Discernment in Music

Christina, Intern

Everyone has standards and beliefs.  These influence their judgment on what they will accept from the culture.  An example is the music one decides to listen to.  In seventh grade, the popular music culture began to peak my interest, and I was captivated by the various tunes.  Though I was skeptical of some lyrics, I unfortunately placed my concerns aside to enjoy the catchy tunes.  I came to realize the themes in many popular songs contradict the Christian ideal.  I learned I must use discernment in choosing the music I listen to.

In Matthew 6:22-23, Christ says “The lamp of your body is the eye.  If therefore your eye is good, your whole body will be full of light.  But if your eye is bad, your whole body will be full of darkness.”  This also should be applied to our ears.  The experiences we have through our five senses (taste, hearing, sight, smell, and touch) affect the purity of our souls.  Have you ever heard the phrase “scarred for life”?  It is typically used if someone experiences something terrifying or inappropriate.  Though this is a casual, throw-away phrase, when one thinks about it literally, it means that we have left a mark on our souls that is difficult to remove.  One of the ways we can aim to be like Christ is having a pure soul, heart, and mind.  We can do this by guarding what we hear, especially in music, so that we are not “scarred for life”.

It is important to make sure the songs we listen to are uplifting for us because, while our vast human memory capacity is a blessing, we can memorize songs quickly – good or bad.  After hearing a song over and over, such as a beloved church hymn, we eventually memorize and internalize it.  We can also internalize the bad songs.  To internalize something means to make it a part of us; what we have internalized is inseparable from us.  Many of the popular, “cool” songs want us to answer to every call of our hearts, giving us unfulfilling, dark solutions to the trials and problems we face.  Moreover, after our brain hears something too many times; sometimes, it just might accidentally come out of our mouths.   

The process of discerning a song’s impact should be based on the lyrics, not by the tune or by what other people like.  When considering the lyrics, keeping the purity of the soul in mind is most important; thus, avoiding the impact of songs that bring you down.  In the end, music is a beautiful gift given by God.  We can preserve its beauty by opening our ears to songs that lead us towards Him and not away. 

Note: Our interns curate Spotify playlists of music worth listening to. Check them out here, though we strongly recommend that if you use the free version of Spotify, you set your age to under 15 to avoid inappropriate advertisements.

Listening Well

by Londyn, SEM Intern

I used to feel insecure about my quiet nature. I would watch others lead, speak, shine—commanding rooms with their charisma, weaving words into influence—and I would wonder if my presence was enough. I would sit in conversations, not always knowing what to say, but deeply feeling the weight of someone else’s words. And I would ask myself: is this a gift, or just passivity dressed up as virtue? Is my silence meaningful, or merely a void?

In a world that prizes visibility, volume, and velocity, quietness can feel like a flaw. We are taught to equate worth with productivity, impact with noise, and leadership with dominance. But Orthodoxy has a way of answering questions we did not know how to ask. It does not rush to fill silence with sound. It does not confuse stillness with stagnation. It teaches us that love is not always loud and that healing often comes through stillness. 

Throughout the life of the Church, there have been saints whose holiness was revealed not through eloquence, but through silence. St. Silouan the Athonite, for example, lived in quiet prayer and deep humility, offering his heart to God in stillness and tears. St. Mary of Egypt, after her dramatic conversion, spent decades in the desert in complete solitude, her repentance echoing loud. St. Seraphim of Sarov greeted visitors with radiant peace, often saying little but emanating divine love. These saint’s lives are icons of the truth that stillness can be the most powerful witness of grace.

When we listen, we echo Christ’s descent into our brokenness. We say, “I’m here. I see you, and I won’t run away.” And that presence can be more healing than any advice or solution. Listening is not passive, it is active love. It is spiritual labor and the work of mercy. And yes, it is quiet! And yet, so is the heart that prays in secret. If you have ever felt like your gift is too small, too quiet, too invisible—remember this: Christ was born in a cave. He came in silence. He healed with a touch. He listened to the woman at the well, to the thief on the cross, to the cries of the blind and the broken. And He listens to you. So go ahead, be the listener. Be the quiet one. Be the heart that holds space. You are doing holy work! 

Here are some ideas for growing as a listener:

Put away distractions: Silence your phone, close your tabs, and give your full attention. Presence is the first gift. 

Don’t interrupt: Let their words unfold. Silence does not have to be empty.

Pray before, during, and after: Ask God to help you listen with love, and to bless the person you’ve heard.

Allow pauses: Don’t rush to fill silence–let it breathe!

See Christ in the other: Every person is an icon. Listening becomes an act of reverence.

Consistency

by Gabriella, SEM Intern

During my freshman year of high school, I was diagnosed with an autoimmune disease that turned my whole world upside down. I got diagnosed with Multiple Sclerosis (MS), which can affect my ability to walk, see, balance, and feel things through my body due to nerve damage. During this season of my life, I was in and out of the hospital for months on end, I struggled with my home prayer-life, I felt isolated and alone, and it seemed that I had truly hit rock-bottom. I am very much a rhythmic/routine kind of person, and this entire situation threw my life completely off balance. I had no routine, no rhythm, what felt like no community, and no end in sight. The only thing that was semi-consistent in my life was church. While I did feel isolated and shut out at times, my family made a point to take me to Liturgy every Sunday during this struggle, even when I was in a wheelchair. Yes, it was a struggle; yes, I felt invisible; but that consistency was all I had. 

My parents had given me my first ever prayer book and copy of the Orthodox Study Bible a year or two before my health complications started, but I hadn’t really gotten into the habit of using them daily, or even weekly. During this struggle with my health, when all I could do was lay or sit in bed for days on end, I finally found it in me to start using the tools my parents had gifted me. One thing I would often find myself doing was listening to a podcast or audiobook on Ancient Faith Radio and coloring in a coloring book for hours. It passed the time and gave me something to do. It gave me peace. 

The more I listened to these online resources, the more I wanted to try reading or doing (praying) the things I was hearing. I had to fight a lot of temptations when I started this. “I’m too tired right now,” “I am hurting a lot and won’t be able to pay attention,” “Resting would be better for me,” “Do I have to?” and so on. I’m sure most people have struggled with some version of these thoughts before. They are so appealing in the moment, and yet… I always seemed to feel worse if/when I listened to the thoughts. 

That next year, during Great Lent, my struggles increased. I could barely make it out of the house and struggled with anxiety and depression often. My family lived about an hour away from our parish at the time, and I hadn’t made it to almost any Lenten services. I wanted to push myself and go to as many Holy Week services as I could. This was for selfish reasons at first (I wanted to “check all the boxes”), but I grew to truly appreciate the services for what they are. My family took me to about half of the Holy Week services that year, and it was exhausting in the absolute best way. Then Pascha rolled around. I struggled through the service and had to go outside a few times, but once I Communed, something changed. That next week, right as I was going to see some specialists for my health problems, I was starting to heal. I was able to start using my legs for the first time in almost 9 months! 

The next year was a new kind of challenge. Now that I could walk again, I had to gain my strength back. I went to various different doctors and physical therapy offices, and I had to do different types of desensitization at home (my siblings loved to help with that!). Through the Grace of God, and everyone’s prayers and support, by the end of the year I was back to a regular state of health, whatever that means! 

Now, four years later, I still struggle with the same things from time to time. I knew my life would never be the same, but I knew one thing for sure, I had to keep the Church in my life. From this experience with my health I have grown to appreciate the services, prayers, and resources the Church gives us. Yes, I still struggle with those same thoughts and feelings I had when I was really sick, but they are less now. There are days I don’t want to get out of my cozy bed and go to my icons. There are days when I would much rather get lost in a good fiction book than read my Bible. But I have learned that if I listen to those thoughts, if I let myself get dragged away from the consistent help the Church gives me, I will always feel worse than when I started. 

I now make it a point to pray, read Scripture, and exercise daily. No matter how little or much I can do. I might just say “Lord, have mercy on me” and walk around my backyard listening to Scripture readings on my phone, or maybe just staring at my Bible. I often feel guilty when I do this, thinking it’s “not enough” and I’m a “terrible Christian”, but some days that is all I can give to God. I know He helps me where I fail on those days and loves me regardless. And if I didn’t keep up with these things, if I weren’t consistently trying to try, I would just fall back into all the complications I struggled with before and have even less motivation to get out.  No matter the amount, the effort, the consistent effort, is always what shines through. And thank God for that! 

Stillness, Part II

by Mindi Popovich-Schneider, Saint Emmlia Ministries Assistant

It seems a bit silly for me, of all people, to be writing this blog post. After all, I am not, by nature, a particularly “still” person. I struggle with fairly severe anxiety, and my mind tends to wander towards current or potential projects whenever I’m faced with a task that seems mundane. On the other hand, that means that I have had to think a lot about ways to achieve even the tiniest bit of stillness. Here are some habits and techniques that have helped me.

1. Remember your goals. Yes, there’s curriculum to teach, laundry to fold, dishes to wash, errands to run…a never-ending list of chores and responsibilities. And those things are important, but they are not the goal. Our main goal is to be sanctified, thereby being united with Christ. Our second goal is to raise our children to pursue the same. Our third goal is to love and serve others. Completing housework, teaching a set amount of curriculum, and so on—these are much farther down the list. When you approach each moment as a possibility for achieving our goals, essentially giving each moment to Christ, the rest of the world has a way of melting away. You’ll still be folding the same shirt you folded yesterday or washing the 800th fork of the day, but you’ll be doing it with the knowledge that it is for your sanctification, not for marking off a to-do list item. 

2. Lead with prayer. One of the biggest disruptors in my peace is arguing and negotiating allllllllll day with tiny humans who don’t know how to tie their shoes but are convinced they should be in charge of…well, everything. One of the–if not THE–sweetest balms for that struggle is prayer. When it feels like I’m disciplining my children every 5 minutes, I stop and pray. Not silently, not a memorized prayer. I take my child onto my lap, and I ask God to give me His love and peace. And then I ask my child to take a turn praying. I cannot think of a single instance in which this has not opened my child’s and my hearts to reconciling with each other, working together, and loving each other more.

3. Pray for others. Something I really struggle with is replaying interactions on loop, dissecting them and fretting about them. And if I’m not analyzing specific interactions, I’m probably worrying about entire relationships. Recently, I have begun focusing on praying for people the moment they come to mind. If I am able to do a full circuit on my prayer rope (Lord Jesus Christ, have mercy on my mother/my friend/this sick person at church/a political leader who said something troublesome), that’s a massive blessing! But five “Lord have mercies” as I’m going about chores works wonders on their own.

4. Practice gratitude. It’s hard to be anxious when you’re focused on how many gifts you have and how many good things you are surrounded by in the current moment (no matter how stressful that moment is!). When my child does something well (like obeying quickly or completing a task efficiently), we thank God and our guardian angels. I (try to) give thanks for my children throughout the day, appreciating every smile, funny expression, precocious or goofy comment, etc. At dinner each night, we take turns thinking back on the day and choosing one thing that we’re grateful for. These three things have made our home so much more peaceful.

5. Live in the moment. If I had to sum up my other tips, it would be this! When you give up the things of tomorrow, or next week, or 10 years ago, and you focus on what is in front of you in this moment, there is so much more room for peace and stillness. This is a very hard thing to do! It’s a bit like doing a plank while working out, and I myself can only hold this mental “plank” for a few seconds at a time, and with great effort. But just like with learning to do a plank, you get a little stronger each time you do it! One thing that has helped me when my thoughts start to wander away from whatever is in front of me in a given moment is to picture–or more accurately, feel–myself actually handing my thoughts over to Christ. 

In Part I, Londyn shared a beautiful piece of wisdom from Saint Isaac the Syrian: “Establish your heart in peace, and a multitude around you will be saved.” But along with that exquisite articulation of the importance of stillness, I want to share this reminder from St. Paul in his letter to the Hebrews: Therefore we also, since we are surrounded by so great a cloud of witnesses, let us lay aside every weight, and the sin which so easily ensnares us, and let us run with endurance the race that is set before us, looking unto Jesus, the author and finisher of our faith, who for the joy that was set before Him endured the cross, despising the shame, and has sat down at the right hand of the throne of God.

Remember that stillness is one of the destinations on our way to our ultimate goal of being united with Christ…but it is also a race—more accurately, a marathon—in and of itself! Take courage, and each time you fall, letting the noise of the world crowd in, get back up with God’s strength, and begin to run again! 

God be with you in this difficult, but incredibly rewarding, race! 

Stillness

by Londyn, SEM Intern

The world we live in is loud. Nearly everywhere we go, there’s motion and sound– conversations rise and fall, and the chatter of plans and problems and priorities is ever going. While none of this is inherently wrong, I’ve come to notice how easily all this noise piles up in my heart. After a while, it starts to feel like clutter. And in the middle of it all, I find myself longing—not just for rest, but for something deeper. I long for stillness. Not just the absence of sound, but the kind of stillness that lets the soul breathe. That sacred quiet that lets me see clearly again and remember what matters most. The Church has a word for this: hesychia—holy silence. A silence not of emptiness, but of fullness. A silence in which we can finally hear God.

Psalm 45:11 says, “Be still and know that I am God.”

Over time and prayer, I’ve learned that silence can begin in the smallest places: closing my eyes before a meal and remembering that every breath is a miracle. Walking under the stars and letting wonder rise. Sitting beside a loved one without needing to speak.

Stillness isn’t always easy. Sometimes it feels uncomfortable, especially at first. I’ve had moments where I sit down to pray in silence and suddenly everything I’ve ignored comes rushing in—worries, regrets, distractions. But even that is part of the healing. Stillness makes us honest. It clears out space so that something better can grow.

The desert fathers didn’t choose solitude because they hated people—they longed for the presence of God in a pure and undistracted way. In their words and lives, I see a deep truth: that the quieter our hearts become, the more clearly we hear the One who made them.

“Establish your heart in peace,” wrote Saint Isaac the Syrian, “and a multitude around you will be saved.” What a thought—that my personal stillness, my quiet love for Christ, can ripple outward and bring peace to others. Isn’t that the kind of person we all long to become? The kind whose very presence brings calm? The kind who listens without hurrying, who sees without judging, who loves without noise?

Life won’t always give us silence. But stillness can live even within sound. It’s an attitude of the heart—a way of being. I’ve felt it even while walking in a crowd or washing dishes or watching leaves fall. I think that’s the grace of it: once you start to make space for stillness, it follows you. It becomes part of you. Because beneath it all—beneath the schedules and worries and distractions—there is a God who waits to be known. And His voice is not in the earthquake or the fire or the whirlwind. His voice is in silence and He’s already speaking.

Check back for part II, Practical Tips for Fostering Stillness!

Focusing on Fasting

by the SEM Interns

In the quiet moments of our busy lives, fasting invites us into a deeper communion with God. As Orthodox Christians, the sacred tradition of fasting is a journey of the soul, a practice that transforms daily routines into opportunities for spiritual growth. Through the act of fasting, we learn to find beauty in simplicity, strength in discipline, and a profound connection with our faith. Join our interns as we share some of our favorite fasting recipes, from breakfast, lunch, dinner, and snacks!

Londyn: As a convert for just over two years, adjusting our usual meal plans to be fast-friendly was especially challenging for my family. It was easy to become overwhelmed and think about food even more than before fasting! However, with time and prayer, I realized that my fasting efforts could improve—I needed to focus less on meals. So, I did some quick thinking and came up with a tried-and-true list. I hope these are helpful to you in some way!

• Protein bowl: beans (pinto or black are my favorite), corn, and rice. I usually add some salsa and avocado/guacamole, too!

• Hummus and veggie platter (I also like to put the hummus on top of naan or pita bread!) I love cucumbers, bell peppers, and carrots

• Avocado toast (seed bread has extra protein)

• Peanut butter, honey, and flax seed sandwiches/toast

• Granola and almond milk

Caroline: Fasting has always been a struggle for me. It can be easy to focus on the food part and neglect the prayer part. As my mother always says, fasting without prayer is just being hungry! Instead of worrying about the food, I lean on my staple recipes.

• Couscous with beans (I love using black beans)

• Roasted chickpeas

• Black bean burgers

• Smoothie w/ vegan protein powder (I like PEscience)

• Vegan cookies (Tasty has an AMAZING recipe)

Cecilia: Fasting helps us regain balance and perspective in our lives. Abstaining from certain food products is medicine that the Church prescribes us to aid us on our spiritual journeys. It’s easy, however, to become so caught up in the dos and don’ts of fasting that we completely miss the spirit of the fast! We frantically check labels or use substitutes that taste almost like the real thing, but are just more expensive and take more time to prepare. If we try to eat more simply, we can use our extra time and money (which was not spent on food) to share with our hungry, poor, and suffering brothers and sisters. Here are some simple fasting meals you can try:

• Chili with fasting cornbread

• A simple stir fry (with tofu)

• Baked oatmeal bars:

  • Mix:

    • 2 c flour

    • 1 c brown sugar

    • ½ tsp baking soda

    • 1 tsp cinnamon

    • 1 tsp vanilla

    • 2 c oats

  • Add:

    • ¾ c oil (or could try applesauce?)

    • ¾ c water

    • ½ to 1 c cranberries or chocolate chips

    • Optional: nuts, coconut, other grains

  • Put in greased 9x13 pan

  • Bake at 350F for 30 min

• Peanut butter and jelly, avocado, or hummus on whole wheat bread

• Smoothie bowl: Blend a thick berry smoothie. Add granola, coconut flakes, honey, peanut butter, and fruit on top.

• Nachos: Lay tortilla chips out on a tin foil-covered baking sheet. Put black and refried beans (and corn, if you wish!) on top of the chips. Bake at 400F for about five minutes. Top the nachos with guacamole, salsa, etc. when out of the oven.

Nora: It’s always been difficult for my family to find good fasting recipes that we will actually enjoy, especially with us being newer to the church and my younger siblings being quite picky with certain foods. We have tried many different fasting recipes trying to figure out which ones are best for our family, so here are some recipes that we love!

• Cowboy Caviar: black beans, corn, bell peppers, tomatoes, avocado, cilantro, jalapenos, avocado oil, vinegar and lime. Chop ingredients, put in a bowl and mix in oil, vinegar and lime (add seasonings of your choice; garlic, salt, pepper, etc.)

• Rice Soup: veggie broth, rice, veggies of your choice (we use peas, carrots and celery), garlic and onion

• Breaded Cauliflower w/ dipping sauce of your choice (use plant milk to bread them instead of eggs)

• Fruit Salsa w/ cinnamon pita chips: dice up fruit very small (we use strawberries, kiwi, green apples, raspberries), combine in bowl then add some lime juice, mix and pair with cinnamon pita chips

• Lemon Garlic Pasta: pasta of your choice (we use bowties), vegan butter, garlic, lemon juice, lemon zest, spinach, salt and pepper

As we each walk this path, sharing our experiences and recipes can help make the journey a little easier and a lot more meaningful. We hope these recipes inspire you to find joy in simplicity, strength in discipline, and a deeper connection with your faith. Let’s continue to support and uplift each other through the fasting season. May our efforts bring us closer to God and to one another. Praise the Lord!

What are your favorite fasting recipes?