Fear of God

When I was starting out as a priest in the denomination, I grew up in I had rose colored glasses about the church and the people who participate in the church. I knew that God was alive in my denomination, and I also knew that the church was struggling to share the good news of Jesus Christ to the world. Many people were battening down the hatches and holding onto “tradition” which ended up wrecking many churches because there was something missing in their midst: Fear of God. I have watched my denomination and, ostensibly, the larger Christian movement limit the role of the awesome existence of God. We have almost forgotten our place in the creation and, in a way, turned ourselves into modern day pharisees and forgotten our own spiritual work.

centuries on loveJustin YawnAugust 30, 2023St. Francis in-the-Field Episcopal ChurchMaximus, maximos, St. Francis in-the-Field, Justin Yawn, con, Contemplative, patristics, asceticism

Love at the Core

Maximus the Confessor's observation that "Love is a holy state of the soul, disposing it to value knowledge of God above all created things" is a profound meditation on the intrinsic nature of divine love and its role in our spiritual journey. At the core of this statement lies an understanding of love not merely as an emotion or sentiment but as an orientation and disposition of one’s entire being.

centuries on loveJustin YawnAugust 28, 2023St. Francis in-the-Field Episcopal Churchlove, Maximus, Maximos, Justin Yawn, St. Francis in-the-Field, Contemplative, asceticism, patristics

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