The Lord of Spirits

The mystery of Unction can be slippery to get our minds around. What does it do? Why don’t we see miracles every time it’s applied? Is sin related? Is unction different from other anointings? Fr. Stephen and Fr. Andrew look at the relationship between sin, healing, and oil.

Everybody has nice stuff but me. Why do bad things happen to good Babylonians? Why do good things happen to bad Babylonians? How are the gods involved in all of this? Two guys had an argument more than 2500 years ago to fill us in

Is marriage a merely human institution? Does it exist outside the Church? What does the rite actually do? Continuing their series on the holy mysteries of the Church, Fr. Stephen De Young and Fr. Andrew Stephen Damick examine the Biblical texts on marriage.

Confession's role in the Orthodox Church prompts intriguing questions about necessity and authority. The hosts explore whether God truly demands a priest for forgiveness and challenge the punitive models of divine justice. They navigate the concepts of sin as a power and forgiveness as a path to healing. Insights into public confession, pastoral care, and communal practices emphasize the importance of restitution and accountability. Plus, they encourage reclaiming the practice of communal confession for deeper connections and spiritual growth.

What does it mean to be ordained? What exactly are holy orders? Does ordination change the man ordained? How? Does he remain ordinary–or become it? In the next episode of this Lord of Spirits series, Fr. Stephen De Young and Fr. Andrew Stephen Damick examine the holy mystery of ordination.

Continuing their series on the sacraments of the Orthodox Church, Fr. Stephen and Fr. Andrew examine the holy mystery of chrismation. What is chrism? What does it do? How was chrism used in the Old Testament? Where is chrismation in the New Testament? What does it have to do with the Holy Spirit?

The central act of faithfulness of the Christian life is Holy Communion, eating and drinking the Holy Eucharist. What are its Biblical roots? Is it derived from the Jewish Seder? Was the Reformation right about the Eucharist not being a sacrifice? And just how is bread and wine Christ’s Body and Blood? Fr. Stephen De Young and Fr. Andrew Stephen Damick continue their series on the Holy Mysteries by taking a close look at the greatest of all the sacraments.

What is baptism? How is it different from the ritual washings of the Torah? What does it do? How is it related to circumcision? Why is this water so cold? What does St. Peter mean when he says that baptism “saves”? Is anything happening in the unseen world? Join Fr. Stephen De Young and Fr. Andrew Stephen Damick as they look at this essential Christian mystery with a deep dive into Biblical texts in this first part of a series on the sacraments of the Orthodox Church.

Lord of Spirits discusses the monstrosity of madness and demonic possession. What does the Bible say about these things? What is the ancient context? Join Fr. Stephen and Fr. Andrew for their annual Halloween episode.

What is a spirit? Is it a ghost? Do schools have school spirit? (“Then we need to hear it!”) What does it mean to be “spiritual”? The word “spirit” gets used all the time in Christian and other religious language, but it is almost never defined, at least not in a way that makes sense of how it is used in the Bible and other Christian texts. Fr. Stephen De Young and Fr. Andrew Stephen Damick do a close reading to focus on this core concept.