Podcasts about father gregory

Title: Perfect Record Text: Acts 13:13-26 FCF: We often struggle paying attention to the glorious message of our faithful God's salvation of His people. Prop: Because God has always provided for and protected His people and most perfectly in the gospel, we must believe Him. Scripture Intro: [Slide 1] Turn in your bible to Acts chapter 13. In a moment we will read from the Legacy Standard Bible starting in verse 13. You can follow along in the version you prefer. Last week we saw how the Lord actively expanded His church by sending Barnabas and Saul west to take the gospel to new people and places. Saul, also known as Paul, has a confrontation with a sorcerer and blinds him. As a result of this sign miracle, the proconsul of the Roman province becomes a Christian. But this is only the first leg of their missionary journey. Now Saul, Barnabas, and John Mark head North, crossing the Mediterranean sea to what was then Southern Galatia. It is here that Paul will preach his first recorded sermon in the book of Acts. The similarities to Peter's first sermon are remarkable. What will he preach and to whom will he preach it? Let's look. Stand with me out of respect for and to focus on the reading of the Word of God. Invocation: Our great Comforter, speak peace to your people, to your saints; show us your steadfast love, O Lord, and grant us your salvation. Revive us again with your Word today, that we may rejoice in you. In is in Jesus' name we ask this. Amen. Transition: [Slide 2] How do we know that the sun will rise in the east tomorrow? How do we know that when we attempt to draw air into our lungs that there will be oxygen available for us? How do we know that we can plant crops in the ground and the rain will fall on them and cause them to grow? While true that we could study the stars and our world and perform many scientific tests to ensure that such things are true… in reality we all knew long before we were able to read that these things were certain. Why? Well by the time you are 3 years old, you've seen the sun come up, every single day without fail, over a thousand times. After three years of life as a wised toddler living in Michigan, you have seen over 400 days of rain. That means that every day you lived in those three years, you saw a rainy day about 40% of the time. Almost a coin flip's chance. And in those three years, you have taken about 21,024,000 breaths. And each one gave you oxygen without any of them failing. How do we know that all these will happen? Because they have never failed. Does it not stand to reason that the God who set up these systems is equally as reliable? Does it not stand to reason that He is able to do all He has already done and more? That is Paul's sermon… That is what He preaches today to the Jews. And we would be wise… to listen. I.) God has always provided for and protected His chosen people, so we must believe Him. (13-18) a. [Slide 3] 13 - Now after Paul and his companions set sail from Paphos, they came to Perga in Pamphylia, but John left them and returned to Jerusalem. i. Notice Luke points out a subtle shift in leadership of this missionary team. ii. Before it seemed to be right to call Saul Barnabas' companion. But now Barnabas and John Mark are Paul's companions. iii. [Slide 4] The preaching of Paul and the miracles performed in Paphos seems to have shifted the leadership of this mission's team. iv. Pamphylia, as you can see on the map, is located on the southern coast of Modern Turkey. v. This entire region would be known as Galatia. It would be to these churches, after his missionary journey comes to a close, that Paul writes his first letter to the Galatians just before the Jerusalem council convenes in AD 49. vi. Last week I misspoke and said that the missionary journey took place in AD 40. I meant to say, and my notes said, AD 48. And probably very early in AD 48 at that. So apologies for the confusion. vii. But here we see that John Mark left Paul and Barnabas and went back to Jerusalem. viii. In Acts 13, Luke does not get into any details of this departure. In fact, we could read this as if it was a planned departure. ix. However, we will learn in chapter 15 that Paul sees this as a desertion. x. Speculation abounds as to why John left them. xi. Some say perhaps he resented Paul taking leadership of the group over his cousin Barnabas. Some say he grew fearful. Perhaps his mother was ill. We simply do not know. xii. What we do know is that Paul and Barnabas must continue on without him. b. [Slide 5] 14 - But going on from Perga, they arrived at Pisidian Antioch. And on the Sabbath day, they went into the synagogue and sat down. i. [Slide 6] One potential item of confusion we face here is the question, why did Paul and Barnabas trek all the way up to Pisidian Antioch, through the mountains, passing several highly populated cities in the area, in order to reach this city. ii. The road would not have been easy and the elevation would have been around 4300 feet above sea level. iii. There have been two suggestions put forward by scholars. 1. From many recent archeological discoveries it seems that Sergius Paulus, the proconsul in Paphos who became a Christian, had a family estate around the city of Pisidian Antioch. It is possible that he gave Paul and Barnabas letters of introduction so they could receive safe passage to and in the city itself. 2. Also, because Paul references in Galatians 4 that when he first came to preach the gospel to the people in this area, he was very sick, and that sickness affected his eyes to some extent, the common scholarly suggestion is that somewhere, either on the boat or on Cyprus, Paul contracted Malaria. Since Malaria is a parasitic infection of the red blood cells, and a common treatment for this is to move to colder and higher altitude climates preventing the parasite from gestating quickly in the body, this may be another reason that Paul and Barnabas chose Pisidian Antioch. 3. But for me it makes most sense that probably both of these worked hand in hand. 4. No doubt Paul and Barnabas intended to get to Pisidian Antioch eventually, using the papers they had received from Sergius Paullus to travel there, but because of his illness they may have altered their itinerary to go straight to the city. iv. As the capital of southern Galatia, Antioch, commonly called Pisidian Antioch to differentiate it from other Antiochs around the Empire, was another large city. v. We see very clearly the methodology of this first missionary journey. Paul and Barnabas sought out the largest cities to share the gospel. vi. It is in these large cities that they would be guaranteed to find a significant Jewish population and synagogue, along with many other people to share the gospel with. vii. [Slide 7] Having no doubt arrived on a day other than the Sabbath, they probably had made introductions to various Jewish people throughout the city. So, on the Sabbath, Paul and Barnabas go into the synagogue and sit down. c. [Slide 8] 15 - And after the reading of the Law and the Prophets the synagogue officials sent to them, saying, “Brothers, if you have any word of exhortation for the people, say it.” i. Here we see that this synagogue operated in a similar way to others around the empire. ii. A reading from the scriptures, probably one from each major section, the law, prophets, perhaps a psalm or proverb. iii. After this, the floor would be offered to someone to give a homily based on the text that was read. iv. Here we see that the synagogue officials pass Paul and Barnabas a message to indicate that they were welcome to share an exhortation. v. Why them? Aren't they the new comers? vi. Either Paul revealed that the was a student of Gamaliel, which would have made him a highly prized speaker, or that Barnabas was a Levite, which would have also occupied a prominent position to teach. vii. No doubt Barnabas deferred to Paul who was the better speaker. d. [Slide 9] 16 - So Paul stood up, and motioning with his hand said, “Men of Israel, and you who fear God, listen: i. Paul wastes no time. ii. I'm sure he was chomping at the bit to share the gospel. iii. In all of his travels, and despite his reputation for going to the gentiles, Paul consistently has a heart for his own people to know that their Messiah had come. iv. Unfortunately, as we will see, they didn't love him for his concern. v. Paul addresses the sermon that follows to both the Men of Israel and also to those who fear God. Probably Gentile God-Fearers who were also among them in the synagogue. vi. The way Luke has structured Paul's sermon here conforms to a form of homiletical style that would have been commonly used in synagogues in those days. vii. Verse 16 consists of the preamble. viii. It is here that Paul addresses his audience and pleads with them to listen to him. e. [Slide 10] 17 - “The God of this people Israel chose our fathers and lifted up the people during their stay in the land of Egypt, and with an uplifted arm He led them out from it. i. Next, Paul moves into another division of the homily where he recounts biblical data or history in order to establish a point. ii. With a birds-eye-view of the sermon we see that it encompasses a quick summation of the history of Israel up to David and the promise for one of his descendants to reign forever as King of Israel. iii. There are two primary emphasizes of the sermon. 1. God is the benevolent, faithful, sovereign giver and keeper of His chosen people. 2. His people continue to distrust and even work against Him. iv. In this opening remark, Paul points out how God chose the fathers of this people Himself. This is no doubt a reference to Abraham who was from the land of Ur which is modern day Iraq. v. God made a nation for Himself rather than selecting a nation that already existed. He did this by calling Abraham out from among the other nations. vi. Fast forwarding a number of years Paul shows that God continued in faithfulness to His people. vii. There is another theme that will come up several times in Paul's sermon. God lifting or raising someone. viii. In this case He is said to lift his people or to make them great. Probably meaning to increase them in number. ix. He is also said to lead them out of slavery to Egypt by His uplifted arm. Again, the imagery of raising them. x. It is by the hand of God that they were led out – and not by Moses or any human representative. A point that many Jews would not have argued with in theory but they did tend to think of Moses as almost infallible. f. [Slide 11] 18 - “And for a period of about forty years He put up with them in the wilderness. i. The word “put up with” is 1 letter away from another word “cared for” or “nurtured”. ii. Manuscript evidence is split almost down the middle with a slight edge being given to the former. iii. It is worth noting that although scholars are split on which word goes here, translators are almost unanimous that it should be “put up with”. iv. Both are certainly true, but looking at the general tenor of the sermon, it seems best that Paul subtly indicates the rebellion and disbelief of the people here. v. God put up with them for 40 years in the wilderness as they continued to distrust Him even though He had proven to be faithful to them. g. [Slide 12] Summary of the Point: So again, we see Luke emphasize, this time through the sermon of Paul, that God has always been the sovereign provider and protector of His people. He chose this nation and made them great. He lifted them out of slavery and bore with them in the wilderness. Despite the unfaithfulness of the people, God continues to give and provide so that His promises would be true and His name would be glorified. In the sermon thus far, what has Paul called on his hearers to do? He has called on them to listen. Not just to hear… but to pay attention. To take heed. It would be wise for us to observe, to listen, to learn, and believe that God is faithful to His promises and will accomplish what He has decreed. He is faithful though all else be unfaithful. This must be believed. Transition: [Slide 13 (blank)] So, this is the God that He has been. That is all well and good Paul. But what about today? He rescued us from Egypt but then we were stuck in the wilderness for 40 years. It kinda feels like we are in a wilderness now. The Romans are vile yet they control the world. Where is our King that is supposed to reign forever? Where is our Messiah? Where is that Servant that the Rabbis keep insisting is coming to save us? This God you speak of is stuck in the past. II.) This same God now sends the message of salvation to us, so we must believe Him. (19-26) a. [Slide 14] 19 - “And when He destroyed seven nations in the land of Canaan, He distributed their land as an inheritance—all of which took about 450 years. 20 “After these things He gave them judges until Samuel the prophet. i. Again, Paul returns to the faithfulness of the Lord. ii. Even though the people waged war against these seven nations, Paul puts the glory squarely on the shoulders of God as He destroyed them in order to provide an inheritance for this people. iii. From the beginning of the Egyptian enslavement to the taking of the promised land it took around 450 years. iv. Then the Lord GAVE judges and Samuel the prophet. v. Yet another theme arises in Paul's sermon. vi. God as a giver. vii. God not only chooses and raises up he also provides and gives. viii. He gave them judges and prophets… Human guides to keep them from straying. b. [Slide 15] 21 - “Then they asked for a king, and God gave them Saul the son of Kish, a man of the tribe of Benjamin, for forty years. i. Once again Paul returns to the Israelites. ii. Just like in the wilderness they refuse to trust God alone and want to be a nation like all the other nations around them. iii. They desire a King to rule over them and are not satisfied with God ruling. They aren't even satisfied with the judges and prophet that God had given them. iv. So, God gives them Saul the son of Kish, of Benjamin. v. God allows this man to rule for 40 years. vi. Notice how in each illustration Paul gives of the people's unfaithfulness, they are judged for a generation, for 40 years the Lord puts up with the poor decisions of His people. vii. But… c. [Slide 16] 22 - “And after He had removed him, He raised up David to be their king, about whom He also said, bearing witness, ‘I HAVE FOUND DAVID the son of Jesse, A MAN AFTER MY HEART, who will do all My will.' i. Paul strings together quotes from I Sam 13 and Psalm 89 to make his point here. ii. God's faithfulness again becomes the theme. iii. God finds and raises up a man after His own heart. iv. Just as God rescued them from Egypt by raising them up out of slavery, so God rescues them from a faithless monarch by raising up one who is righteous. v. A man who does His will. A man completely different from Saul. vi. God gives them David, who is without question the greatest King Israel had ever had from a spiritual perspective. d. [Slide 17] 23 - “From the seed of this man, according to promise, God has brought to Israel a Savior, Jesus, 24 after John had preached before His coming a baptism of repentance to all the people of Israel. 25 “And as John was fulfilling his course, he kept saying, ‘What do you suppose that I am? I am not He. But behold, one is coming after me of whom I am not worthy to untie the sandals of His feet.' i. As just another in a long list of God's faithfulness, God having promised to David a descendant that would reign forever on the throne of Israel, has provided that seed. ii. Jesus, the Savior has come. iii. His way was prepared by the coming of John the Baptist – the greatest prophet of the Old Testament who preached a baptism of repentance to prepare the hearts of the people to receive their own Messiah. iv. John's message was for all of Isarel. That all of Israel needed to turn from their sin and come to God. They needed this One whom he announced. Their hearts would be prepared to receive Him when they turned from their sin in the waters of baptism. v. Though many questioned it, John himself said that he was not the One who was to come but the One who came after him was much greater than he. vi. That is, this Jesus of Nazareth. vii. This is the promised descendant of David. viii. Jesus is the next and final step in the fulfillment of the promises God made to Israel. e. [Slide 18] 26 - “Brothers, sons of Abraham's family, and those among you who fear God, to us the word of this salvation was sent. i. Paul again engages with his audience. ii. This is a pivot point in the sermon. Paul has left the biblical and historical data to make a proposition which flows from all that he has just said. iii. What is that proposition? iv. He reminds them that this final showing of God's faithfulness to them had come in their time. v. That whether they were children of Abraham's family or God-Fearers, the word of this salvation has come to them at this time. vi. In essence what he is going to attempt to prove in the next several verses, is that not only is Jesus this descendant, this seed, the promised Messiah, but that He is also the suffering Servant and the Savior. A role which is always attributed to God in the Old Testament, thus establishing not only His Messiahship but also his Divinity. Everything the Father is, the Son is. vii. Unfortunately, we must save his proof of this proposition for next week. f. [Slide 19] Summary of the Point: The same God who raised up Isarel from nothing to give them inheritance in a land and a great King like David, has also raised up for them a Savior, Jesus of Nazareth. He sent them a prophet to prepare them for His coming, and has accomplished their salvation in their very day. Many to whom Paul preached that day were no doubt alive 15 years before when Jesus was crucified. Not only has God provided and protected His covenant people in the past… but He has even now, this very day, provided salvation and protection to them through Jesus of Nazareth.. Once again, the command in this text thus far is simply to listen. To take heed. To pay attention. It is the most important set of truths that you could ever hear. God is faithful and has provided the word or message of this salvation to us. Give ear and take heed. Conclusion: So, CBC, what have we learned and how shall we live? Doctrinal Takeaway: [Slide 20] Paul's sermon opens up addressing his kinsmen with the reality of God's enduring and faithful hand of provision and protection over them, not only to their ancestors but even to the very moment he preached to them in that synagogue in Pisidian Antioch. God has provided and protected His people, giving and raising them up from various perils, but today, He gives His greatest gift to them. Today, God raises them up from their greatest enemy. Today, God sends word of their salvation. God has truly and finally protected His true people. He has truly and finally provided all His true people will ever need. Paul's only word of exhortation so far to them has been… to listen. To take heed. To accept, to believe, and to respond in that belief. That same God, that faithful provider and protector, who sent this message to these first century people… He is the same today as He has always been. He sends to us the same gospel the same good news… the same message of salvation. We too must listen. We must hear and heed. We must believe. In only a half sermon, where simple belief in historical fact is so far the application, we may leave feeling a little lost in how exactly we are to respond to Paul's message. So let me do my best to get a little more practical with you today and apply this to our lives right now. 1.) [Slide 21] Mind Transformation: “What truth must we believe from this text?” or “What might we not naturally believe that we must believe because of what this text has said?” We must believe that God will always keep His promises to provide for and protect His people because He has always done so. a. What God commands us to believe in the Word of God is not baseless conclusions requiring blind faith. b. God has recorded for us in His Word His dealings with mankind. c. He has proven Himself over and over again to be working for the sake of His own name and to preserve for Himself a remnant. d. He has shown time and time again His faithfulness to that remnant preserving them through the greatest trials and tests and delivering them safely to the other side. e. He has given gifts and people to lead them to spiritual purity. f. He has raised them up out of darkness and spiritual debauchery. g. God faithfully walks with His people rescuing and redeeming them even from their own unbelief. h. My friends, God is always faithful. i. He has loyal love for His people. j. With all of this backdrop, and upon this foundation, the promises of God are laid. k. The promise of salvation through Christ's penal substitutionary atonement for His people is all based upon His track record at protecting and providing for His people. l. As soon as all mankind fell, did He not promise to send a descendant of the woman that would crush the head of the serpent? Did He not clothe them in animal skins as a picture, not only of penalty for sin, but also of substitution as the animal skin covered them? m. And after thousands of years, did He not preserve and deliver on His promises that the Scepter would never depart from Judah? That there would be a prophet like Moses but greater? That there would be a future Savior lifted up on a pole to which they could look to for salvation? n. My friends… everything that has happened, everything that God has done, has proven over and over again that His promises are iron clad. They cannot be broken. o. And that means when God said “This is My beloved Son in whom I am well-pleased,” when Jesus said that He and the Father are one, when the Spirit opens the eyes of the blind and regenerates the hearts of the spiritually dead only to proclaim that Christ has been crucified for them… p. Such promises must be believed. For God has never failed to keep a promise. And He never will. q. So when we face times of great suffering or opposition… what then? 2.) [Slide 22] Refutation: “What lies must we cast down” or “What do we naturally believe, or have been taught to believe, that this passage shows is false?” We must deny that God has departed or left us during times of great suffering or cultural opposition. a. My friends it is foolishness to doubt the ever present hand of God on us. b. In good times or bad. In suffering or comfort. In reception or rejection… our God is with us. Always. c. He promised He would be. d. Though we be blind to his presence. Though we be deaf to His comforting voice. Though we be numb to His hands holding us. Though our mouths be full of bitterness and we cannot taste that He is good. Though our nose be full of the stench of death, and we cannot breathe in the refreshing wind of His Spirit's strength… e. Though all our senses be dead to Him… He has not left us. And He never will. f. Though all the world hunt us unto death – He is there with us when our last breathe is released. g. Though we lose everything we have held dear and watch it all crumble to dust, He has kept us from becoming dust as well. h. My friends. If you are His child… He will never forsake you. Why? i. Because Christ took every reason God would forsake you on the cross. He cried out “MY GOD, MY GOD, WHY HAVE YOU FORSAKEN ME!” So that you and I would never be able to say the same! j. Even when we sin my friends. God is not far off. We have walked away but He won't let us go far. He stands ready to forgive and cleanse us from our sin. k. This is His relationship to the bride of His Son. For Christ's Sake… we are never forsaken. l. And that means we should stop doing something… 3.) [Slide 23] De-Exhortation: “What actions should we stop doing” or “What behaviors do we naturally practice that this passage tells us to stop doing?” We must stop neglecting or doubting the promises that God has yet to fulfill. a. There are many promises that we as God's people are still waiting to see fulfilled. b. We await the fullest installment of the Kingdom of God. c. We await the return of our Lord to reclaim His people and His world. d. We await the final defeat of sin and the forces of darkness. e. We await the New Kingdom and our Eternal life with Him. f. We await Justice g. We await peace h. We await love… TRUE LOVE that we've never truly known i. We await tearless, painless, sinless, living. j. We await satisfaction in work. k. We await the wedding feast with our Groom l. We await the words “Well done my good and faithful servant.” m. But while we wait, we are surrounded on all sides with injustice, war, hate, pain, tears, sin, death, dissatisfaction, emptiness, loneliness, the appearance that the forces of darkness are winning and the Kingdom is far from here. n. Oh, we may be tempted to see the waves all around us as we try to walk to Jesus. o. And if we have shallow roots in rocky soil our hearts may wither under the heat of suffering. p. And if we are so wrapped up in the cares of the world and distracted by lesser things, we might be choked out from the promises of heaven. q. Oh, we might fear that we might lose all that the Father has given us so we bury it and think that He will be pleased with no return on His investment. r. Oh, my friends we might be those bridesmaids who thought they had enough oil to last until the Groom returned… and rather than getting more they depleted it all before he came. s. Do not doubt my friends the promises we have yet to receive. Why? t. Because unlike us…our God does not lie! Our God's promises are always fulfilled! u. He will keep them. Be ready. 4.) [Slide 24] Exhortation: “What actions should we take?” or “What is this passage specifically commanding us to do that we don't naturally do or aren't currently doing?” We must continue to pay attention and take heed of the truth of the gospel verified by all of history. a. Believer or unbeliever... b. The gospel of Jesus Christ crucified for sinners is a message, a word, that cannot be ignored. c. All of history has flowed to and from this event. All of history has culminated and exploded from this one point. d. God's promises finally fulfilled and expanded. e. Are you an unbeliever here today? Have you never received this truth that Christ was crucified for sinners? Have you never realized that you are such a sinner. A vile, wicked and hopeless creature devoid of anything good, unable to please God with your good works, unwilling to approach the true God of the bible for fear He'd take over your life. Are you such a sinner? f. Now you have heard the gospel truth proven by all of history. g. Today God has sent His message of salvation. God has sent a Savior, Jesus of Nazareth, to trade the sins of His people for His righteousness. He has come to release them from the family of Satan and adopt them into His family as heirs. h. If the Holy Spirit has awakened you today to see this truth… i. Take heed. Listen. And Believe. j. Believe such things as you believe in oxygen. Believe such things as you believe that the sun will rise and that rain will fall. k. Believe these truths in such a way that you depend on them for life. l. Yield your entire being to such truths today. m. God is calling. Do not neglect such a call. n. But what about for believers? 5.) [Slide 25] Comfort: “What comfort can we find here?” or “What peace does the Lord promise us in light of this passage of scripture?” God has sent the message of salvation to us. a. Oh my friends… b. God has sent the message of salvation to us. c. Who here is worthy of such a message? d. Who here loved God first before He loved you? e. Who here can claim that God never revealed the truth to us we simply knew Him from birth? f. Who here can claim that they had only barely sinned and God needed to cover but a small amount to reconcile them to Himself? g. Who here is a Jew of the family of Abraham? h. Oh my friends. To merely have heard the message of salvation… is a grace beyond measure. For none of us even deserve to hear it. i. Christ crucified for sinners. Oh what a glorious message. Christ crucified for sinners. Oh what a glorious word. j. That you have heard it – is a blessing. That you believe it… is a miracle of God. k. Believer… Let the message of the gospel wash over you again and again. May your repentance of the sin that made it necessary continue. And may the grace that made it possible endure. l. Let it sweep you away into heavenly rapture… that God has given you this message and you have received it… m. Christ was crucified for sinners. Us. [Slide 26(end)] Let me close with a prayer by the church Father Gregory of Nyssa. Surely, Lord, you are the pure and eternal fountain of goodness. You were right to turn away from us, and in lovingkindness you had mercy on us. You hated, and were reconciled. You cursed, and blessed. You banished us from paradise, and called us back. You stripped off the fig leaves— an unattractive covering-and put on us an expensive garment. You opened the prison, and released the condemned. You sprinkled us with clean water, and cleansed us from our filthiness. Adam will no longer be bewildered when you call. He will no longer hide himself, convicted by his conscience, cowering in the thicket of paradise. The flaming sword will no longer surround paradise, cutting off the entrance to those who draw near. All is now turned to joy for those of us who were once heirs of sin. We can now walk in paradise-heaven itself. And the creation once in conflict with itself, in the world and above the world, is now knit together in friendship. We humans now join in the angels' song, offering worship of praise to God. For all these things let us sing to God that hymn of joy-a song which lips touched by the Spirit long ago sang loudly in Isaiah 61:10: "I delight greatly in the Lord; my soul rejoices in my God. For he has clothed me with garments of salvation and arrayed me in a robe of his righteousness, as a bridegroom adorns his head like a priest, and as a bride adorns herself with her jewels" And surely the one who adorns the bride is Christ, who was, and is, and will be blessed now and for evermore. Amen. Benediction: May the Lord answer you in the day of trouble! May the name of the God of Jacob protect you! May His goodness and lovingkindness follow you and continually preserve you So that you can say, the Lord is my shepherd; I shall not want. Until We Meet Again… Go in Peace

Father Gregory White: Welcome to our Parish Mission

"Saint Gregory, the younger brother of Basil the Great, illustrious in speech and a zealot for the Orthodox faith, was born in 331. His brother Basil was encouraged by their elder sister Macrina to prefer the service of God to a secular career (see July 19); Saint Gregory was moved in a similar way by his godly mother Emily, who, when Gregory was still a young man, implored him to attend a service in honour of the holy Forty Martyrs at her retreat at Annesi on the River Iris. Saint Gregory came at his mother's bidding, but being wearied with the journey, and feeling little zeal, he fell asleep during the service. The Forty Martyrs then appeared to him in a dream, threatening him and reproaching him for his slothfulness. After this he repented and became very diligent in the service of God. He became bishop in 372, and because of his Orthodoxy he was exiled in 374 by Valens, who was on one mind with the Arians. After Valens' death in 378 he was recalled to his throne by the Emperor Gratian. He attended the Local Council of Antioch, which sent him to visit the churches of Arabia and Palestine, which had been defiled and ravaged by Arianism. He attended the Second Ecumenical Council, which was assembled in Constantinople in 381. Having lived some sixty years and left behind many remarkable writings, he reposed about the year 395. The acts of the Seventh Ecumenical Council call him "Father of Fathers." (Great Horologion)

Fr. Gregory currently serves as an adjunct professor of dogmatic theology at the Dominican House of Studies and an Assistant Director of the Thomistic Institute. He is a contributor on the Pints with Aquinas show and a co-host of the Catholic Classics podcast. Fr. Gregory is the author of Prudence: Choose Confidently, Live Boldly and co-author with Matt Fradd of Marian Consecration With Aquinas: A Nine Day Path for Growing Closer to the Mother of God.

He was born in Irenopolis, one of the "Ten Cities" of Asia Minor. Though his parents wanted him to marry, he entered monastic life as a young man, and struggled for many years, living in reclusion under the guidance of a wise spiritual father. One day, while in prayer, he was carried away to Paradise and experienced the blessedness that the redeemed will know at the general Resurrection. The vision seemed to him only to last for an hour, but he learned from his disciple that he had been in ecstasy for four days.   Aware that the Enemy can appear as an angel of light, and that we should be suspicious of seeming revelations, he sought the counsel of his Abbot, who reassured him, and told him to give thanks to God by continuing in his ascetic labors.   Soon, he was told by revelation that he was to go forth into the world, living without an earthly home, to uphold the Orthodox faith, which was then under attack by the Iconoclasts. He traveled through Ephesus, Constantinople, Corinth, Rome, Sicily, Thessalonica, and Constantinople again, laboring in defense of the Faith and working many miracles. Usually he would stay with poor people who welcomed him into their houses, though it was forbidden by law to receive an Orthodox monk (that is, one who defended the Icons). In his last few years, afflicted by illness, he settled in Constantinople, where he reposed in peace in 832, just before the end of iconoclasm and the restoration of Orthodoxy. Since 1490, his incorrupt relics have dwelt at the Monastery of Bistritsa in Romania, where they continue to be a source of miracles for the many pilgrims who come to venerate them.

Ryan sits down with an erudite Father Gregory Pine and they get into one of the most random theological discourses to ever grace the podcast universe.

Matt discusses the history of the holy rosary, private devotions, Medugorje, and more with Fr. Gregory Pine O.P. Show Sponsors: https://hallow.com/matt https://stpaulcenter.com/matt Matt's Marian Books: https://tanbooks.com/products/books/marian-consecration-with-aquinas-a-nine-day-path-for-growing-closer-to-the-mother-of-god/ Dominican Rosary Pilgrimage: https://rosarypilgrimage.org Mysterious World Episodes: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=g6HW2dPnO-8 https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=cJm8j-ufktE https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=NzFdi4BLwc0  

"Saint Gregory, the younger brother of Basil the Great, illustrious in speech and a zealot for the Orthodox faith, was born in 331. His brother Basil was encouraged by their elder sister Macrina to prefer the service of God to a secular career (see July 19); Saint Gregory was moved in a similar way by his godly mother Emily, who, when Gregory was still a young man, implored him to attend a service in honour of the holy Forty Martyrs at her retreat at Annesi on the River Iris. Saint Gregory came at his mother's bidding, but being wearied with the journey, and feeling little zeal, he fell asleep during the service. The Forty Martyrs then appeared to him in a dream, threatening him and reproaching him for his slothfulness. After this he repented and became very diligent in the service of God. He became bishop in 372, and because of his Orthodoxy he was exiled in 374 by Valens, who was on one mind with the Arians. After Valens' death in 378 he was recalled to his throne by the Emperor Gratian. He attended the Local Council of Antioch, which sent him to visit the churches of Arabia and Palestine, which had been defiled and ravaged by Arianism. He attended the Second Ecumenical Council, which was assembled in Constantinople in 381. Having lived some sixty years and left behind many remarkable writings, he reposed about the year 395. The acts of the Seventh Ecumenical Council call him "Father of Fathers." (Great Horologion)

Oooh boy today we are talking *a lot* about religion! So trigger warning for that. We talk a lot about Sam's faith/Dean's lack of it, the importance of hearts in Supernatural, and what exactly happened with Father Gregory... We hope you enjoy!! (Sorry this is a long one; when we get to talking about religion we just don't stop.)   Find us on social media! TikTok: @raisingwinchesters / @raisingperdition Twitter: @RWinchestersPod / @RPerditionPod Hive: @rwinchesterspod / @rperditionpod Tumblr: @raisingwinchesterspod / @raisingperditionpod You can also find our personal accounts here :) TikTok & Twitter: @bethlovescas / @hannahluvsdean / @abbyjomo Hive & Tumblr: @bethlovescas / @hannahluvsdean 

Father Gregory Pine O.P. on how to think like Thomas Aquinas.

As we begin Part 4, St. Francis de Sales builds the framework for us of what temptation is and how temptations work, explaining the differences between experiencing them and consenting to them. Father Gregory and Fr. Jacob-Bertrand remind us not to be surprised or discouraged when temptation arises but to trust that God gives us the grace to withstand that reality, to choose the good, and be formed in the midst of it. To get your copy of the complete reading plan, visit ascensionpress.com/catholicclassics or text "INTRO" to 33-777. Please note: Introduction to the Devout Life by St. Francis De Sales contains adult themes that may not be suitable for children - parental discretion is advised.

He was born in Irenopolis, one of the "Ten Cities" of Asia Minor. Though his parents wanted him to marry, he entered monastic life as a young man, and struggled for many years, living in reclusion under the guidance of a wise spiritual father. One day, while in prayer, he was carried away to Paradise and experienced the blessedness that the redeemed will know at the general Resurrection. The vision seemed to him only to last for an hour, but he learned from his disciple that he had been in ecstasy for four days.   Aware that the Enemy can appear as an angel of light, and that we should be suspicious of seeming revelations, he sought the counsel of his Abbot, who reassured him, and told him to give thanks to God by continuing in his ascetic labors.   Soon, he was told by revelation that he was to go forth into the world, living without an earthly home, to uphold the Orthodox faith, which was then under attack by the Iconoclasts. He traveled through Ephesus, Constantinople, Corinth, Rome, Sicily, Thessalonica, and Constantinople again, laboring in defense of the Faith and working many miracles. Usually he would stay with poor people who welcomed him into their houses, though it was forbidden by law to receive an Orthodox monk (that is, one who defended the Icons). In his last few years, afflicted by illness, he settled in Constantinople, where he reposed in peace in 832, just before the end of iconoclasm and the restoration of Orthodoxy. Since 1490, his incorrupt relics have dwelt at the Monastery of Bistritsa in Romania, where they continue to be a source of miracles for the many pilgrims who come to venerate them.

Will brings on Jordan Ferrier to interview Father Gregory Pine, author of "Prudence: Choose Confidently, Live Boldly" and a Catholic Priest. They discuss Thomas Aquinas and Divine Simplicity. With our first Catholic Priest interview, we truly show how you can escape your echo chamber and learn from different denominations of Christianity. You can learn from people even if you disagree with them on some matters.

Father Gregory offers the homily on the Holy Fathers of the 7th Ecumenical Council.

Father Gregory offers the homily on Luke the beloved physician and evangelist.

Homily on the Commemoration of the Beheading of St. John the Forerunner

Father Gregory offers the homily on the Feast of Dormition - Sunday, August 15, 2021.

Father Gregory offers the homily for the Sunday readings, July 11, 2021.

Father Gregory offers the homily for the feast day of St. Panteleimon - 2021.

Father Gregory offers the homily on Sunday, August 1, 2021.

Father Gregory offers the homily on the feast day of Transfiguration.

Father Gregory and I discuss navigating uncertainty and periods of indecision. How do we live within the story that God is writing in our lives even when we don't know the next chapter? If you can make it through our banter, you may find out!

Father Gregory offers the homily on Genesis 22, the binding of Isaac, as read during the Presanctified Liturgy.

Father Gregory offers the homily on the Gospel reading for 4th Sunday of Lent - of St. John of the Ladder

Father Gregory offers the homily on the Feast Day of the Annunciation of the Theotokos (Virgin Mary) March 25, 2021.

Father Gregory offers the homily on the Sunday of the Prodigal Son.

Father Gregory offers the homily on the healing of the daughter of the Canaanite woman. Matthew 15:21-28.

Father Gregory offers the homily on the Feast day of St. Gregory the Theologian, 2021.

We’re talking today with an old friend from Dr. Paul Shotsberger's days in the math department at UNC Wilmington. Following graduation, Father Gregory Plow, went on to teach math for a couple of years, but then followed his calling to become a Franciscan Friar from the Third Order Regular of Saint Francis. His province sponsors two universities and he is director of the post-novitiate formation program, located in Washington, DC, preparing friars for the permanent brotherhood and priesthood. It is an honor to have Father Gregory on the podcast today!

Father Gregory offers the homily on the healing of the 10 lepers on January 17, 2021.

Jan. 17, 2021 | Featured Homily: Father Gregory Chervenak, OFM, Cap. by Archdiocese of Baltimore

Father Gregory offers the homily for the Feast of Holy Theophany at Holy Trinity Cathedral 2021.

Father Gregory offers the homily on the Sunday before Theophany.

Father Bryce offers the homily on the Feast day of St. Basil the Great. Many years to Father Bryce on the celebration of his patron saint!

"Saint Gregory, the younger brother of Basil the Great, illustrious in speech and a zealot for the Orthodox faith, was born in 331. His brother Basil was encouraged by their elder sister Macrina to prefer the service of God to a secular career (see July 19); Saint Gregory was moved in a similar way by his godly mother Emily, who, when Gregory was still a young man, implored him to attend a service in honour of the holy Forty Martyrs at her retreat at Annesi on the River Iris. Saint Gregory came at his mother's bidding, but being wearied with the journey, and feeling little zeal, he fell asleep during the service. The Forty Martyrs then appeared to him in a dream, threatening him and reproaching him for his slothfulness. After this he repented and became very diligent in the service of God. He became bishop in 372, and because of his Orthodoxy he was exiled in 374 by Valens, who was on one mind with the Arians. After Valens' death in 378 he was recalled to his throne by the Emperor Gratian. He attended the Local Council of Antioch, which sent him to visit the churches of Arabia and Palestine, which had been defiled and ravaged by Arianism. He attended the Second Ecumenical Council, which was assembled in Constantinople in 381. Having lived some sixty years and left behind many remarkable writings, he reposed about the year 395. The acts of the Seventh Ecumenical Council call him "Father of Fathers." (Great Horologion)

He was born to a prominent pagan family in Neocaesarea, where Christianity was at the time almost unknown. Nonetheless, Gregory found and embraced the faith of Christ at an early age. His parents educated him at the finest schools of the day in Athens, Alexandria, and Beirut; he and his brother spent five years studying under the great Origen, though, the Synaxarion is quick to note, "They possessed enough discernment, however, to avoid certain errors into which Origen was led by the excessive boldness of his speculations about the mysteries of God."   Refusing many tempting offers of worldly position, Gregory withdrew to the wilderness to live in ascesis. However, the Archbishop of Amesia, familiar with his holiness and ability, consecrated him Bishop of Neocaesarea against his will, and Gregory in obedience took up his see at about the age of thirty.   When he entered the city as bishop, it contained only seventeen Christians. Through the Saint's tireless and grace-filled preaching, and through the steady stream of miracles that he wrought there, he brought so many to the faith that when he died, only seventeen of the city's inhabitants were still pagans.   Bishop Gregory's countless miracles were so famed that he became known to all as the Wonderworker. Once, the Most Holy Mother of God appeared to him with Saint John the Theologian and revealed divine mysteries to him directly, a grace granted to very few. Even his detractors called him a second Moses. He reposed in peace in 275.

Father Gregory offers the homily on the healing of the Demoniac (Luke 8:26-30).

Father Gregory offers the homily on stewardship Sunday on the Parable of the Sower according to the Gospel of St. Luke (8:4-15).

Nic interviews Father Gregory Jensen, pastor of Sts. Cyril and Methodius Orthodox Church and the Eastern Orthodox chaplain at the University of Wisconsin-Madison, about his reflections and observations from the past six months. E&E #230 Engage & Equip is a resource designed to help form substantive disciples for the local church.Find more episodes at highpointchurch.org/podcast Music: HOME—If I'm Wrong (youtu.be/HBynMB054zw)Remixed by John Sekutowski

Nic interviews Father Gregory Jensen, pastor of Sts. Cyril and Methodius Orthodox Church and the Eastern Orthodox chaplain at the University of Wisconsin-Madison, about his reflections and observations from the past six months. E&E #230 Engage...

Father Gregory offers the homily on the Feast of the Nativity of the Theotokos (2020).

How to break through ROADBLOCKS and get to the next level? You hit those exciting milestones in your business… Whether it’s $1,000…$5,000…$10,000…$100,000, or even hitting your first $1,000,000 in revenue with your funnel (Two Comma Club)! But for whatever reason, no matter what you do, you just can’t seem to get past that first milestone. You get stuck. Something’s standing in your way and you just can’t figure it out. So how do you drive past that roadblock? How do you get to that next level in your business?This is critical because EVERY entrepreneur, every business, and every Funnel Hacker WILL hit this wall at several different stages as you grow and scale. In Part 3 of this 4-part interview with my mentor Mark Joyner, I share exactly what to do to break the glass ceiling in YOUR business. ---Transcript--- Russell Brunson: What's up everybody. This is Russell Brunson. Welcome back to the Marketing Secrets Podcast. Today you are ready and prepared, I hope, for part three of a four part series, where I had a chance to do an interview with my very first mentor, Mark Joyner. And what's cool about this is, in the past, I've had a chance to interview Mark a lot of times, but it was the first time that he ever interviewed me, which was kind of... Anyway, it was a huge honor to have your mentor asking you questions about stuff. And so, like I said, in the first episode, Mark was my very first mentor online. Someone who I, man, have so much respect for, and so grateful for him and his contribution that helped me to figure this game out. And I hope you guys enjoy part three of our four part series with my very first ever mentor, Mark Joyner. Mark Joyner: Okay, third thing, third thing. Russell: Third thing, all right. So, I think the reason why a lot of people, as they're trying to grow their company, they hit these ceilings. I struggled this. I got stuck between one and three million dollars a year for like a decade. I couldn't break that ceiling no matter how hard I did. And what I realized is, as we launched ClickFunnels, the first phase of the business was like, there's the hyperactive, the first set of customers, which were the easy ones, right? They get it, they're the early adopters, they figure stuff out. And those are the customers that are already there. They're just waiting for you to go and grab them. And I think most companies, that's as far as they ever get. In fact, I've been geeking out on the book, Crossing the Chasm right now. And there's the five different things. And the innovators are the first ones. And I think that's where most people's businesses get to the innovators. And that's where they stop, right? Mark: Right. Russell: Then the second phase is the early adopters. But these people aren't... The second phase, you have to learn how to create a customer. Again, when we first launched ClickFunnels, the internet marketers who knew what funnels were like, "sweet, I'm in." And they came in and they got ClickFunnels, the early adopters, right? But then, after that was done, we ran out... It was like being in a Ferrari on a dead end road. We ran out of road, and all of a sudden we're like, "Hey, we got all the internet marketers. Oh, crap, now what?" And it was like, okay, now we have to create customers. We have to change our messaging, create our front end price. They do things so that when someone comes, they don't come with the desire ahead of time, but they listen to the message, and all of a sudden it's like, "Oh, I need a funnel." If you look at, even strategically, the Dotcom Secrets book was to get the early adopters. People who understood funnels were. Here's my strategy of funnels. We got them in. And then Expert Secrets was like, "Hey, do you have talent? Do you have ideas or advice or things you can make money with? That you could share your advice." And people were like, "Oh yeah, I do." It's like, "Cool. Well, you need a funnel to be able to get that message out to the marketplace." And so we created customers from people, and that's kind of the second phase. And I don't think most people ever get to that where they're in the phase of creating customers. They're getting the low hanging fruit, the early adopters. And then that's the business. And they hit the ceiling and they never get past it. And it's realizing, the next phase is like, "Okay, how do I create customers? How do I create the desire so that they will come from where they are and come to the next phase." And I feel like, just from my standpoint, we just finished... We're kind of at the end of the early adopter phase. And we're now making the leap to the early majority, which for me, this is my big challenge, is crossing the chasm. We can talk about it later if we want it. But, that's the next phase that I'm in. And most people never... It's taken us six years to get the point where we're done with that phase and moving to across the chasm, which is scary and exciting. Mark: Well, that's kind of what I want to end on, actually. Russell: Oh cool. Mark: I want to interject really quick here. This is a very interesting Eugene Schwartz lesson that I think is quite apropos to what you're talking about. And you remember the audience awareness scale, right? Russell: Yes. Mark: So he's got two things in there. The audience sophistication scale and the audience awareness level. And the audience awareness level goes all the way from problem unaware. So, actually I should put yeah… So problem unaware. So imagine you got a guy who is living in the Aboriginal Bush and he doesn't even know that there is such a thing as phones. And you're like, "Hey, here's an iPhone." Well, he's not even aware that he has the problem, that he doesn't have a phone. And then you got guys who are problem aware, and then you got solution aware. And then it goes all the way up to most aware, which is like a guy who's like, "Hey, all you have to do is tell me that there's the new iPhone coming out." Russell: I'm in. Mark: And right, "I'm camping out. I'm going to be in front of the iPhone store for two weeks. So I can be first." So as Russell was changing, he was dealing with guys who were sort of solution aware, and sometimes even problem aware. But as he was expanding his marketplace, he had to kind of reach out to these other areas. But what you have to also understand is that, as you go across this whole spectrum, this area is almost always where the biggest money is, but it's the hardest market to talk to, because the messaging is so much more difficult. Russell: Language changed. Mark: Yeah. Russell: Each step in that... Because people are like, "Well, how do you shift it?" And like, "It's the words, it's the language." I remember Dean Graziosi called me one day. He's like, "This is the weirdest thing." He's like, "I'm at my wife's hairdresser, and the hairdresser was talking about this thing called ClickFunnels." And he calls me. He's like, "You've done something no one else has ever done, because my hairdresser's talking about your company right now." But it's like, if I walked in a hairdresser, "You want a funnel?" They're like, "For my hair? How does that work?" It's like, "No." We had to speak differently to those audiences. And as we go further out to different audiences, we change our language patterns because we have to speak to them in a way that they understand. And then we bridge the gap. Then we take them through a bridge that helps them understand like, "Oh, that means funnel. And this is why you need that thing." And that's part of the game. Mark: That's right. Russell: So much fun. Mark: Because they're not even going to know what a funnel is. Yeah, exactly, exactly. By the way, another really interesting book people could read. So sort of like a spiritual sequel to Breakthrough Advertising, was one written by some of the guys at high level in Agora, called Great Leads. And they talk about, yeah, it's actually a fantastic book and it shows you six different ways to talk about those different audience... To talk to those different audience awareness levels. Very, very good read for people. Okay, now, so this one is... So, I know I want to get into your thing that you talk about, about crossing the chasm. And I think that's a nice one to end on here. And actually, because I wrote it as your plan to reach the billion dollar level. And I think that's kind of the same question really. So, but before we get to that, I want to ask you what your three biggest personal lessons were in this journey, in this entrepreneurial journey. And you can even talk about some of your sports stuff too, because I know some of that applies. So what would you say those are? Russell: Man, I would say to begin with, is like, entrepreneurship... Building a business is the best personal development seminar you'll ever go to. All of your problems get shoved into your face and it gets bigger and bigger. It's like, "Ah." Mark: And you deal with it or you go broke. Russell: Oh, yeah, it's tough. But what's cool about business too, it's kind of like... I have a lot of friends who are having their first baby right now. And I remember our first babies came, and we've got five kids now, but when the first come you're so scared, you're like, "What am I going to do when the baby shows up?" You're freaking out. All of a sudden the baby comes out, and it sits there and it sleeps for 18 hours a day. You're like, "Oh, it's just sitting there." Like, "Okay, this isn't that bad." And then it starts growing and growing. And what's interesting is that your capacity to handle the baby grows as the baby grows. And so right now I've got my twins are 14 years old. And it's like, man, they stress us out. Teenagers are so much harder. Mark: Yeah. Russell: But it's like, if they would've came out at 14 year olds, it would've crushed us, we'd have been destroyed, because we weren't prepared. But our capacity to handle the problems grew as the kids grew. And I think, I look at like the stuff I deal with on a daily basis right now, six years ago, would have destroyed me. I'm so grateful that I had six years to grow in capacity to handle the stuff. It's ridiculous. But that's why business is so much fun too and it's exciting. So, what was the question again? Mark: Personal... The three biggest personal lessons that you've learned along the way. And again, this can be from your sports career, from your parenting and from your entrepreneurial journey, because I think they're all related. As you said, business is the best personal development seminar you could possibly attend. These things are not unrelated. They are all... It's all one life. And the things that I learned in the military, definitely applied to my life in business. And I'm sure things that you learned in the sporting world and in parenting, have also applied to business as well. So, it sounds like the first one is, is that you had to learn how to grow along with the challenges, because the challenges are not going to get easier. They're actually, by definition in life, going to get more difficult. And I think, let's just be really frank and blunt with everybody listening. Look, we all age people, we all age. That means that baked in to the formula for life itself is increasing difficulty, no matter what. And if you think you're going to insulate yourself in some bubble. Everybody has this, they get an entrepreneurial-ism and say, "Well, what's going to happen is, is I'm going to make a whole bunch of money, then I'm going to sit on a beach, sipping umbrella drinks, and all my problems are going to go away." Well, guess what's going to happen? You do that, and I tried there, here's what happened, I got fat, sick, and I became this horrible, disgusting person, that I was not proud of. And I was going to die if I carried on with that path. This is the way the universe is designed, guys, it's designed to continue to get more difficult and to challenge you more. Would you agree with that? Russell: A hundred percent. Unless... And some people nod because they cave, and they go and they sit and watch TV, and they just like, "Ah, I'm going to tap out." And they sedate themselves so they don't hear the voice, the calling, whatever it is, that's pulling you. Because I think all humans have that. I think it's inherent from our creator that there's this thing that pulls us to want to do more. And we want to contribute. And we have this thing. But, the majority of people, they try to sedate it. They sedate it with TV, with drugs- Mark: That's right. Russell: ... with alcohol, with pornography, whatever it is like to get that noise out. Because there's pain with that. Man, it is painful to walk out... And I'll tell a story that maybe this kind of ties into the second one. But, we were about a year into ClickFunnels and this is all of our first rodeo. It was Todd's first time building an app this big and all these things. And I remember when we first built it, he was like, "I'm pretty sure that the way I built it will handle about 10,000 customers." We thought maybe that'll take a couple of years. And within a year, we were 10,000 customers. And sure enough, about a year in, things started happening and the site would go down for half an hour. Then they get it back up. And then all these problems and all these things. And it was just so much stress. And I remember I got asked to speak in London, to talk about ClickFunnels. So my wife, my kids, my family, we fly to London. As soon as we land at the airport, I get out. I'm trying to get my phone connected and get a SIM card and whatever. As soon as it gets in, my phone is just on fire from... And it's all these people who I knew. And I thought they were my friends, but ClickFunnels went down, and they were not... Pitchforks were out and they were ready to kill me. And I'm like, I don't even know what's happening. And so I remember, I messaged Todd and I'm like, "What happened?" He's like, "We've been down for two hours." He's like, "We can't figure it out." He's like, "If we're able to recover from this, then..." I don't know, something, but I just remember him saying, "if". And I was like, "Wait, if?" It wasn't, "when", it was, "if". And I'm like, "Oh my gosh, I don't even know how to deal with this." Mark: I've been there, I've been there. Russell: We're in a car and we're dragging the kids to the hotel. And they're like all excited from London. And I'm stressing out. I don't even know what to do. And finally get to the hotel, and we're talking. And everything's still down, and I look at Facebook, and everyone's, literal death threats, it's crazy how crazy people get. And just blowing up everywhere. And all I wanted to do was... And I'm a Mormon, so there's not many things that we can do to sedate. Let's go get some ice cream, right? I don’t have anything! What do we do? I remember that moment, I was just like, I just want to hide. But I was like, I don't think that's the right... I don't know, I don't think it's the right thing. I think I need to talk about this. And I shouldn't act like it's okay, because it's not. It gets... So I decided... So I went to our Facebook group at the time. I think it's still archived in there, you probably find it. But I did this video from the hotel room and I was like, "ClickFunnels is down and it is not acceptable. And I am pissed at myself, I'm pissed at my team, were all pissed. This is not okay." And like, I just went out, "All my sites are down. I'm losing money, you're losing money. I understand it. It's not fair to you. It's not fair..." And I just owned it publicly, live streaming. And it was scary. I'm like, "I don't know what's going to happen. I'm going to keep you guys apprised. But we're doing everything we can. And it is not acceptable. And I am so sorry, and we're going to fix this." And I just led with that. And then got off Facebook Live and then probably balled my eyes out. Like, "I don't know if we're going to fix this." And luckily, I've got an amazing team back home and they're killing themselves. Mark: Awesome. Russell: It'll be a good chapter in the bootstrap book someday. But everything went on. But I think about eight hours and they got it back up. And I remember, after it got back up, then it got stable. And then we're just like, "Oh no, what's going to be the damage from this and the fallout." And I remember... We get graphs every day of how many people signed up, how many people leave, and all those kind of numbers. And man, during that thing, our number of cancellations, almost non noticeable. And I was just like, if we would have went the other way around and hid behind it, people wouldn't trust... Who knows what would have happened? And that was such a good learning moment for me. We can't hide behind stuff in today's world. We just have to come out front. And so that was a year in. And then luckily, from that point, we had some other good partners who came on, like Ryan Montgomery, who came and helped us stabilize things and figured out all these things. And it's been pretty stable since then. It's just those things that you learn, of don't hide, don't sedate. And I think in all aspects of life, that's a lesson. As soon as the company gets hard, man, your brain's going to be looking for a million different ways to say no. Or like, "I don't want to go that way." "No, no, no." And, man, everything good always comes from going to the eye of the storm and pushing through it. And even though the pain seems like, if I sedate or if I check out it's going to be good. But it's not a way to live life. Mark: So, dude, it's funny you say that. I was just shooting a video about exactly that, about how everybody is kind of opiating themselves these days, through the dopamine hits of social or whatever it is. Everybody's got their drug of choice now. Again, you named a lot of them, binge watching, pornography, actual hardcore drugs. There are so many people that are hooked on fentanyl and heroin combinations. And, it's a really ugly cocktail of what's going on. And I want to kind of interject and maybe pause it, what I think another third lesson is for you. I'm actually going to ask you a question. Were you raised in Mormonism or did you choose to convert? Russell: I was definitely raised in it, but I also had a very definite point where I chose it. There, at least for me, I think there's always a time when a storm comes and you got to decide what you really believe. Definitely had that. So yes, and yes. Mark: I want to say, I would just kind of hypothesize, that that played a huge role in your personal development, because you guys are not allowed to involve yourselves in any of those sedation methodologies. They encourage a very morally upright life. And I have to say, being a veteran of the military intelligence community, I actually got to know a lot of Mormons, because Mormons go out there and they get their language training as missionaries. So there are a lot of Mormons in the military intelligence community. And I got to say, almost all of the Mormons that I worked with were really solid dudes, who were just genuine, sincere people, who wanted to live their life correctly, and legitimately wanted to be kind to people. And I know you've got people like Bill Maher out there, saying all kinds of really nasty things about Mormonism, calling it a cult and stuff like that. But my experience with Mormons has been nothing but very positive. And it would seem to me that your choice to really, even though you were raised in it, to decide to take that on very seriously, must have also been very pivotal for you in your personal growth. Russell: A hundred percent. I did go on a mission for two years for the church, and I went when I was 19 years old, which is typically for most people, that's the time when you're in college, you're partying, you're drinking, you're thinking all about yourself, and you go out there on your mission, and you can't do anything for yourself. You get a name tag, where literally, I was Elder Brunson. My name is gone. I'm not even a... And you're out there everyday serving other people during, typically the most selfish time in someone's life. And for two years, that's the lens you look at things. So, when you come home... And I always tell people, "I'm so grateful I made money after mission." Because, who knows what would happen? Both of us have friends that made a lot of money really young and it destroyed them. And so it's like... Mark: Oh yeah, definitely. Russell: Just super grateful that I had that lens to just... The lens of learning how to serve people before yourself, which is... Unfortunately, most people don't have that opportunity. And on a mission, you're kind of forced into it, and you learn to love it. Mark: It's funny for me. I went through... Even though my family was Catholic, I was kind of raised around atheist/agnostics. And I became, sort of what I would call now, a pantheistic spiritualist. But over time, I've become more and more rigid in that. I've explored all of the different world's religions. And the one thing... And I haven't decided yet, if I'm going to settle in any location. I still need to listen to your Mormon apologetics video that you made. I'm super curious about that. I need to make a point of hearing it, because I'm, open to it. I'm open to it. And when I see people who are living a life that represents genuine service for other people. I don't know if you ever heard of this guy, Father Gregory, who has this thing called The Homeboys' Bakery. And basically what he does, he takes these kids who were, they were in prison, and he gives them jobs at a bakery, and then helps teach them how to be decent people. And I saw that and man, I can't help but get choked up when you hear about something like that, man. Because when you see somebody living their life that way, and when you know what the cost of living your life the other way is, it makes you really take those kinds of things seriously. And even though religion gets a bad rap because, yeah, there's a lot of crazy stuff happening in organized religion, the notion that sin, however you want to label that, destroys your life, is an observable phenomenon, man. You can see it. When you do all the things that you're, "not supposed to do", and all of the religions of the world tell you not to do a lot of the same things. And when you see what happens to people who live their life that way, and they think they can get away with it. And then you see what happens to people who live their... And I'm talking about people who were the week, "Oh, I'm trying to be a nice guy as a way to manipulate people." That's a bullshit thing that some people do, right. I'm talking about guys who are like, "Hey, I'm going to make myself a strong person, and I'm going to do good in the world." When I see people like that, I'm like, "That is the path that we all need to be walking down." And the more of us do that, the better the world's going to be. Russell: Yeah, I had someone recently tell me... Learn about my beliefs and stuff and just be like, "Man, that must be really, really hard." And then at the same time, I looked at their life. And I was like, looking at the path that they've gone on, and not to judge them all. But I'm like, that seems so much harder. Mark: Yeah. Russell: I don't know. Maybe, but, I'm grateful for the path and I'm going to stay on it. Mark: Good for you, man, good for you, dude. I'm blessed to see your example, because you're yet another person I can look at it and say, "Hey, here's a guy..." And your life is harder than mine, man. Your company is doing way more volume than mine right now. You have kids to manage, you do all these extra things on top of it. And I'm like, "Man, I want to learn how Russell is managing all of this stuff." You know what I mean? Because you're younger than I am, but you figured some things out that I haven't figured out. I want to learn that. And I'm a moron if I don't learn it, right. This is where the ego less ness has to come in. If you want to be better and better and better, if you want to truly achieve greatness, you got to be really straight with yourself about what you can and can't do. So let's kind of tie this up now with this crossing the chasm thing, man. Russell: Yeah. Mark: I don't know if this is something that could be covered briefly. Because I imagine it's going to be a pretty complex thing, but what can you say about that? Russell: Yeah. And I'll tell you some of my thoughts. I don't know all the answers yet. We're on that journey right now. Mark: Yeah, good answer. Russell: And it's fun though. Because for me, it's been interesting as I've gone on this journey too, and maybe this ties back to the last question as well, but, and I'll tie it back to sports. When I was wrestling for a long time, it was me, I was the all-star. I was out there wrestling, it was my thing, I got my hand raised. I loved it. And now that I'm older and I've got kids now, my kids wrestle. And the transition from all-star to coach is really painful. Because it's like, "I want to be on the mat." Like, "Ah, they're doing things wrong." And like at first it's really painful. And then eventually, for me, my kids, this is my twins third year wrestling. And this year was so rewarding, because the stuff we've been working on, they're finally getting it. And to see them get their hand raised, actually felt better than my own hand raise, which is weird, because I was like, it's been the greatest moment of my life, is getting my own hand raised. And with business was similar, because the first two years of ClickFunnels, I was the all-star. People were like, "How big was your funnel building team?" It was me. I built the funnels, I wrote the sales presentations... Todd was doing the software, I was doing everything else. And I was the all-star. I'm doing the webinars, I'm flying around the world, I'm speaking, I'm doing stuff, my hand's getting raised over and over and over again. And as we started growing, it started getting harder and harder for me to handle that. And I remember three years ago, it was this spot where it's just like the pressure so much. I was just at a breaking point. I'm like, "I don't know what to do." I remember where I was at. It was some other conversation, but the thought that popped in my head was like, "You have to transition from being the all-star to being the coach. At the time, I had hired a couple people and they would go, they'd write copy for me or they'd build the funnel for me. And they'd do it. And I felt like it was like Michael Jordan. There are people that go up to shoot a shot, and he's like, "I shoot better” and grab it and just dunk on them, right. I felt like I was doing that. My team would come in, they'd get some like, "Oh this sucks." I'd go in and delete it all and rewrite it and fix it all. And like, "Oh I'm an all-star, look how good I am." And it was holding me back and them back and everything. And I was like, I have to make this transition to being the coach. So that was the whole second phase was, at first, it's hard. But now I'm looking at my team, now my team is getting so good. They're producing stuff and they're creating without me. And it's like they say to me, now they want something. I'm like that like, "Ah." Same thing, it feels better getting your hand raised when your team is doing it now. It's interesting. Mark: Well, you got a great model, really quick, I just want to interject, from wrestling. Dan Gable was kind of seen as the greatest wrestler of all time. And then he was... Now he's kind of universally recognized as the greatest coach of all time as well, across all sports. Right? Russell: Yeah. Mark: There are very few people who would deny that Dan Gable is the best coach of any sport, of all time. Russell: Think about how many people, making the jump from that, how many great athletes never become coaches? And I think a lot of it is the ego, right? It's been really hard for me, both coaching my kids and then coaching the team. There's this ego thing. You're like, "I can do it better." Or whatever. And it's so hard. And so anyone that can make that transition from all-star to coach, I have so much respect for them, because it takes a lot. Mark: Ego is tricky man, because the ego battle is probably the... That's the battle, right? Because the ego kind of drives you. That pride drives you so much in the beginning. Russell: It's the fuel, initially. It's the reason why I want your hand raised. The ego's the driving force, initially. And then it becomes the thing, that holds you back in the next phase. Like, "What?" Like, "You were such a great friend over here, now you're screwing me over." Mark: What just happened. Well, this is the genius of the design of the universe, right? It's like every time we think we've got to figured out, it's like, "nope, you don't." Because, whatever designed this, whatever your cosmology of the universe is, call it God or whatever, is infinitely smarter than you are. And it's going to come up with so many ways to trick you and keep you off balance, that every time you think you got it dialed in, there's going to be a new challenge that's going to come up. And you have to love that. It's kind of beautiful. Right? Russell: Oh, yeah. Mark: Because that's what keeps life interesting. It would be so dull without it. Russell: Yeah, it's so much fun.

Friend of the show, Father Gregory Pine, O.P., discusses the Thomistic Institute,“Godsplaining” podcast, and discernment.

Or Dual Wheeloffortune, H2O Reptiles, Luckystrike Footfingers, Dad Greg, NSW Chophouse We've got a Patreon! $5 a month for fortnightly bonus episodes of Oooh, Movie, where we have fun watching and talking about spooky films! www.patreon.com/ooohspooky

Father Gregory offers the homily on pericope from the Gospel of Matthew chapter 6, verses 22-33.

Father Gregory offers the homily on the Feast of All Saints.

Father Gregory offers the Homily on the Feast Day of Pentecost (June 7, 2020)

Father Gregory offers the Homily on Monday of the Holy Spirit (June 8, 2020).

Father Gregory offers the homily on the Feast of Ascension. Christ's Ascension in Glory is a total victory to be proclaimed to the world.

In this episode of The Cordial Catholic Podcast, I'm joined by Father Gregory Merkley, a diocesan priest of the Diocese of Hamilton in Ontario, Canada. We talk about Father Greg's spiritual journey, the blessing of the priesthood, and the incredible impact that the sacraments have had on his life. Father Gregory was baptized Catholic, fell into practical atheism, and was eventually led back into the Catholic Church where his faith was absolutely set on fire–and eventually called him into the priesthood. It's a great conversation and I hope you enjoy it thoroughly!For more, visit The Cordial Catholic. Send your feedback to cordialcatholic@gmail.com. For more information about sponsoring the show, keeping this podcast going, and helping me to continue to deliver quality content please visit the Patreon page.  Even $1 or $2 a month can go a long way to helping make this podcast sustainable and will give you access to a special Patron-Only podcast featuring behind-the-scenes content and early access to upcoming material. If you can give $5/mo or more you'll also be entered into monthly draws for fantastic books hand-picked by me.If you'd like to give a one-time donation to The Cordial Catholic, you can visit the PayPal page.Thank you to those already supporting the show!Newsletter pre-roll. Producers Post-Roll: Stephen, Eli, Tom, Kelvin, Susan, and Eyram.Support the show (https://www.patreon.com/cordialcatholic)

Father Gregory offers the homily on the Fourth Sunday of Lent - When climbing the ladder - keep looking up!

Father Gregory gives the homily on the Feast of Annunciation - waiting for the announcement and saying yes to God.

Father Gregory reflects on time at the midpoint of Lent and the slowing down of time during this period of social distancing caused by the Covid-19 Pandemic.

Father Gregory offers the Homily on March 15, 2020. Working out our salvation during this trying time.

Father Gregory delivers the homily on the Sunday of Orthodoxy 2020 at Holy Trinity Greek Orthodox Cathedral in Carmel, Indiana

"Is Penance Possible?" with Father Gregory Pine Father Gregory Pine discusses practical steps for growing in freedom from the slavery of comfort and freedom for the arduous pursuit of God.  Fr. Gregory Pine, O.P. serves as Assistant Director of Campus Outreach for the Thomistic Institute. Born and raised near Philadelphia, he attended the Franciscan University of Steubenville, studying mathematics and humanities. He entered the Order of Preachers in 2010 and was ordained a priest in 2016. He is a regular contributor to the podcasts "Pints with Aquinas" and "Godsplaining." This was recorded at Theology on Tap on March 2, 2020. Theology on Tap is a speaker series for young adults (ages 21-39) that occurs on the first Monday of every month at Murphy's Grand Irish Pub on King Street in Alexandria. Founded in 1795, the Basilica of Saint Mary in Old Town Alexandria is the first Catholic parish established in Virginia. Pope Francis named the church a minor basilica on December 6, 2017 due to its important role in the growth of the Catholic Church in North America.

"Saint Gregory, the younger brother of Basil the Great, illustrious in speech and a zealot for the Orthodox faith, was born in 331. His brother Basil was encouraged by their elder sister Macrina to prefer the service of God to a secular career (see July 19); Saint Gregory was moved in a similar way by his godly mother Emily, who, when Gregory was still a young man, implored him to attend a service in honour of the holy Forty Martyrs at her retreat at Annesi on the River Iris. Saint Gregory came at his mother's bidding, but being wearied with the journey, and feeling little zeal, he fell asleep during the service. The Forty Martyrs then appeared to him in a dream, threatening him and reproaching him for his slothfulness. After this he repented and became very diligent in the service of God. He became bishop in 372, and because of his Orthodoxy he was exiled in 374 by Valens, who was on one mind with the Arians. After Valens' death in 378 he was recalled to his throne by the Emperor Gratian. He attended the Local Council of Antioch, which sent him to visit the churches of Arabia and Palestine, which had been defiled and ravaged by Arianism. He attended the Second Ecumenical Council, which was assembled in Constantinople in 381. Having lived some sixty years and left behind many remarkable writings, he reposed about the year 395. The acts of the Seventh Ecumenical Council call him "Father of Fathers." (Great Horologion)

He was born in Irenopolis, one of the "Ten Cities" of Asia Minor. Though his parents wanted him to marry, he entered monastic life as a young man, and struggled for many years, living in reclusion under the guidance of a wise spiritual father. One day, while in prayer, he was carried away to Paradise and experienced the blessedness that the redeemed will know at the general Resurrection. The vision seemed to him only to last for an hour, but he learned from his disciple that he had been in ecstasy for four days.   Aware that the Enemy can appear as an angel of light, and that we should be suspicious of seeming revelations, he sought the counsel of his Abbot, who reassured him, and told him to give thanks to God by continuing in his ascetic labors.   Soon, he was told by revelation that he was to go forth into the world, living without an earthly home, to uphold the Orthodox faith, which was then under attack by the Iconoclasts. He traveled through Ephesus, Constantinople, Corinth, Rome, Sicily, Thessalonica, and Constantinople again, laboring in defense of the Faith and working many miracles. Usually he would stay with poor people who welcomed him into their houses, though it was forbidden by law to receive an Orthodox monk (that is, one who defended the Icons). In his last few years, afflicted by illness, he settled in Constantinople, where he reposed in peace in 832, just before the end of iconoclasm and the restoration of Orthodoxy. Since 1490, his incorrupt relics have dwelt at the Monastery of Bistritsa in Romania, where they continue to be a source of miracles for the many pilgrims who come to venerate them.

He was born to a prominent pagan family in Neocaesarea, where Christianity was at the time almost unknown. Nonetheless, Gregory found and embraced the faith of Christ at an early age. His parents educated him at the finest schools of the day in Athens, Alexandria, and Beirut; he and his brother spent five years studying under the great Origen, though, the Synaxarion is quick to note, "They possessed enough discernment, however, to avoid certain errors into which Origen was led by the excessive boldness of his speculations about the mysteries of God."   Refusing many tempting offers of worldly position, Gregory withdrew to the wilderness to live in ascesis. However, the Archbishop of Amesia, familiar with his holiness and ability, consecrated him Bishop of Neocaesarea against his will, and Gregory in obedience took up his see at about the age of thirty.   When he entered the city as bishop, it contained only seventeen Christians. Through the Saint's tireless and grace-filled preaching, and through the steady stream of miracles that he wrought there, he brought so many to the faith that when he died, only seventeen of the city's inhabitants were still pagans.   Bishop Gregory's countless miracles were so famed that he became known to all as the Wonderworker. Once, the Most Holy Mother of God appeared to him with Saint John the Theologian and revealed divine mysteries to him directly, a grace granted to very few. Even his detractors called him a second Moses. He reposed in peace in 275.

He was a cantor at the Great Lavra on Mt Athos. Once, on the eve of Theophany, he was inspired to sing the hymn O full of grace, thou who art the joy of all creation instead of the usual It is truly meet to bless thee during the Divine Liturgy. When he did this, the most holy Theotokos appeared to him, thanked him and gave him a gold coin as a sign of her favor. The coin is still kept at the Lavra. He reposed in peace. St Gregory's hymn has been sung since that time as part of the Divine Liturgy of St Basil.

In the aftermath of the party's encounter with the Master Yeti our adventurers run afoul of a dragon (?) AND an old "friend" of Logoth's PLUS the return of Father Gregory! --- This episode is sponsored by · Anchor: The easiest way to make a podcast. https://anchor.fm/app

Greg grew up in Twin Bridges, Montana, reading everything he could get his hands on. He realized early on in life that he was gay, but chose to shut that part of himself down to be socially accepted. Later in life, he decided to enter the seminary for the Roman Catholic Church and served as a priest at a cathedral in Helena, Montana.  He ultimately took a sabbatical from the church to more fully embrace his identity while becoming an activist in Seattle's LGBTQ community.  He's since started a counseling practice and is an advocate working to make sure LGBTQ kids growing up in Montana feel safe in their homes and schools.  Greg believes it's God's directive and our moral imperative to take care of the immigrants and refugees seeking sanctuary in our borders. He describes his compassion as having no bounds and believes if we lose in the long run if we are so entrenched in our opinion that we fail to see the humanity of our opponents. Living with AIDS since 2007, he also embraces universal healthcare for its practical implications in his life - as well as another extension of our responsibility to take care of each other.   Let's get Greg's thoughts on how compassion should be our defining rule, and why we stand to lose so much in terms of planetary health and personal happiness when we ignore our connections to each other.

Father Gregory Pine joins the ladies on Daughter, Arise!

In this episode, Nic interviews Father Gregory Jensen, focusing especially on how we can recapture spiritual language in how we talk about personal growth.E&E #113 Engage & Equip is a resource designed to help form substantive disciples for the local church.Find more episodes at highpointchurch.org/podcast Music: HOME—If I'm Wrong (youtu.be/HBynMB054zw)Remixed by John Sekutowski

In this episode, Nic interviews Father Gregory Jensen, focusing especially on how we can recapture spiritual language in how we talk about personal growth.E&E #113 Engage & Equip is a resource designed to help form substantive disciples for...

In this episode, Nic interviews Father Gregory Jensen, focusing especially on how we can recapture spiritual language in how we talk about personal growth.E&E #113 Engage & Equip is a resource designed to help form substantive disciples for...

Father Gregory walks us through questions surrounding bonding at the recent Sexuality Everywhere conference.E&E #102 Find more resources from this conference at sexualityeverywhereconference.com/resources Engage & Equip is a resource designed to help form substantive disciples for the local church.Find more episodes at highpointchurch.org/podcast Intro Music: HOME—If I'm Wrong (youtu.be/HBynMB054zw)Remixed by John Sekutowski

Father Gregory walks us through questions surrounding bonding at the recent Sexuality Everywhere conference.

Father Gregory walks us through questions surrounding bonding at the recent Sexuality Everywhere conference.

In the name of the father and the son and the Holy Spirit one God. Amen. We live this life not alone. We live with the reality that Christ conquered, and that Christ was victorious.    

So how do you remedy a billion dollar prison that invests more in keeping people behind bars then in rehabilitating them? You create value jobs, hire train and prep people who have done their time and come out of the prison system, and truly give them a fair chance at becoming productive members of society. 30 years ago Father Gregory started his Homeboy mission and now Kabira has partnered with him in a model that works. California Attorney General candidate and former Insurance Commissioner Dave Jones calls in to highlight the importance of the solutions like these and both women affirm on voting day that if he should win they will uphold him to his promises! Kabira is presented with Dr. Marissa’s Beneficial Presence on the Planet Award. Episode sponsored by https://www.amazon.com/They-Asked-You-What-Middle/dp/1484034635/ref=mp_s_a_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1528233744&sr=8-1&pi=AC_SX236_SY340_QL65&keywords=they+asked+you&dpPl=1&dpID=516uHPOHENL&ref=plSrch and www.4Balance.org

The plot thickens as the party finds itself caught in combat with a horrible Hag-Born Horror! Join these retired adventures as they shake off the dust of routine and dive deeper into the mystery that surrounds the young Father Gregory and his Mythical Owl staff. All this and more on this episode of "The Great Old Ones"

The Winchesters have seen ghouls, demons, ghosts, and vampires ... but angels? "There's no such thing," Deana declares. But a new case involving "chosen" people who smite evildoers may prove her wrong.           “Houses of the Holy” Cast:          Samantha Winchester ......... Kasey Heimann          Deana Winchester ............... Amanda Gilbertson           Gloria Sytnick ....................... Sasha Kerdel          Father Reynolds ................... Dave Luukkonen          Father Gregory ..................... Dale Wallis           Other voice talents include:          RoadWarriorX*          Kendra Murray          Sean Clarkson          Cari Sholtens           * = Forum username/Pseudonym

Father Gregory Allard of St. Alexis Orthodox Church explains what Eastern Orthodoxy is, talks a bit about his parish's move into a new building near Battleground, and invites us into some aspects of Orthodox spirituality. Saint Alexis Orthodox Church American Carpatho-Russian Orthodox Diocese of the USA References: "Under the omophorion" Starets Ignatius Bryanchaninov Name Days Gustaf Aulen On the Orthodox use of candles Veneration Frederica Matthewes-Green Theophan the Recluse ------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------ Special thanks to Matchbox Coworking Studio where the program was recorded!

(1) FRITJOF CAPRA - Originally aired April 2009 (2) NORA BATESON - Originally aired July 2012 Both interviews this week explore systems thinking - one of the key ingredients of a world that just might work. First. I speak with FRITJOF CAPRA, who wrote a book in 1981 that greatly influenced my view not only of science, medicine, agriculture, energy, and even politics - it influenced my view of reality. That book was THE TURNING POINT, and its message is as profound and revolutionary today. "We live today in a globally interconnected world, in which biological, psychological, social, and environmental phenomena are all interdependent. To describe this world appropriately we need an ecological perspective which the Cartesian world view does not offer. What we need, then, is a new 'paradigm' - a new vision of reality; a fundamental change in our thoughts, perceptions, and values." Capra wrote those words in its preface. In the second half my guest will be NORA BATESON, and we'll talk about AN ECOLOGY OF MIND, the wonderful documentary she's made about her father, the late anthropologist GREGORY BATESON. Her documentary is subtitled A Daughter's Portrait of Gregory Bateson. It tells of the unique anthropologist, philosopher, author, naturalist, and systems theorist, who was ahead of his time in seeing reality as made up not of things or even of ideas, but of relationships. The film features interviews with California Governor Jerry Brown, physicist and systems theorist Fritjof Capra, Whole Earth Catalogue publisher Stewart Brand, cultural philosopher and poet William Irwin Thompson; and Nora's sister, anthropologist Mary Catherine Bateson. Nora's film will introduce Bateson to a new generation and remind many of us of the impact her father had on the way a lot of people perceived the world. "The major problems in the world are the result of the difference between how nature works and the way people think." Those are the words of the late Gregory Bateson - and I couldn't agree more.

Jesuit Father Gregory Konz, Secretary for Higher Education, Finance and Advancement at the Jesuit Conference, recently offered reflections on the four weeks (or periods of time) in St. Ignatius' Spiritual Exercises, and how each week provides a different spiritual experience of Lent. 

Aired 04/11/10 Father Boyle has made a point of collecting and telling uniquely powerful stories of life and death, and his work has supplied him with more than anyone should know.He has so far buried 168 of his homies, and fills his first book TATTOOS ON THE HEART with their stories. I read it cover to cover on a plane flight Chicago to LA, and cried at least a dozen times. Boyle's compassion is boundless, his work is courageous, and his example is a profound challenge. Father GREGORY BOYLE was ordained a Jesuit priest in 1982. He received his Master of Divinity from the Weston School of Theology; and a Sacred Theology Masters degree from the Jesuit School of Theology. Since 1986, Father Gregory has been the pastor of Dolores Mission in the Boyle Heights neighborhood of Los Angeles. The church sits between two large public housing projects, Pico Gardens and Aliso Village, known for decades as the gang capital of the world. In 1988, Father Boyle began what would become Homeboy Industries, now located in downtown Los Angeles. His first book is TATTOOS ON THE HEART. http://www.homeboy-industries.org/