Cloud of Witnesses Radio

Stop Waiting to Be “Ready”—Build a Holy Marriage Now.  The Patristic Nectar Marriage Conference 2025 was not a moment too soon - see real reactions!   What if marriage isn’t just a contract, but a calling from God that shapes who we become? In this story-driven recap from a vibrant Christian marriage conference, we follow the journey from culture’s delay tactics—“wait until you’re perfect, richer, or have seen the world”—to a Christ-centered vision that treats marriage as the workshop of love. You’ll hear why young couples are stepping into vows with courage, how Scripture frames marriage as a covenant and a living icon of Christ and the Church (Eph. 5), and why repentance isn’t shame—it’s the practical art of repair. Attendees share the relief of replacing unhelpful narratives with habits that actually build a home: daily prayer, honest conversation, small acts of service, and a church community that refuses to let money fears or perfectionism become a wall. What we cover: From “I’ll marry when I’m perfect” to “I’m formed by the promises I keep.” Covenant over contract: why vows carry you when feelings fluctuate. Dying to self, daily: forgiving quickly, guarding unity, speaking the truth in love. Beauty with responsibility: welcoming children, stability, and the quiet strength that blesses families, neighborhoods, and churches. Practical rhythms you can start tonight—shared prayer, check-ins, budgeting as a team, and serving together. If you’re engaged, newly married, or rethinking commitment, this conversation offers hope, tools, and a bigger purpose: marriage as a holy calling that forms us into Christlike love. If this resonates, subscribe, share with a friend who’s on the fence about marriage, and leave a quick rating or review—your words help others find a path toward faithful love. Visit Patristic Nectar and Father Josiah Trenham: https://patristicnectar.org/ Questions about Orthodoxy? Please check out our friends at Ghost of Byzantium Discord server: https://discord.gg/JDJDQw6tdh Please prayerfully consider supporting Cloud of Witnesses Radio: https://www.patreon.com/c/CloudofWitnesses Find Cloud of Witnesses Radio on Instagram, X.com, Facebook, and TikTok Please leave a comment with your thoughts!

Learning to See as Christ Sees: Phronema, Sacrament, and the Healing of the Whole Person When friends tear open a roof to lower a paralytic, Jesus forgives because of their faith—and the room’s understanding of God, sin, and healing is turned inside out (Mark 2). What if the Christian life is, at its core, learning to see as Christ sees? In this conversation, Deacon Anthony (St. Anthony the Great Orthodox Church, San Diego) joins us to unpack the Orthodox phronema—the Church’s way of seeing and living—which is not just ideas on a page but a formation of the heart through Scripture, sacrament, repentance, and community. What we explore * What is “phronema”? More than a “mindset,” it’s a ecclesial way of perceiving: how Christians notice, judge, and love. It’s shaped by the Church’s worship, her Scriptures in their liturgical home, and a life together that actually heals. * Body and soul—no split life: Christianity is incarnational. God meets us through tangible signs—mud on eyes (John 9), bread and wine, water and oil—so grace reaches the whole person. * Confession as diagnosis, not humiliation: We don’t “check a box” for breaking rules; we name the illness so the Great Physician can heal its root. The priest’s role is merciful and confidential; accountability is real, not shaming. * Repentance (metanoia): A change of mind and course—cleansing the inside of the cup—that frees us from self-deception and pride. Orthodoxy invites us to tell the truth about ourselves and to begin again. * The Eucharist as mystery (not mere symbol): Communion is an encounter with the living Christ that binds wounded people into one Body—the Church as a hospital for the soul. * From the apostles to the saints: How the same mind of Christ echoes across centuries and cultures—Saints Macarius, Paisios, and modern elders—so different in personality, yet recognizably one in humility, mercy, and love. * Heaven and hell begin now: Entitlement, isolation, and self-invention taste like hell—a life disconnected from reality. Humility, communion, and thanksgiving taste like heaven—alignment with the Truth who is Christ. * Countering today’s scripts: Why “live for today” and “my truth” leave us lonely and unstable—and how the Church’s life offers a steadier identity rooted in Christ and community. Practical takeaways * Accountability with love: spiritual fathers, godparents, spouses, and friends who won’t let us settle for less than the truth. * Guarding your tongue: how community and confession help us master reactions before they harm. * Role models that last: why our children need saints more than celebrities—and how holy lives reawaken desire for God. * Unity without centralization: the Church’s phronema holds people together even across languages and jurisdictions because Christ is the center. * A different question: not “What’s the least I must do?” but “How can I give more of myself to the One who gave all?” Questions about Orthodoxy? Please check out our friends at Ghost of Byzantium Discord server: https://discord.gg/JDJDQw6tdh Please prayerfully consider supporting Cloud of Witnesses Radio: https://www.patreon.com/c/CloudofWitnesses Find Cloud of Witnesses Radio on Instagram, X.com, Facebook, and TikTok Please leave a comment with your thoughts!

“I’ve built my own faith from spare parts.” If that sounds familiar, you’re not alone. Our guest calls it “Frankenstein Christianity”—picking what feels good, discarding what doesn’t. After years of debates and burnout, he unplugged from church, Bible studies, and Christian content altogether… until one unexpected YouTube video on Orthodox church architecture broke through. For the first time, he saw a faith that engages all five senses—where every line, light, icon, and hymn points to Christ. Hosted by Jeremy Jeremiah, Mario Andrew, James St. Simon, and special guest Eddie G. Then came his first Divine Liturgy: the “spiritual punch” of incense, the priest turning to ask the people’s forgiveness, and the ancient exchange—“Christ is in our midst.”  “He is and ever shall be.” He wept: “These people believe Jesus is really here. Why haven’t I been like this?” Along the way, the so-called “problem areas” (Mary, icons, censers, traditions) snapped into focus. Torn from their purpose they can look foreign; rooted in the Incarnation, they become signposts to the living God. Orthodoxy doesn’t bend to modern preferences—it invites us into ancient, Christ-centered worship that has remained steady for centuries. In this episode you’ll hear: How “Frankenstein Christianity” gives way to received, embodied worship Why faith + works in James 2 describes a living, grace-energized faith What the Church means by theosis (2 Peter 1:4)—and why it’s not “earning” salvation How Mary, icons, and tradition function as Incarnation theology, not add-ons Practical first steps toward a stable rule of prayer (Scripture, Psalms, Jesus Prayer) Who this is for: Christians weary of performative spirituality, Protestants curious about the apostolic faith, and anyone wondering if the ancient path might be what your soul has been searching for. Subscribe to Cloud of Witnesses for more conversations where ancient faith meets real life. Questions about Orthodoxy? Please check out our friends at Ghost of Byzantium Discord server: https://discord.gg/JDJDQw6tdh Please prayerfully consider supporting Cloud of Witnesses Radio: https://www.patreon.com/c/CloudofWitnesses Find Cloud of Witnesses Radio on Instagram, X.com, Facebook, and TikTok Please leave a comment with your thoughts!

Do Orthodox Christians “worship icons”? Is Orthodoxy “works-based”? If you’ve heard those claims and weren’t sure how to respond, this episode is your Bible-and-history reality check—clear, charitable, and straight to the point. WHAT PROTESTANTS OFTEN MISS ABOUT ORTHODOXY A surprising witness: Martin Luther once described Greek Orthodox believers as “the most Christian people and the best followers of the gospel on earth.” That startling line sets the stage for a serious, Scripture-anchored look at salvation, saints, and sacred images. 1) Salvation: Moment or Journey? Orthodoxy doesn’t deny conversion moments—it simply insists the New Testament speaks of salvation in past, present, and future (you have been saved, are being saved, will be saved). Think medicine, not just legal acquittal: sin is a sickness Christ heals, and the Church is the hospital where grace transforms us into His likeness. 2) Faith & Works: James’s Actual Argument James 2 doesn’t pit faith against grace—it shows that living faith is energetic. “Faith without works is dead” is like a body without a soul: the works don’t earn salvation; they animate faith, revealing the life of Christ within. This is why the Fathers speak of theosis (2 Peter 1:4): by grace, believers partake of the divine nature, cooperating with God’s energies as He reshapes us. 3) Saints & Icons: Honor vs. Worship Orthodoxy draws a bright line between veneration (honor) and worship (adoration due to God alone). * Bowing isn’t necessarily worship. Scripture shows people bowing in honor without idolatry. * Images aren’t automatically idols. From the cherubim over the Ark to symbolic imagery throughout Scripture, the Bible distinguishes forbidden idols from holy reminders that direct hearts to God. * Intercession is biblical. If the “prayer of a righteous person is powerful and effective,” it remains so for those alive in Christ (Hebrews 12:1). We ask the saints to pray with us, not instead of Christ. 4) Earliest Christian Practice Archaeology and early Christian witness show that sacred images and prayers for the departed were part of the Church’s life from the beginning—not late medieval inventions. The point isn’t art for art’s sake; it’s Christ-centered remembrance that teaches the faith to hearts, minds, and even our senses. Why this matters If you love Jesus, Scripture, and the unity He prayed for, you’ll want to understand how the apostolic Church held these truths together: grace-filled transformation, living faith that acts, and worship that engages the whole person. Whether you’re Protestant, Orthodox, or just curious, this conversation offers a road map through common objections toward a richer, more historic Christianity. Join us as we walk through the texts, the Fathers, and the first centuries of the Church—and see how today’s Orthodox faith connects to the faith once delivered to the saints. Please leave a comment with your thoughts!

“Never Orthodox.” Famous last words. “I will never become Orthodox.”  And he meant it. He was days away from getting Sola Scriptura tattooed on his kneecaps—ink as conviction—when his closest friend, James St. Simon, entered the Orthodox Church. The line he’d sworn by began to wobble. What changed him wasn’t a debate or a takedown. It was prayer.  Join Cloud of Witnesses discussion between Jeremy Jeremiah, Mario Andrew, James St. Simon, and special guest, Orthodox Catechumen, Eddie.   “My heart has always been about prayer,” Eddie says. “My Protestant background told me to pray. Orthodoxy showed me how to pray.” He found “step one” clarity—morning and evening prayers, psalms on the lips, a simple rule that steadied the heart when emotions ran thin. Prayer moved from improvisation to communion. Others recognized the same hunger. James realized his spontaneous prayers had drifted into performance—aimed at people, not God. Mario found freedom from the anxious loop of “Am I saying enough? Am I praying right?” The ancient patterns didn’t smother the Spirit; they formed the heart—Scripture-soaked, Christ-centered, time-tested. Then came the moment Eddie couldn’t shake. During the Divine Liturgy, his two-year-old tried to make the sign of the cross—clumsy, sincere, unforgettable. “This is why Christianity outlasts civilizations and fashions,” Eddie reflects. “It isn’t just for us—it’s for them, when we’re gone.” The man who almost branded Sola Scriptura into his skin is now learning the rhythms of ancient Christianity—not rejecting Scripture, but receiving it within the prayer-shaped life of the Church. The vow “never Orthodox” didn’t end in an argument. It ended in adoration. If you’ve ever said your own version of “never,” or longed for a prayer life that’s deeper than resolve and stronger than mood, Eddie’s journey is your invitation. Look again at the ancient paths. Subscribe for more stories that bridge ancient faith and modern discipleship, and consider supporting us on Patreon for uncut conversations and extended testimonies. Find an Orthodox Church near you today. Visit https://www.antiochian.org/home  Questions about Orthodoxy? Please check out our friends at Ghost of Byzantium Discord server: https://discord.gg/JDJDQw6tdh Please prayerfully consider supporting Cloud of Witnesses Radio: https://www.patreon.com/c/CloudofWitnesses Find Cloud of Witnesses Radio on Instagram, X.com, Facebook, and TikTok. Please leave a comment with your thoughts!