One of the most common responses I hear whenever the subject of yoga comes up is this: “Father Don, what’s the big deal? It’s just stretching.” At first glance, that sounds reasonable. After all, stretching is good for the body. Exercise is good for the body. Maintaining flexibility, mobility, and…

One of the great tragedies of modern Christianity is that we have forgotten what the word mystery actually means. When most people hear the word mystery, they immediately think of a puzzle. A riddle. A crime to be investigated. A problem that exists solely so that one day it can…

The Orthodox Practice Everyone Talks About—But Few Understand Walk into an Orthodox church long enough and you’ll eventually hear someone mention confession. For many people exploring Orthodoxy, confession is one of those practices that creates a strange mixture of attraction and anxiety. On one hand, they’re fascinated by it. In…

Have you ever noticed that when things are going amazingly, something terrible always seems to balance it? There is a reason the enemy works so hard to keep you distracted. To keep you focused on things that would take you away from God and the goodness He is doing in…

There is a strange loneliness that hangs over modern life. We are more connected than any civilization in history, yet more isolated. We possess unprecedented access to information, yet seem increasingly unable to answer the most basic questions of existence. Why am I here? What gives life meaning? Why does…

Have you ever had one of those moments where you knew there had to be more? Maybe you were standing in worship with tears running down your face. Maybe you were praying for someone and witnessed God do something that you simply could not explain. Maybe you felt the presence…

Recently, I listened to a fascinating conversation between Jonathan Pageau and Gavin Ortlund discussing Orthodoxy, salvation, and the nature of the Church. While the discussion itself covered a broad range of subjects, it reminded me of a question that I have heard repeatedly from both Orthodox Christians and those exploring…

The release of Steven Spielberg’s latest film, Disclosure Day, has reignited a conversation that has steadily moved from the fringes of society into mainstream culture: Are we alone in the universe? But Spielberg is not merely asking a scientific question. He is asking a theological one. Recently, Roman Catholic priest…