Barnabas Powell's Blog, page 33
September 13, 2022
Tempted to Give Up!
Ever thought about giving up? Yeah, I know. What time is it? I confess to struggling with this temptation all the time. And the temptation to give up seems to come in all sorts of shapes and sizes; from small things to big things. Plus, it seems we live in a modern culture that celebrates and even encourages “giving up.” The “easy path” of abandoning that which is hard flows from the…
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September 12, 2022
The Cross as Cure For Spiritual Illness
The wonderful reality is that the parallel between physical health and spiritual health is very significant. If exercise is good to make you physically healthy then spiritual exercise is absolutely necessary for your spiritual health. If what you eat affects your physical health then what you spiritually consume affects your spiritual health. It turns out the wonderful reality of spiritual health is all about being willing to hear the Good News that…
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I Have Been a Fool
Steve Jobs said ” Be a yardstick of quality. Some people aren’t used to an environment where excellence is expected.” So true. Most of us are far too comfortable with mediocrity or “that’s good enough.” Because of this, we get a life that never is pressed to discover its potential, the possibilities. What a waste. And yet, because we are so comfortable with mediocrity, excellence feels threatening. In the face of these…
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September 9, 2022
Nothing Is Hid – The Light Reveals All
I had just bought a new flashlight for youth camp. It was one of my first times serving at camp as a newly ordained priest and my cabin was a bit of a hike away from the center of the retreat center. I confess I was a bit nervous and the last thing I needed was to stumble in the dark and be out of commission with a sprained ankle! On the…
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September 8, 2022
Lord, Don’t You Care?
It was painful to watch. He was spiraling down into the abyss of human fear and addiction, and he was my friend. I watched as he struggled but still stumbled and I heard the desperation in his voice when he called me and asked that most human and most underr=satandable question when you are trapped in a dark place, “Father, does God even care about me?” No wonder St. Paul commands us…
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September 7, 2022
At War With Yourself
Growing up as a young man in the 1970s meant I heard some of the best music in the world! One song I remember that got the whole car singing along was the anthem “United we Stand” by the Brotherhood of Man. The chorus was “For united we stand, divided we fall. And if our backs should ever be against the wall, we’ll be together, together you and I.” Unity is a…
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September 6, 2022
Authority to Tread on Serpents
An old American comic strip called Pogo made famous an old saying from the War of 1812: “We have met the Enemy and he is us!” We seem to thrive on keeping track of enemies, real and imagined. And by doing so, we think we are staying “safe.” I always find it a bit ironic when the claims to safety are the loudest among people. It usually betrays a real character flaw…
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September 5, 2022
Speaking Truth to Power
It’s been a mantra of those who speak out in societies facing the consequences of oppressed people. It first appeared in the pamphlet “Speak Truth to Power: A Quaker Search for an Alternative to Violence” in 1955. But it’s actually an ancient Greek concept known as “παρρησια” which literally means “to speak freely.” And the idea has been used to non-violently speak to those who hold authority in such a way that…
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September 2, 2022
Knowing God And Knowing Myself
I read this quote from St. Paisios and my heart both lept for joy and sank into despair: “Completely have trust in God, leave everything in His hands, and believe that His love will act for your own benefit.” What joy and what an awesome invitation. But I can’t accept this invitation to trust God if I don’t spend the time to get to know Him. How can I trust someone I…
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