this new year? Imagine if your every wish stirred an impulse to serve your neighbor with the very thing you first desire from them? Fr. Timothy Lowe turns to Matthew 7 which challenges our presumptions and turns the worldly order upside-down. The easy path leads to destruction while the narrow gate leads to life. Those who look like sheep may be ravenous wolves, so you must know them by their fruits. And those who fall prey to false teaching may need to check their very w...
Jan 21, 2023•20 min•Ep. 96
In what ways do we
Jan 14, 2023•18 min•Ep. 95
A new year offers a chance to reflect and reset priorities. What kinds of new year resolutions are set by the servants of the Lord? Fr. Timothy Lowe suggests we resolve to pray, out loud and often, the very words provided by Jesus in Matthew's Gospel. Our daily bread is closely linked to the daily practice of forgiveness, suggesting that as often as we eat, we must seek the Lord's daily bread through His Word and extend His mercy to one another. Taking note of its priorities, its communal emphas...
Jan 07, 2023•23 min•Ep. 94
In what ways is prayer used to gain the favor of men, to bargain for position, or even to gossip and control others? Fr. Timothy Lowe submits to the critique of Matthew's Gospel which warns about heaping up empty words and praying in order to be seen by men. A Father provides for His children, and Our Father in Heaven knows what you need before you even ask. We can't keep secrets from Him anyway. As Matthew instructs, "When you pray, go into your room and shut the door and pray to your Father wh...
Dec 17, 2022•17 min•Ep. 93
Does your parish have a dedicated outreach or missions and evangelism team? Fr. Evan Armatas boldly suggests that the Great Commission cannot be sequestered to committee; it must be at the heart of parish life. Reflecting on Hebrews 13 where the Apostle Paul summarizes, "Do not neglect to good and to share what you have, for such sacrifices are pleasing to God," Fr. Evan demonstrates how there's always room for one more at the table. He affirms the degree of diversity within the parish directly ...
Dec 10, 2022•23 min•Ep. 92
Reactions to Black Friday and Giving Tuesday range from enthusiasm to disgust. Many just feel conflicted with the commercialization of the holidays which is intended as a time for thanksgiving, spending time with loved ones, and extending acts of mercy and generosity as the Lord graciously offers His Son for the salvation of all. How do business and nonprofit leaders who strive to serve the Lord respond to the pressure of these events? How do consumers and patrons respond in light of their bapti...
Dec 03, 2022•19 min•Ep. 91
How can the Apostle Paul call himself a "blasphemer" and the "chief of sinners" and then go on to lay out expectations for the bishops and the deacons to live above reproach? In this episode, Andrea Bakas provides an in-depth word study which unveils powerful imagery stemming from episkopos and diakonos . We look to First Timothy to understand what is expected of bishops and deacons, functional leaders of the church who are reminded to manage their households well....
Nov 26, 2022•21 min•Ep. 90
What motivates our questions? Do we seek security, favor, and position when we ask that which we already know? Or do we seek clarity and common reference in the Scripture so that we can get on with the business of doing? The story of the Good Samaritan and the inverted question Jesus asks, "Who was neighbor to that man?" clarifies the question asked by the lawyer to tempt Jesus. The one who showed mercy clarified the work for the innkeeper to further extend mercy, and mercy abounds! "Do this and...
Nov 19, 2022•20 min•Ep. 89
What does judgment have to do with servant leadership? On the one hand, absolutely nothing. If judgment is the Lord's, the doulos, the servant or slave in the Lord's household, cannot stand in the place of judge. The Lord alone is Judge. On the other hand, our daily activities and responsibilities require us to exercise fairness and a certain level of judgment, right? "We are called to do the Lord's will; no less and no more," says Richard Benton, PhD, author of Hosea: A Commentary and of Loving...
Nov 12, 2022•16 min•Ep. 88
Jesus calls his followers to be exceptional. It's easy to feel exceptional when the whole room of people who look like you and behave like you express their love for you. But Jesus isn't impressed by loving those who love you and saluting only your brethren. That's just basic human behavior. Jesus sets a higher bar in Matthew's Gospel with instruction to "love your enemies and pray for those who persecute you." How is this possible? How are we to respond with the call to "be perfect as your Heav...
Nov 05, 2022•19 min•Ep. 87
We hear early in Genesis that man is made in the image and likeness of God and given dominion over the earth. On the surface, this text might appeal to the baser side of the human ego that lusts for power and prestige. But a deeper look will acknowledge that dominion over anything, large or small, carries an important burden of responsibility. Blaise Webster, co-host of Tell Me the Story podcast, examines the original Hebrew for "image and likeness" and its serious implications for exercising do...
Oct 29, 2022•17 min•Ep. 86
We all like a fresh start. New beginnings are filled with hope and promise. A new mission, a new ministry, a new ordination, a new role of service, a new life. How is it that we become derailed so quickly? The stories told in 1 Samuel hearken of hopeful beginnings in the priestly line, the prophetic line, and the kingly line, but it doesn't take long for each to go awry when motivations for a dynastic line supplant the Lord's command. Driven by base appetites, the sons of Eli abused their priest...
Oct 22, 2022•18 min•Ep. 85
Servant leaders make good on their promises. The story of Hannah in the opening of 1 Samuel demonstrates the gravity of remembrance, grace, and vows. Hannah, barren and distressed, pours out her soul to the Lord and trusts in the blessing of promise from Eli, the priest. The Lord remembers her, extending grace through the birth of a son. But the remembrance doesn't stop with the favor of the Lord. Hannah dedicates her young son, Samuel, to the Lord, in remembrance of her vow and the grace extend...
Oct 15, 2022•19 min•Ep. 84
In what ways do our presumptions and expectations cloud our vision? Fr. Seraphim Solof opens Luke 24 for the story of Jesus who appears to his disciples on the road to Emmaus. The disciples had just witnessed the crucifixion of Jesus; the very one they had expected to redeem Israel is now presumed dead. Unable at first to recognize the risen Jesus, their eyes were opened when the Scriptures were opened to them, culminating in the blessing and the breaking of bread. Fr. Seraphim describes, "The p...
Oct 08, 2022•18 min•Ep. 83
What are our motivations for serving and leading? Upon what is hope founded? Do we strive for a prize? Or is there something greater than our own efforts and personal reward? After 40 years of leading God's people in the desert, it may seem harsh that Moses was not allowed to enter the Promised Land. The final scene in Deuteronomy makes it clear that glory does not belong to the one who serves, but to the One who provides. The Lord provides hope through His promise for the next generation that t...
Oct 01, 2022•19 min•Ep. 82
The shepherd and flock imagery used in Scripture create a rich paradigm to consider servant leadership. Leadership isn't about gaining success on the backs of those you serve, but bending your back to serve those entrusted to your care. Dn. Henok Elias, host of the Tewahido Bible Study podcast, opens Ezekiel 34 where leaders are criticized for growing wealthy, fat, and clothed, on the backs of those they are supposed to shepherd.
Sep 24, 2022•18 min•Ep. 81
What would our work loads look like if we put as much time actually doing the work as we do creating excuses for avoiding the work at hand? More importantly, what would our communities look like if we actually put as much time doing the Lord's work as we do creating excuses in sin? The calling of Moses provides insight into this common human inclination to argue, make excuses, and wrangle out of responsibility to the work the Lord provides. When Moses provides a litany of excuses, the Lord provi...
Sep 10, 2022•17 min•Ep. 80
When the Lord commissions Moses to bring the sons of Israel out of Egypt, Moses questions, "Who am I that I should go to Pharaoh?" We learn it's not about, "who am I?" but it's about the One who sends Moses. "I AM WHO I AM" is the God who acts as the Father to His people. When faced with a difficult task, leaders may ask that question even today, "Who am I?" Does the question come from a sense of fear? excuse and avoidance? false humility? perhaps genuine humility? The motives can be analyzed, b...
Sep 03, 2022•23 min•Ep. 79
Simon Peter, in obedience to the Master's instruction, cast his net into the deep. One might think he'd won the lottery with so much fish that it broke the fishermen's nets and began to sink their boats! Instead, Simon Peter acknowledges his own sinfulness and falls at the knees of Jesus. Fr. Timothy Lowe reminds us that only the mercy of the Lord, in light of our own sinfulness, lays the foundation for a good beginning. Whatever education and expertise we think we bring to our life's calling, w...
Aug 27, 2022•16 min•Ep. 78
