Glory to Jesus Christ!
Well, it has been a while… to say the least. Not since early 2016 has anything been posted to this site, and it is hard to believe that four years have passed in the interim. Since my last post, I have changed jobs, I have purchased a home, I have had not one but two children (two beautiful daughters), and in regards to faith, I have converted from independent Evangelicalism to Eastern Orthodoxy. And I am sure there are many–too many–more changes that have transpired which are less worthy of note (I think I got a new vehicle… or two… is that important?).
When I last posted to this blog, I was employed as the Pastor of Christian Education at Niemonds Indpendent Church in Richfield, PA (God bless all the folks there!), and I used this blog primarily as a medium of outreach to the youth and young adults over whom I had been afforded spiritual care. If you continue to scroll down the home page of this blog, you will see many, many posts written as devotions for my youth group, ca. 2014-2015 (in fact, these posts can be found under the archive Category, “Pilgrim at the Crossroads 1.0”). However, as already mentioned, I find myself in a very different sort of place now. I am presently a Reader at the Chapel of the Holy Spirit in Beavertown, PA, an Orthodox Christian mission in the Archdiocese of Western Pennsylvania. I am no longer a pastor; rather, I consider myself “an ambassador for Christ” (as should all Christians, cf. 2 Cor 5:20).
That being said, as my religious life has made a substantial transition, so have my aspirations for this blog. It is my hope that, in the coming months and years, this blog may still remain a medium of Christian devotion and spirituality. I do intend to post on all sorts of “matters Christian.” If the Spirit will allow it, I pray that these forthcoming musings may be used for your edification. However, I would also like this blog to act as a “hub” of Orthodox mission, evangelism, and discipleship. I have taken some time to craft various pages, which feature books, articles, digital media, etc., for the Orthodox inquirer and Orthodox disciple looking to further their knowledge of the Faith. I hope to expand these pages to feature articles on a number of Christian topics: biblical interpretation, theology, worship, art, and more. I also hope to solicit the aid and experience of other Orthodox Christian writers to offer commentary on social issues facing the Church today, issues of Christian spirituality, and personal testimony.
Over the comings weeks, I would like to highlight some of the resources now featured on this blog, and if you have the time, and would be so gracious, please take a moment to acquaint yourself with the contents of the pages. If you are an Orthodox Christian, I would encourage you to subscribe, and to share the resources found here with other Orthodox faithful and those generally interested in Orthodoxy.
I am looking forward to being back in the saddle, or… in the captain’s chair? I suppose these analogies are fitting, but in keeping with the overall theme of this blog, it might be best to say, “I am on the road again.” What road is this? The road which leads to the Kingdom of God. We are all pilgrims on the road of life, but we are also pilgrims seeking for the True Way. As a follower of Jesus Christ, I claim to know the Way, and it is a bold claim, indeed. Will you be my traveling companion?
Footpath on Mt. Athos, connecting Daphne and the Megiste Lavra (Copyright, Theologos Tats, 11/22/2012)
“O Savior, who hast journeyed with Luke and Cleopas to Emmaus, journey with Thy servants as they now set out upon their way, and defend them from all evil” (Prayer before beginning a journey).
Pray for me, friend. I will be praying for you.+
Pilgrim at the Crossroads 