Christ is risen! OK, a cheesy movie quote may not be the best way to start a devotional, but it’s the first thing that popped in my mind when I started working on this subject this morning. Besides, we’ve heard so much about “light” and “darkness” and stories of people having near-death experiences and seeing a “light” at the end of a tunnel and being drawn to that “light.” One of the…
Dear Orthodox on Purpose Readers, Very soon you will see big changes coming to our web home. We are in the process of creating a new home for this daily devotional blog that will, by God’s grace, be a real help to your Spiritual maturity and growth. Please keep us in your prayers as we work to offer our best to our Savior Who gave His best for us! Fr. Barnabas…
Christ is risen!Identity is a powerful reality, and filled with all kinds of information. But your own understanding of who you are and where you belong is central to how you order your life. I never will forget my first post-liturgical coffee hour after being received into the Eastern Orthodox Church. I was at a local Greek Orthodox parish with my “visitors” name tag on that read “Barnabas Powell.” This precious little…
“She hit me first!” Ah, the easy justification of childhood for revenge. And isn’t it amazing how so little changes as we get older? But what is the old saying “Before you embark on a journey to revenge, dig two graves.” The dangers of thinking any real peace or real contentment can ever come from a “get even” attitude is based on a fantasy of “pure judgement.” We humans don’t possess such…
Christ is risen! Sometimes it’s just time to move. I mean there comes a time in your life when the day has past for contemplation, planning, and consideration and the time comes to act and act fast. But you are never going to be ready for that moment in your life without preparation. And that preparation takes three distinct disciplines to make you ready to move when the time comes. No one…
Christ is risen! It was exquisite! Just the right response to a mean comment! I mean the timing was perfect. The word choice was absolutely right on. And the effect was exactly what I was hoping for. It was like a perfect third strike pitch in the bottom of the ninth of the last game of the World Series. It was exquisite! And it’s rare. You know what I’m talking about. How…
I have never found obedience particularly easy. In fact, being a head strong and prideful person, obedience has always made me uncomfortable and even fearful that I was “giving myself away.” So, why is the notion of obedience so prominent in Orthodox Christian teachings and the wisdom of the fathers who have come before us? It has everything to do with just why obedience is so tough. It’s because obedience uncovers our…
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Christ is risen!Here is the homily from the Pascha service last Sunday before midnight. The first part is me reading the Paschal Encyclical from Hi Eminence, Metropolitan Alexios and then my homily about the reality of Christ’s resurrection!
