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Stígðu inn í heim af óteljandi sögum

Hlustaðu og lestu

and Ancient Faith Ministries

Fr. Anthony Perkins

Fr. Harry Linsinbigler

How God forms us as His sacred royal family

Made to Be a Kingdom

Recorded in person during a seminary week at South Bound Brook, Fr. Anthony Perkins and Fr.
Harry Linsenbigler reflect on two passages from In Every Church (p. 78) to clarify how Christ
“fills” every ministry in the Church—from the faithful to readers, deacons, presbyters, and
bishops—without making ordination a ladder of personal holiness. They challenge a common
misreading (including selective appeals to Pseudo-Dionysius) that treats ecclesial rank as a
holiness metric, instead, grounding the Church’s true unity in the liturgy’s confession that “One
is holy” and in the equal reception of Christ in Holy Communion. Finally, they frame clerical
fatherhood as a derivative grace rather than a personal possession, urging vigilance against pride
and despondency, and calling parishes to a shared culture of mutual support so that every
vocation—ordained or lay—can be exercised as service within the royal priesthood of the faithful.

Holy Things for the Holy: Offices, Fatherhood, and the Shared Vocation of the Faithful

Fr. Harry and Fr. Anthony explore how internet culture, consumerism, and disincarnate “platforms” distort Orthodox teaching and tempt all of us to become unappointed theologians. Drawing on Metropolitan Saba, Thinking Orthodox, St. James 3, and St. John Climacus, they unpack why theology must remain ecclesial, relational, and local—discerned and bounded within the life of the parish and the wider Church. They conclude with a pastoral call for accountability in online ministry and for internet engagement that flows out of real parish life, gratitude for one’s bishop and priest, and a deeper commitment to becoming saints together face to face.

Guarding the Faith Online: Ecclesiology, Consumerism, and the Temptation to Teach

In this episode, Fr. Harry and Fr. Anthony unpack how a truly sacramental worldview means that
the one, holy, catholic, and apostolic Church is concretely instantiated in your particular parish—
with its people, culture, limits, and gifts. They caution against importing personal preferences
based on previous experiences and monastic or on-line ideals into parish life, urging charity,
patience, and attentive listening (their “Kentucky windage”) so that real formation in Christ
happens as it should; i.e. through local, embodied relationships

Ecclesiology Where It Lives: Salvation Is Local

Fr. Harry and Fr. Anthony turn to 1 Corinthians 11 to explore the meaning of head coverings in the Church. They show how St. Paul’s teaching addressed cultural practices in Corinth that threatened unity, reminding us that customs should serve modesty, harmony, and love rather than become points of pride or contention. In the end, they emphasize that whatever practices we keep must help build up the Body of Christ in faith and unity. Enjoy the show!

Head Coverings in the Spirit of Love and Unity

In response to a listener’s question, Fr. Harry and Fr. Anthony explore the role of women in the life of the Church, from family and parish life to broader questions of ministry. They distinguish between the ordained priesthood, reserved for men, and the universal royal priesthood shared equally by all the baptized, emphasizing that men and women alike bring unique gifts and callings into the Body of Christ. Drawing on Scripture, the Fathers, and pastoral wisdom, they stress the need for discernment, humility, and submission within the Church, while warning against cultural influences and online divisiveness that distort ecclesial life. Enjoy the show!

Orthodox Women's Ministries and the Priesthood

Fr. Harry Linson Bigler and Fr. Anthony Perkins reflect on recent tragedies, including the anniversary of 9/11 and the assassination of Charlie Kirk, to explore how the Church prepares us for death. They discuss the difference between modern avoidance of death and the Church’s ancient practices, showing how prayer, liturgy, and the lives of the saints form us to face mortality with peace and faith. Drawing on Scripture, the funeral services, and examples of martyrdom, they remind us that bodily death is not defeat but a passage into eternal life in Christ.

Preparing for Death in Christ: The Church as Our Teacher

Fathers Harry and Anthony explore the many names of the Church in the New Testament and liturgy, showing how each reveals her identity as the Body of Christ and the household of God. They highlight the call to protect the Church’s fullness through humility, unity, and faithful participation in Christ’s kingdom.

The Many Names of the Church: Identity, Fullness, and Faith

Fr. Harry and Fr. Anthony begin their exploration of the many names of the Church found in the New Testament, emphasizing its identity as the Body of Christ and its sacramental fullness in every local parish. They warn of spiritual dangers—wolves among the flock—and reflect on the difference between harmful divisiveness and mere imperfection within the Church, drawing on parables like the wheat and the tares. Their discussion culminates in a beautiful meditation on the Eucharist as the eschatological gathering of the faithful, uniting heaven and earth in the present moment. Enjoy the show!

The Fullness of the Church: Names, Wolves, and the Wheat

Father Harry and Father Anthony explore the theological and canonical importance of gathering for Sunday worship, grounding their discussion in Old Testament examples, patristics, and church tradition. Drawing from Christ’s Amazing Church, they highlight how corporate worship aligns believers with God’s will and protects them from spiritual dissonance. They also reflect on Sabbath observance, the consequences of neglecting the ecclessia, and Sunday worship as the divine “tuning fork” that harmonizes our lives with the source of all things good, beautiful, and true. Enjoy the show!

In Tune with Heaven: The Sacred Call to Gather

Fr. Harry and Fr. Anthony explore how the Church existed in the Old Testament as the gathered people of God, long before Pentecost. They emphasize that salvation is communal, not individualistic, and must be understood within the context of the Church as Christ’s Body. The episode unpacks the importance of sacred space, intentional worship, and our calling to be living tabernacles carrying Christ into the world each week.

The Church Before Pentecost: Sacred Assembly in the Old Testament

Here our hosts discuss how our “worldly” jobs, be they one career or many different callings throughout life, are not worldly at all for the Orthodox Christian, but are part of our sacrificial and royal calling as members of the Royal Priesthood

Careers of the Kingdom? How your job is a part of your royal and sacrificial calling

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