Ancient Faith Radio airs this program tonight at 8 PM Eastern and 5 PM Pacific. I hope you get to tune in.
And I’d love to hear your feedback about the program. Please respond here and let me know your thoughts, insights, and responses.
http://www.ancientfaith.com/ancientfaithtoday
5 Comments
Maureen
Hey, Fr. Barnabas,
Christ is risen!
We enjoyed your comments and the great questions posed by the participants last night!
In listening to observations and dilemmas I experienced a bit of nostalgia. How delicious and fun all that charismatic emotionalism was! How elated I felt contemplating the health, wealth and long-life God promised!
So, now, in practicing Orthodoxy for almost four years, sobriety shows me how lacking I am in true gifts, and true virtues. My balloon is s-o-o-o flat–and wrinkled! It’s mighty discouraging–especially realizing my so-called love of God was really love of self-aggrandizement. It still is. But, I hope, my grudging welcome of my poor, wrinkled, empty balloon means that I’m now starting to be ready to have it re-filled with the genuine Holy Spirit, genuine love for God, and some true helium of Christ-likeness, so I’ll rise on the Real Thing, instead of hot air!
Anyway, your nutshell summary of the true life in Christ being to seek healing of our true self for preparation to live with Christ forever was a good reminder and a nice distilling of what it’s really about.
Thanks!
BTW, would you send up a prayer for employment/direction for me? I was eased into early retirement because of advancing deafness, am almost 60, and want to find my way God’s way. I’ve been well occupied with serving children well, but that assignment is concluding. What’s next? Again, thanks.
Fr. Barnabas Powell
Maureen,
May God bless you with direction and His wisdom to be at peace no matter what your outward circumstances. And may His gentle Holy Spirit guide and protect you.
Thank you for your note.
David Lindblom
Maureen, I know what you mean and feel! I traveled from Baptist to Pentecostal-light to virtual Calvinist. Now after 5 years being Orthodox I have a better understanding of how far off the mark I really am. In some ways Christ seems more distant…not the personal buddy He was once was (I thought). It can be kinda discouraging at times. Trying to find balance. May God bless both of us!
Maureen
May He indeed bless us, David! That Chesterton quote about Christianity being not tried and found wanting, but tried and found too hard really applies. Keep on keeping on!
Under the Mercy,
Maureen
Kevin Alexander
Fr. Barnabas,
I called in to the program and asked you about the process of replacing the filter by which we approach Scripture. Thank you very much for your advice. I am finding my experience in the Church to be so refreshing, it’s almost indescribable. I did not say this in the program because I did not want listeners to think I’m criticizing all of Pentecostalism, but one of the many reasons we left Pentecostalism was because of authoritarianism and, frankly, spiritual abuse, that we suffered there. Finding Orthodoxy was like finding an oasis after having wandered in the desert for a lifetime. We feel protected here. And I’m discovering what it means to find true unity with others… Unity based on both experience and solid theology. Again, thank you very much for your advice. I’ve already noticed how attending liturgy and other services has changed my perspective. I pray it continues to do so.