Nathan Powell's Page

Here is a list off the top of my head as to why I live my spiritual life:

1. My church has existed for 2000 years.

2. Not only do I see myself being made holy, but all of creation also.

3. I can mystically partake of the actual body and blood of Jesus Christ.

4. Real things (not just people) can become holy.

5. I have people praying for me who have devoted their lives to NOTHING but prayer and fasting.

6. I am never alone in worship or prayer.

7. My prayer life is not focused on me.

8. I… Continue

Let all the trees of the wood, planted from the beginning of time, rejoice; for their nature hath been sanctified by the stretching of Christ on the Tree. Wherefore, now, we worship Him, lifted up, and magnify Him.

--Orthros of the Feast, Tone 8

By the mere planting of thy Cross, O Christ, the… Continue

This being the feast day for St. Moses the Ethiopian, I wanted to post his story.

The following is taken from the Order of Prémontré website.

One of the more exciting of the early monks in the period of desert Christian monasticism was a Black African (Nubian) now honored as St. Moses the Black. The Lausiac History of Palladius is the main historical source for his life. There is also an account found in the "Bibliotheca Sanctorum" by J. W. Sauget, and approximately 49 apophthegmata found in "… Continue

I wanted to take a minute to talk briefly about sacraments. Here is a brief description of sacraments from the Orthodox perspective:

There are special experiences in our corporate life as Orthodox Christians when the perception of God's presence and actions is heightened and celebrated. We call these events of the Church Sacraments. Traditionally, the Sacraments have been known as Mysteries in the Orthodox Church. This description emphasizes that in these special events of the Church, God discl… Continue

So, I am a reader of RELEVANT magazine and sometimes like it, sometimes not so much. In the July-August 2009 issue, there is an article titled, "Insert Soul Here." The article deals with faith and doubt and admonishes the reader to doubt and question all things, and that such actions lead to true faith in God, rather than faith in our own faith.

While I agree with some of the basic points made by David Dark, I was floored by one of the final paragraphs. Here is how it reads:

"And far from bein… Continue