A Priest's Mystery Part-I 2005-09-24 VoR World Service

"A Priest's Mystery" is a true story about Father John, a parish priest and religious instructor in a Russian town.

He combined the humbleness of a servant of God and the dignity of a Christian pastor. He was meek and mild in everyday affairs, while zealous in everything that concerned his priestly ministry. He loved his church dearly, spared no pains to adorn it, and always entered it with joy and reverence.

The lamp of God's grace was burning over Father John for a long time, but suddenly it went out. And Father John sank into the darkness of misery and suffering... This is what happened.

Read the whole story of "A Priest's Mystery" at The Christian Message From Moscow website while listening to the podcast or visit the Mansfield & United Lutheran podcasts to hear this week's sermon from an ELCA perspective.

If Angels Come Down From Heaven 2005-09-17 Voice of Russia

"I came from a monastery to lift the Russian people's sagging spirits and help them with a word of prayer which is a time-tested spiritual remedy and I know that, some day, Russia will be born again," says the song and its author, Ilya, a onetime monk at the Royal Martyrs' Monastery at Ganina Yama in the Urals.

The spiritual songs Ilya sings are a combination of prayers, calls for repentance and prophesies about this country's future. These songs are tougher and more aggressive, so to say, as compared with other songs of this genre. What they lack in melodiousness and poetic perfection they more than make up for with their powerful concentration of spiritual energy.

Read more about "If Angels Come Down From Heaven" at The Christian Message From Moscow website or visit the Mansfield & United Lutheran podcasts to hear this week's sermon from an ELCA perspective.

The Power of the Cross, Part-II, 2005-09-10 VoR

Part-II of the true stories from a recently published autobiographical book by Hierdeacon Nikon (Murtazov), entitled "The Power of the Cross". Currently the author lives in St. Petersburg, at the St. John of Kronstadt Monastery.

Read more about "THE POWER OF THE CROSS" at the VOR website or visit the Mansfield & United Lutheran podcasts to hear this week's sermon from an ELCA perspective.

The Power of the Cross, Part-I, 2005-09-03 Voice of Russia

Today we shall acquaint you with excerpts from a recently published autobiographical book by Hierdeacon Nikon (Murtazov), entitled "The Power of the Cross". Currently the author lives in St. Petersburg, at the St. John of Kronstadt Monastery.

Read more about "THE POWER OF THE CROSS" at the VOR website or visit the Mansfield & United Lutheran podcasts to hear this week's sermon from an ELCA perspective.