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…
Fr. Barnabas Powell
Have you ever heard of the story of the donkey who saved a prophet’s life by talking to him? And you thought your dreams were strange! Seriously, this powerful story in the First Testament is worth your time! Read the whole story in Numbers 22.
To make a long story short, Balaam is something of a…
As we come to another infamous anniversary of September 11th, the perennial struggle with “purpose” comes to my mind. I was having a conversation the other day with a dear, educated man, who also happens to be an ordained clergyman in one of the many Protestant denominations in our fair city, and the conversation turned, as it…
The famous author J.K. Rowling once said: “I’m interested in that drive, that rush to judgment, that is so prevalent in our society. We all know that pleasurable rush that comes from condemning, and in the short term it’s quite a satisfying thing to do, isn’t it?” And she’s right! I can’t tell you how many times I’ve…
Real inspiration isn’t easy! In fact, I’ve become suspicious of the real lasting power of inspiration based on mere sentiment or even “good intentions.” It just always seems to be reduced to nothing more than making someone else “feel” better about “inspiring” someone else. And the sentiment seems to disappear in an instant when “real…
A recent article on the Christian view of marriage is titled "Marriage is a Lifetime of Suffering." You won't see that on any Hallmark card for wedding anniversaries anytime soon. And yet, the idea of salvific suffering is so foreign to us as to be actually offensive to many. But the Christian understanding of life…
Queen Elizabeth once said "Grief is the price we pay for love." And that is true, in part, but not the whole picture. In fact, I'm convinced in our modern world of therapy and "positive thinking" we run the risk of falling into the false notion that we should never "feel" bad or sad. And…
My daughter is getting to "that" age. Yep, she's discovered that there are such things as "boys." I invite you all to pray and fast that I survive!
Seriously, one of the most powerful concerns I have as a parent is guiding my children to avoid the shortsightedness that seems to dominate the human race when…
C.S. Lewis, in the The Weight of Glory, writes: It is a serious thing to live in a society of possible gods and goddesses, to remember that the dullest most uninteresting person you talk to may one day be a creature which, if you say it now, you would be strongly tempted to worship, or…
What confuses me most about today's societal chaos is the whole idea of "empowerment." It strikes me as so very misplaced and wrongheaded.
Now, don't get me wrong, I understand the motivation of wanting to correct a feeling of powerlessness. I'm just convinced that the current method being championed by those who keep on insisting they…