Be the Bee

The Key to Prayer

It's one thing to talk about why Church services and prayer are important, and another to do them. How do we start? The key is something simple, and something very easy to overlook: silence.

Why Prayer Matters

If we attend Church services, do we need to pray on our own? If we pray on our own, do we need to attend the services? Prayer matters, and goes hand in hand with the services. Without the Liturgy, prayer is just talking to ourselves. And without prayer, Liturgy is just empty ritual.

How to Prepare for Pascha

Great Lent is the time we prepare for Pascha, and the first weeks of the Triodion Period prepare us for Lent. These weeks help us understand how we should prepare for Pascha: that our main goal is not to individually "become better," but to to re-establish our relationships with God and neighbor.

Be Not Afraid

"On this rock I will build My church, and the gates of Hell shall not prevail against it." (Matthew 16:18) You'll never look at this Bible quote, or the Church, in the same way again. Hell isn't invading the Church; instead, the Church is invading Hell. Christ has broken down the gates of Hell, and our job as Christians is to join Him in bringing light to even the darkest corners of existence.

Who Do You Say That I Am? (featuring Christian Gonzalez)

Christ asked His disciples something personal: "Who do you say that I am?" It's an invitation to do more than answer a question: He's asking us to share our relationship with Him. So who do you say that Christ is? And how is He active in your life? Share your answer and this video!

How Christ Unites Us

Technology helps bring us together, sort of. The world is full of divisions that our sins reinforce. True unity only comes in Christ, who overcomes everything that divides us and brings all creation to God.

The Freedom of Forgiveness

St. Dionysios of Zakynthos is a powerful example of forgiveness. He shows us how forgiveness can free us to be who God made us to be, rather than trapping us and defining us by our sins and shortcomings.

Project for Awesome 2015 - IOCC

Love isn't simply something to talk about, it's something to live. Help us support IOCC in this year's Project for Awesome, and live the Gospel. Together, we can make the world a more awesome place.

Give Thanks to the Lord

Giving thanks isn't just for Thanksgiving. As Christians, it's an important part of our daily lives. It's the way to see God even in the midst of difficult times, to receive the blessed happiness that only comes when we open ourselves to God's grace.

Love Your Enemies

It's not easy to love your enemies, especially when they do something terrible. But it's the Christian way, and it's possible because Christ has defeated hatred and fear with forgiveness and love. It's possible because He defeated death with His own death.

#BeTheSower

You've probably heard the Parable of the Sower, and that we're called to make our hearts good soil, ready to receive God's Word. But what about our call to be sowers, to be people who plant the seeds of the Gospel? Y2AM has a special challenge for you this Advent: are you ready to #BeTheSower?

A Good Thought

Have you ever wanted to do something good, and stopped because of doubt? God doesn't knock us over the head: He speaks to us in whispers, the good thoughts that remind us to love God and neighbor. Instead of letting those whispers get drowned out, remember: when you have a good thought, do it immediately.

Made for Goodness

Even though God made us in His image, sin and death can make that hard to see. The challenge of the spiritual life is to break free of the passions that pull us into sin, and instead choose God and good things. The challenge is to heal our hearts, and reveal the image of God in us, so we can become the saints God made us to be.

Does the Liturgy Need You?

Do Church services sometimes feel like performances, like you're just passively watching? We can't forget that the Liturgy is the work of the people. And one little word invites us to actively participate in that work: amen.

Pray Simply, Pray Always

Do you want to pray more, but aren't sure where to start? Draw some inspiration from the life of Symeon, a pious man profiled in the book "Ascetics in the World." His life shows how even a simple prayer rule can open our lives to God's grace.

Why Relics?

Why are relics so important in the Church? Saints are sanctified in both body and soul, and in Scripture we see how their bodies continue to be temples of the Holy Spirit even after death. The relics of the martyrs are especially important, from early liturgies in the catacombs to their place in altars today.

Habits

What can trees teach us about cutting our bad habits, and cultivating good ones? We're discussing an important lesson from Abba Dorotheos in this week's "Be the Bee!"

A Church of Councils (featuring Metropolitan Savas of Pittsburgh)

The Church isn't run by a single person. Instead, we come together in councils to keep the Faith and guide the Church through challenges. From the Apostolic Council of Jerusalem (in the Book of Acts) through the upcoming Great and Holy Council, this spirit of togetherness opens us to the guidance of the Holy Spirit.

First Among Sinners

As we learn more about the Faith, we learn about right and wrong. And sin. If we're not careful, that knowledge can lead us to judge others rather than repent of our own faults. How do we stay focused on our sins? And what's the best way to approach people about their faults? Watch to find out!

Is Orthodoxy Anti-Intellectual? (Featuring Sister Vassa Larin)

This week we're responding to another viewer question. Does a love of theology and academic study somehow contradict the mysticism of the Faith? We approach God as complete human persons, and that includes our minds. Reading and studying theology can be a great thing, but it should also be a part of our larger life in Christ. God is more than an idea we think about: He's a person we encounter.

Memory Eternal

When people pass away, we pray that their memory will be eternal. We're not simply asking God to think about them: we're asking Him to save them (and us) and bring us all into His Kingdom. It's the Church's answer to the loneliness and emptiness of death.

Six Ways to Deepen Your Love for Christ

Living Orthodoxy is about love. Here are six ways you can deepen your love for Christ. Are you ready to start?

Mission for Christ

Parishes across the country will host their annual festivals and offer great food, music, and dancing to their neighbors. We also have something even more amazing to offer: Christ and the Good News of salvation.

Is Christianity Shrinking?

A new study from the Pew Research Group has some interesting numbers. Do they show that Christianity is shrinking? While it's true that people are leaving the Church, we can't panic. Instead, we should use these numbers as a challenge. Our challenge is to be the bee and live Orthodoxy: to help people find God and to live the Faith everyday.

Cradle or Convert?

We sometimes describe people as cradles or converts; but instead of describing people, that can divide us. And they're a bit misleading: we aren't born into the Church, and there isn't a specific moment in the past when we enter the Church. We're actually pilgrims, making our way to Christ, growing closer to Him everyday.

Children of God

Christ took on all that is ours so that we can have all that is His. One of those blessings is the ability to call God the Father our Father. That doesn't just affect the way we relate to God; it affects how we relate to all people, our brothers and sisters in Christ.

From “Me” to “We”

Liturgy is the work of the people: our work. It brings us from a bunch of "me's" to a single "we" in Christ. Every episode is a great reminder of this, since Be the Bee comes from the love and work of so many people, including you!

Salvation in Christ

We can summarize salvation in three words: Christ is Risen! Salvation, our participation in God's true and eternal life, only happens in the divine-human person of Christ. He took on all that is ours so we could have all that is His.

Heaven and Hell

Many people think that heaven and hell are the places God sends us to either reward or punish us. But Orthodox Christians don't believe in this "two story" model of the universe. We believe that God is "present in all places and filling all things," and that what we interpret as salvation or damnation is actually our response to, and experience of, God's unconditional love.

Creation and Fall

Jesus Christ is our savior, but what does He save us from? To answer that, we need to take a closer look at Creation and the Fall. God made us neither mortal nor immortal, but with freedom: we could choose to either move closer to God, the source of life, or away from Him, and find death. When Adam and Eve sinned they separated themselves from God and each other, creating the wounded, sick humanity that they passed down to us.

Who is Jesus Christ?

Who is Jesus Christ? He's the God-man, the eternal Son of God who, in the fullness of time, took on flesh and became fully human--while remaining fully God. This is so important because of what it means for our salvation. If we understand who Christ really is, we can understand who we really are.

When Right isn't Easy (Selma Marches 50th Anniversary)

Being a Christian and living the Gospel isn't always easy; in fact, it's usually challenging. Rev. Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr., experienced that as he fought for justice. So did Archbishop Iakovos when, despite opposition, he chose to stand with Reverend King in Selma. Fifty years after the Selma marches, let's look ahead to how we can live with the same spirit of courage and love.

The Holy Trinity

How can God be both 3 and 1? Christians are monotheists—we believe in one God—but many people don't understand how the Holy Trinity fits in with that. The Holy Trinity is One God, three divine Persons who express one divine Nature.

Belief in God

How can we even begin to talk about belief in God? We need to start by making something clear: we're not talking about belief in something; we're talking about belief in someone. That changes the way we see the question. It means God isn't something we think about. It means He's someone we're invited to encounter.

What is Orthodox Christianity?

Some say Orthodox Christianity is one of the world's best kept secrets. So let's talk about what Orthodoxy is. At it's core, Orthodoxy is about the Gospel, the Good News of our new life in Christ. And there's a lot more to say, so we're going to spend a few weeks answering some of the basic questions people have about the Faith.

Pure as Snow

When we look at snow with the eyes of a bee, we can learn an important lesson for our spiritual lives. Snow is a beautiful metaphor for our ideal spiritual state, as we read in Psalm 50(51). If we're not careful, snow can slowly be transformed into disgusting muck. Thank God, the Church offers us a reset button!

Faith in Action

Faith needs to be something we put into action. A wonderful example of this is the life and person of Dr Martin Luther King, Jr. The Christian Faith teaches the equality of all people—and Dr King acted on that belief.

Is Church Boring?

Sometimes, the Church can seem . . . boring. Is that because of the Church or the way we see and present it?

United by Forgiveness

As Christians, we're called to union with each other and God. Yet we're constantly stuck in divisions, both external and internal. So how are we supposed to achieve true union? The answer is forgiveness: God's invitation to share the same space with Him.

Share the Faith in 2015

It's a brand new year, a chance to look back on where we've struggled and look ahead to how we can improve. How can we draw closer to God in 2015, and share Him with the world?

Rise Like Incense

We all know incense smells nice, but why do we use it in our services? It's an important reminder about what God gives us, and what we offer to God.

Project for Awesome 2014 - FOCUS North America - P4A2014

Love isn’t just a feeling; it’s a choice, an action. We can show our love for our neighbors (and live our Faith) by getting involved with philanthropic groups like FOCUS North America.

Venerating Icons

What are icons, and why are they important?

Making God's Love Visible

The Truth can be hard to see. What are we doing to help people see it better?

We Can't Talk If We Won't Listen

A look back at last year's Halloween episode, and what can happen when we're too concerned with being right.

The End is Just the Beginning

What the St. Nicholas Ground Blessing can teach us about God's triumph over death.

Why You Need a Prayer Rope

What a prayer rope is, and how it can help us.

#BeTheBeeFanArt Contest!

Lighting Candles

We don't light candles in Church. Here's why.

Free as a Bee

What does it mean to be the bee?