Apparently deacons haven’t gotten a lot more popular with some people since the time of St. Stephen Protomartyr. (Hmm… and while we’re on that point: it’s worth remembering that what got St. Stephen in such trouble was preaching the Word after the apostles had prayed, and laid hands on him. [Acts 6:6]) The first ordination…
There are days when I begin to wonder whether some folks can read. Or perhaps I should phrase that in the question of St. Philip the Deacon, who asked the Ethiopian eunuch: “Do you understand what you are reading?” (Acts 8:30) On the one hand, we hear the shrill voices which shout about “sacerdotalism” when…
St. Paul wrote to St. Timothy: “This is a faithful saying: If a man desires the position of a bishop, he desires a good work.” (1 Tim. 3:1 NKJV) Now, I would submit that these words aren’t really all that hard to understand—unless someone has made up their mind to reject them in advance. St….
