Breaking News: Horses Causes Orthodox Calendar Controversy

This Paschal season, there has been a calendar controversy that has been missed by most of the Orthodox world. 

This is shocking because controversy loves to rear its head during Great Lent. 

If you don’t know about it, you are forgiven.  It’s a local problem only affecting approximately 2000 Orthodox Christians, but it’s a problem nonetheless... 

read the rest here


photo credit: Eduardo Amorim via photopin cc

Two Powerful Songs You May Never Have Heard

It's been a while since I have done posts that are pure recommendations, so here goes.

Yesterday, I learned that my book The Rest of the Bible had been quoted by one of my favorite online writers, Joel J Miller.  He was writing on the Two Songs of the Three Holy Youths in the Fiery Furnace, which is found only in the LXX Old Testament.

If you don't currently read his work, you need to subscribe to Joel J. Miller's posts on Patheos.  I will give you the link in a minute.

I have been following Joel for some time.  He's an Orthodox Christian who maintained his own blog, where he wrote great essays only too infrequently.

Recently he was picked up Patheos, and online repository for religion writing.  Since then his posts have become more regular and consistently good.  

Joel is the Vice President of Acquisitions and Editorial in the Non Fiction Trade Group at Thomas Nelson.  He is also the author of 5 books, and his recent Lifted by Angels has been highlighted through an interview on Ancient Faith Live.  Hopefully our church book club will add it to the list of 2013 books.

Add Joel to your list of online destinations.  Here's the link

Do You Know the Christmas Carol, "God Will Come From Teman?"

The carols of Christmas have begun as we prepare for the birth of Christ.  Joyous old hymns celebrating “The First Noel”, honoring a “Silent Night”, and hearing angels beckon “Come All You Faithful” pulse through speakers of our local marketplace. 

Orthodox songs are absent in popular American life, so we may be less familiar with the words and meanings.  Leading up to the Nativity, several hymns repeat each service, bringing to us the theology of the Church and helping us understand the fullness of the Incarnation. 

No service of the Christmas season is more full of wonder and theology than the Royal Hours preceding the celebration of the Nativity of Christ. 

Hymns explaining the mystery of God becoming Man through the womb of a Virgin are scattered among litanies, Psalms, and Readings of Scripture.  Yet throughout this service a strange phrase is repeated:  click here for the rest

How To Survive Political Disappointment

Wednesday, November 7, many Christians awoke to disappointing election results.  If not in the presidential race, then probably somewhere else---governor, senator, representative, school board, county coroner. 

To appreciate the mood, here is a sampling of some of my favorite mournful and joyful Tweets: 

                          - read the rest here. 

Thank You and A Free Gift

Thank you to all the readers of The Rest of the Bible!  

It's been a little over a year, since the print and ebook publication, and I continue to be encouraged by the response.

There is very little in print regarding those "extra" Old Testament books, and this book fit that need.

If you have ever wondered about the content of Tobit, the Maccabees, Judith, etc, but never had the time to dig and read, this book will give you an overview of each book as well as discussing how Christian throughout history have used and understand these stories.

Thank you as well to those who commented on Amazon.

Here are a sample of the reviews.

It is about time someone took to giving a good outline and reading companion to these books. So often they are overlooked because sadly most bibles do not include them. This is not only a readable book for those interested but in my mind opens up a world of 'forgotten' Scripture to the modern eyes.

A simple but brilliant idea for a book. I don't know what else to say, buy it and read it. This guy does a great job and he really knows his church history. These books should be a part of EVERY Bible, not just Catholic & some Orthodox Bibles.

Mathis's cliff note style helps one quickly understand the gist of message for each book which further encourages us to read these books.

I went from the Mathis book to read Tobit, Judith and 2 Maccabees and was not disappointed. They are truly very readable, uplifting books as the Mathis book promised. I can see where the early church would use them as preparatory texts. 

 As a gift to readers and future readers, I have put together a study guide for this book.

Our parish used the text in book club, and many of the study questions came out of that discussion.

As well as study questions, several other articles regarding the Readables and further resources for deeper study are included.

To get your free gift, send me an email at theron.mathis@gmail.com, and I will forward on the study guide.

Thanks again and God Bless.