Made to Be a Kingdom

Fr. Anthony Perkins, Fr. Harry Linsinbigler, and Ancient Faith Ministries
  • 5.0 (18)
  • CHRISTIANITY
  • UPDATED WEEKLY

How God forms us as His sacred royal family

  1. 6D AGO

    Whose Church Is It? Belonging, Not Owning

    In this New Year episode, Fr. Harry and Fr. Anthony challenge the casual habit of saying “my church” by reframing ecclesial identity: the Church is of God—not our possession, but the place to which we belong, purchased by Christ’s blood (Acts 20) and built as a household on the apostolic foundation with Christ as cornerstone (Eph. 2:18–20). They trace how the Church’s catholic “wholeness” is Trinitarian—the Body of Christ, the temple of the Holy Spirit, and the people of the Father—made real through baptism, chrismation, and the Eucharist. Along the way, they clarify Christ’s unique mediation (mesitēs), show why the Church can be called “of Christ” without diminishing the Trinity, and close with Theophany’s vivid sacramental imagery—especially the ancient practice of breathing/blowing over the waters as participation, not mere remembrance.

  2. JAN 2

    Scaling the Parish Without Losing the Family

    As parishes grow, the priest-and-everyone model that once felt like “family” can become unsustainable—especially in catechesis, confession, and pastoral care. Fr. Anthony and Fr. Harry explore practical tools (from scheduling systems to mentoring structures) and historical models of catechesis to show why “one size fits all” is neither Orthodox nor realistic. The goal is not efficiency for its own sake, but discernment: building ministries that preserve intimacy, prevent burnout, and help every member find their calling as the parish moves into a new season. Enjoy the show!

  3. 12/18/2025

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

    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.

  4. 11/21/2025

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

    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.

  5. 10/31/2025

    Ecclesiology Where It Lives: Salvation Is Local

    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

  6. 10/06/2025

    Head Coverings in the Spirit of Love and Unity

    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!

  7. 10/03/2025

    Orthodox Women's Ministries and the Priesthood

    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!

  8. 09/19/2025

    Preparing for Death in Christ: The Church as Our Teacher

    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.

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About

How God forms us as His sacred royal family

Information

  • Creator
    Fr. Anthony Perkins, Fr. Harry Linsinbigler, and Ancient Faith Ministries
  • Years Active
    2021 - 2026
  • Episodes
    125
  • Rating
    Clean
  • Copyright
    © Ancient Faith Ministries
  • Show Website
    Made to Be a Kingdom

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