Barnabas Powell's Blog, page 16
March 30, 2023
Sing For Joy!
Fr. Alexander Schmemann once said, “The greatest charge against a Christian is that he has no joy.” Frankly, the normal Christian faith is incompatible with life without joy. It is specifically joy, regardless of the outward circumstances that should be the “normal” Christian life. Now I know what you’re going to say: “But father, we will be accused of being unrealistic if we are joyful all the time.” Well, sure we will.…
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March 29, 2023
Fear Not, For I Will Help You!
Nelson Mandela once said, “The brave man is not he who does not feel afraid, but he who conquers that fear.” This is so true. I’ve found too many people think that because they feel fear, they are not courageous. This isn’t true. Feelings come and go, but it’s what you do in reaction to feelings that betray you or support you. In fact, let me add this to your perspective on…
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March 28, 2023
Have You Not Known? Have You Not Heard? Has It Not Been Told You?
When I get discouraged, I can always trace it back to a loss of perspective. I mean, it’s inevitable. My challenges give me tunnel vision and I lose the ability to see beyond my own immediate pain. And staying aware of how pain or trauma or even conflict gives us “tunnel vision” helps me avoid the traps of forgetting to keep perspective. My life and your life are rarely all bad or…
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March 27, 2023
I Have Heard Your Prayer
They say there is a point of absolute clarity when a person is facing their own mortality. We’ve heard it all before; “Your life flashes before your eyes.” Of course, this is a moment in human life we humans regularly avoid thinking about. Our mortality isn’t something we like to dwell on. And yet, it is a part of life. St. Ambrose of Optina teaches “You must not be greatly troubled about…
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March 24, 2023
Leave Your Comfort Zone
Daring to follow God’s plan for your life is an act of faith that rarely happens by accident. You have to be listening to hear His plans! So how do you develop a lifestyle that makes you attentive to God’s direction for your life? It all starts with being willing to be taught. It begins with your willingness to live a life of repentance. The Scriptures are full of stories about people…
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March 23, 2023
Let Us Make a Name for Ourselves!
It is said that the greatest chess players “see” at least 4 moves ahead at all times. This is why they can anticipate their opponent’s moves and be ready for them. But most of us simply don’t think that far ahead in our lives. We clutter our moments with as much noise as possible in an attempt to drown out the silence that makes us uncomfortable. This need for constant stimulation, constant…
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March 22, 2023
An Intoxicated Noah & A Foolish Son
Years ago, in my police officer days, I got assigned to the local DUI Task Force. This was a multi-jurisdictional team of officers specifically trained to combat driving under the influence and a direct result of the work of Mothers Against Drunk Driving that had formed in our community. I really loved this assignment because of our extra training and the fulfilling opportunity to really make a difference. One of the most…
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March 21, 2023
There’s Only One Purpose For A Cross – Sunday’s Homily
The fact that humans are so very aware of our own mortality means that the fear of death drives much of our intoxication with our passions. But at the center of Great Lent, the Church gives us the image of the Cross to drive us to embrace another way of living that is prepared for death. If you are going to follow Christ in any serious way, you must be willing to…
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God Makes A Covenant with a Rainbow
It’s an old word, but I like it. The word “covenant” is such a significant word for moderns precisely because we have seemed to have forgotten the power of “covenant.” Our society is gripped by hyper-individualism that seems to be intoxicated with the notion of “rights” “privilege” and “power.” This intoxication has created such chaos that even our very way of knowing our own identity has become confused. We think our identity…
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March 20, 2023
The Precious Blood
“Blood is thicker than water.” “He makes my blood boil.” We are related by blood.” So many sayings about “blood” and so many common sayings from culture to culture. It seems we humans are hard-wired to “know” the importance of the life fluid we call blood. And yet it would be a mistake to reduce this life-fluid to mere “scientism” of materialistic functionality. There is a mystery in the blood. And that…
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