1/12/2011
Fr. Barnabas Powell
One of the things I most value about the faith community I belong to is that no matter where I go, if there’s an Orthodox church around, I have instant family. Nowhere was this more demonstrable than on a recent trip to Serbia, and in particular a small town where I spent a major feast.
Rating: 9,1|Votes: 18
Before becoming Orthodox, I’d never heard of Theophany or Epiphany. But this commemoration of Christ’s Baptism in the Jordan is big. Here are some reasons why.
Rating: 5|Votes: 33
This month marks the 35th anniversary of repose of one of the most visionary priests of the twentieth century, Fr. Alexander Schmemann. And rather than relate biographical details, I’ll tell about him by reflecting on a key element of his preaching and teaching.
Rating: 7,8|Votes: 51
I just completed an announcement for my parish bulletin that I never wanted to write. It explains that I’m no longer leaving the church doors unlocked when present for my office hours.
Rating: 9,6|Votes: 28
This feast of St. John invites us not to mistake activism for asceticism, nor abandon spiritual warfare for the false apotheosis of politics. This feast invites us to go into the desert, and prepare in our own hearts a path made straight.
Rating: 7,1|Votes: 15
Maybe it's a guy thing, but "Logan" left me humbled and sobered by the realization that for all of us (even superheroes) life in this world must end.
Rating: 9,8|Votes: 36
I've been thinking thus about one of the most amazing people I've met: an Indonesian who was called to become an Orthodox priest and missionary to his land.
Rating: 9,4|Votes: 38
Nothing so annoys and disturbs us as those so similar that their differences reflect on our own identity.
Rating: 8,8|Votes: 8
As we leave, the sun's first rays and singing of the birds will proclaim it, too -- that Christ is risen from the dead, trampling down death by death, and upon those in the tombs bestowing life.
Rating: 8,7|Votes: 23
To any outside observer, especially one coming from a more intellectualized and less incarnational form of modern Christianity, this physical ritual probably seems odd and uncomfortable. Bowing. Kneeling. Kissing things. It all sounds so primitive.
Rating: 8,1|Votes: 46
Is there any problem with being pro-life and supporting the death penalty? I didn't think so, until a conversation years ago got me thinking.
Rating: 9,4|Votes: 60
Then came the epic surprise of my visit. The doctor asked if I ever pray or meditate, particularly in a way that involves being still and centering myself.
Rating: 8,8|Votes: 19
The president's decision to recognize Jerusalem as Israel's capital was a blast from the past for me.
Rating: 9,9|Votes: 15
Every year around this time, I'm asked a similar question by newer parishioners and inquirers into Orthodoxy: "What do we do about Thanksgiving?"
Rating: 9,3|Votes: 21
Every September, Orthodox Christians around the world celebrate the Feast of the Precious Cross. Although its origins are rooted in history (the finding of the Cross by Empress Helena in Jerusalem, and its recovery two centuries later after being captured by the Persians), my appreciation for the feast this year was broadened by personal experience.
Rating: 8,9|Votes: 13
From the Greek for "honored" -- as in "marriage must be honored" -- a timios is an opportunity for the older, wiser, married men of the community to collectively impart accumulated wisdom and straight talk to a would-be groom.
Rating: 9,5|Votes: 11
When I raised my glass, she raised hers and said, "Cheers!" I'd never toasted with a stranger on a plane, but as I sipped my pilsner, we chatted. Then came a sudden twist: "If you don't mind me asking, are you a pastor?"
Rating: 8|Votes: 10
This may sound like ancient, boring history to some, but Orthodoxy's continued fidelity to the faith of Nicea actually has tremendous, contemporary witness in terms of how sharply it contrasts with the ecclesiological progressivism of our age. Orthodoxy has become counter cultural by remaining traditional.
A recent call to a locksmith led to more than I bargained for: a discussion of the Virgin Mary and intercessory prayer.
Rating: 10|Votes: 2
A highlight of this time comes after the line dies down, when we take off our gloves and sit to eat with the men we've come to feed.
Rating: 1|Votes: 2
On the way home from services last Sunday, I passed a church whose colorful banner proclaimed their April 16 Easter celebration. This surprised and perturbed me, though not for reasons you might think.
Rating: 6,5|Votes: 2
For any who’d follow the tested rhythms of ancient Christianity, it’s time to get spiritually sober — fasting not only from food, but anything that takes our attention from Christ. And there’s nothing so intoxicating right now as politics.
Rating: 10|Votes: 7
If you’re still looking for a New Year’s resolution, you couldn’t do better than to try the best-known instruction of a 19th-century Russian monk named Seraphim of Sarov: “Acquire the Spirit of Peace, and thousands around you will be saved.”
Rating: 8,2|Votes: 5
So thank you, Salvation Army, for allowing other Christians to better practice their faith — and for allowing me to put on a red apron and wish a gentle “Merry Christmas” to hundreds of strangers, without feeling I’m doing anything wrong.
Rating: 10|Votes: 6
Dear President-elect Trump, Congratulations on your historic victory — the greatest political upset in modern American history. Having listened carefully to your speech in the wee hours of Wednesday morning, I hope you’ll follow through on your commitment to heal our country, and be president for all its citizens.
A few years ago, a woman asked, “Can you explain what would happen if you were accused of sexual misconduct — how someone would submit an allegation, and how it would be dealt with?” Good thing I wasn’t sipping my tea at the moment, or it might’ve come out my nose.
Rating: 10|Votes: 13
Few phrases in our lexicon are as misleading as “just a stay-at-home mom.” That “just” devalues the hard work and sacrifice of motherhood, its essential role in society’s well-being.
Rating: 10|Votes: 1
What do we seek in genealogy? A sense of identity through knowing where we came from, or a desire to discover we’re really someone “important,” based on a famous ancestor?
Combating racism by advancing transgendered rights seemed tangential, but this change was coming anyway, so why resist the pretext?
“This is the most beautiful spot in Pueblo.” These words came from a visitor upon seeing the inside of St. Michael’s Orthodox Church for the first time, during our festival some years ago.
There are certainly great events taking place right now in politics and global affairs. I could’ve written about those. But none were as important as this simple, Lenten, daddy-daughter day.
Rating: 4,7|Votes: 3
Each year, I offer these prayers unreservedly, since they express the ancient faith of the first Christians, who equated abortion with infanticide and rescued babies left exposed to die.
Right after Christmas, Orthodox Christians celebrate a feast of the Ever Virgin Mary. Ironically, some who are far from orthodoxy assert that’s when she and Joseph began eyeing each other with a twinkle and trying to make a sibling for Jesus.
Rating: 7,5|Votes: 2
The question of armed security, or parishioners carrying concealed weapons in church, was raised at an Orthodox clergy gathering I recently attended, and most were of two minds, reflecting a diversity of precedents.
The Orthodox Church forbids its clergy from holding elected office, or endorsing political parties or candidates. Yet this stance doesn’t mean it remains neutral when issues of moral and spiritual significance come to a vote.
A pastor who only speaks about money is a problem, but so’s one who never does. Such avoidance implies that money is “unspiritual,” and cedes the topic to the devil. And he for one never shies from sharing his views.
At what point do you stop hoping for a missing loved one to turn up alive? How many years must you follow fruitless leads, and cling to rumors of life that lead to disappointment?
In Orthodoxy, a couple submits such a license in accordance with the law, but doesn’t see that piece of paper as much more than a legal formality. A license doesn’t make a marriage. It’s a coin bearing Caesar’s ever-changing image.
Rating: 9|Votes: 1
Would you buy insurance from the KKK, or cleaning products from ISIS? Probably not — even if they offered the best rates, or gave your floors a miraculous shine.
Philadelphia is one of the Greek words for love. As distinct from the eros we Americans prefer and idolize, philadelphia is devoid of sexual or romantic interest. It’s the brotherly affection between siblings, who support each other, and hold each other accountable.
Rating: 6|Votes: 1
All too often it’s easy to miss the warnings in my life because my life, my soul, my mind is flooded with my own “voice.” The selfish wants drown out that “still, small voice” that is screaming at me that I am going down a wrong path.
This respect for the body, as icon of its Creator, carried into Christianity — the faith of those who accepted Jesus as Messiah.
“I hear you’re a minister,” the hygienist remarked, fastening the bib around my neck for a dental cleaning. “May I ask what kind?”“Eastern Orthodox,” I said quickly, as the tools of her trade descended. Hygienists are often good conversationalists.
"Well, you need to decide what's more important to you — going to your church, or honing the skills of logic, reasoning and argumentation that will give you a competitive edge in the real world." Ten years later, I don't regret forfeiting that "competitive edge," but it was something I agonized over at the time. As a parent, I'm preparing to confront this same, tough decision on behalf of my children.
