The Orthodox Leader

Archive for December, 2011

Possible Site Outage

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I’m transferring the orthodoxleader.com domain to a new registrar today, in opposition to the various Internet blacklist bills (including the Stop Online Piracy Act, SOPA) being pushed in the U.S. legislature. This should be a fairly easy transition, but there may be a brief period of time when the blog is not reachable. Your patience is appreciated.

Written by Fr Basil Biberdorf

December 29th, 2011 at 11:49 am

Posted in Administrative

Spiritual Leadership, Part VI: Next Steps

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[Read the previous section, part V, here.]

Next Steps

In the end, then, we see the various realms of what it is to extend our spiritual leadership, beginning with the recognition that we must not impose a single vision of the “right saint” or the “right spiritual gift” on everyone. We start with ourselves, addressing the clearest examples of our weakness and seeking to bring our own lives under some kind of clear spiritual leadership. We move from there to our families and the intimate web of connections that require us to adjust constantly to the needs therein in order that our wives and our children remain firm in the Christian life. Then on to the parish, and the establishment of trust as the basis for spiritual leadership. Finally, we reach the broader community, that our spiritual leadership bring forth fruit in abundance. Read the rest of this entry »

Written by Fr Basil Biberdorf

December 29th, 2011 at 11:00 am

Spiritual Leadership, Part V: The Community

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[Read the previous section, part IV, here.]

Community

There’s that last circle of influence: community, the realm of people for whom we desire salvation. It is the place where we really should desire our spiritual leadership to obtain the greatest reach. It is frequently overlooked among our Orthodox people. It is quite intertwined with mission and evangelism, for proclaiming the Gospel to the heterodox and the unbeliever and bringing souls under the protective wing of Christ’s Church is the ultimate extension of spiritual leadership.

“For Christ did not send me to baptize, but to preach the gospel, not with wisdom of words, less the cross of Christ should be made of no effect. For the message of the cross is foolishness to those who are perishing, but to us who are being saved it is the power of God.” (1 Cor 1:17-18) St. Paul is not arguing against Holy Baptism here, but to say that his primary work was the proclamation of the Gospel in the world. Read the rest of this entry »

Written by Fr Basil Biberdorf

December 28th, 2011 at 2:33 pm

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