Living Stones of God: Recent Episodes
Fr. Nicholas Livingston
“You also, as living stones, are being built up into a spiritual house, a royal priesthood.” 1 Peter 2:5
Each of us, as baptized and believing Christians, is like a stone in the wall of the House of God (the Church). Our journey of faith is about realizing our place in this House of God and fulfilling our important role. Without one stone, the building is not stable; you have a place in the Church.
This podcast shares the humble thoughts of Fr Nicholas Livingston, offered through sermons In the Greek Orthodox Church.
The gift inside each person is the image of God. This gift defines us and is there to be more fully realized.
Parable of the Talents. 2021.
We are never stuck in our sinfulness. Through repentance we can share in Christ's divinity; we can be changed by the Love of Christ.
Zaccheus Sunday 2021.
Christ's healing the blind man shows us how spiritual sight must be something we strive for
How closely do we clasp our expectations? We must set them aside and accept how God works in our lives.
Palm Sunday 2021.
When God comes to us, do we cooperate or turn away? We venerate the Theotokos on the feast of her mystical conception of God Himself.
Annunciation 2021.
Every Christian is called to a life of asceticism: the exercise of spiritual effort.
Saturday before Lent 2021
Offenses, and likewise forgiveness, stretches out to touch everyone around us. Imagine the world if everyone forgave as often as they offended.
Forgiveness Sunday 2021.
Well intentioned piety can be distorted into obsession, which is not healthy. Similarly we can neglect to pay sufficient attention to our spiritual lives. We must thread the needle between these extremes to find virtue.
Publican & Pharisee 2021
The Prodigal Son returned to his father even after wasting everything. Nothing can take away our Father's love for us, either. We can always remember who we are in His eyes: beloved.
Lent is a tool for our spiritual growth, not something used to punish us or to be worshipped in itself
The words of consecration ask God to "send down Your Holy Spirit upon us and upon the gifts presented". On this feast of Pentecost, we remember the living activity of the Holy Spirit all around us.
Pentecost 2022
Fr Nicholas explores the relationship between physical and spiritual illness on the Sunday of the Paralytic 2022.
Sermon offered at the Orthros of Holy Saturday (Holy Friday) 2022. What did Christ do in Hades? He called out to His fallen creation and re-created it.
Words offered at the conclusion of the Orthros of Holy Thursday, 2022. Commemorated in this service is the Lord washing the disciples' feet.
Palm Sunday 2022. Our thoughts deceive and distract us; but we need to pay attention to one thing - CHRIST.
2nd Sunday of Great Lent 2022. Commemoration of Gregory Palamas. Meditation on making time to enter God's dwelling to receive healing.
Sermon offered on the 1st Friday of Great Lent 2022 concerning the place of the Theotokos in the liturgical life of Great Lent.
We continue to struggle through the pain and loss of a pandemic. We need to acknowledge ethe struggle and then find our rest in the hope, love, and fidelity of God.
Sermon offered on January 30th, the feast of the Three Hierarchs: Basil the Great, Gregory the Theologian, and John Chrysostom
Fr Nicholas teaches about 2 types of sanctuaries: physical places and also the human soul.
Sermon offered on the Sunday of the 4th Ecumenical Council.
Fr Nicholas explores the Orthodox theology that God's creation, including human nature, is inherently good.
Sermon offered on Sunday, December 6, 2020
Luke 13:10-17 & Feast of St. Nicholas the Wonderworker
Sermon offered on the feast of the Entrance of the Theotokos in the Temple,
November 21, 2020
The Hebrew People's expectations got in the way of them seeing their Messiah. What expectations get in our way of seeing God working in the world today?