Barnabas File

We’ve all heard it—usually from a child about 5 or 6 years old but the malady may continue into the teen years: “You’re not my boss!” Independence (and defiance) is asserted at an early age. As we discover our personal autonomy, we feel compelled to express it. We see this quite often in our daily lives—at work, at sporting events, in the church. The autonomous individual must exercise his or her free will no matter the consequences. I certainly agree that each of us is free to make our own decisions but this freedom must be balanced with responsibility and accountability. If we live in community, there must be not only boundaries but a social contract as well. In return for our autonomy, we must be willing to give up some things. In doing so, we become not only moral beings but responsible members of society. This is the way that leads to growth. In Missional Renaissance , Reggie McNeal writes, “Genuine spirituality lives and flourishes only in cultures and relationships of accou...

I have been told that wait staff in restaurants are not particularly happy to see church folks after Sunday morning worship. They often find the “brothers and sisters” demanding, rude, and lousy tippers! I am sure that not all believers are like this (many of us try to smile, call servers by name, and leave appropriate tips), but this does remind us how important first impressions are. In Genesis 14, there is an interesting story about first impressions involving Abram (Abraham) and Melchizedek, the king of Salem and a “priest of God Most High.” As Abraham returned victorious from a battle, Melchizedek brought out bread and wine and blessed Abraham. In response to this show of hospitality, Abraham gave him a tenth of the spoils of the victory. The story’s impact comes not only from the act of hospitality on the part of Melchizedek, but the response of Abraham. The king of Salem was “the other.” He was neither part of Abraham’s family nor one of his friends. He was, however...

In recent weeks, I have become aware of people in our congregation who have significant ministries in the community—the lawyer who volunteers with the domestic violence center, the former heart patient who spends time each week visiting heart patients and sharing insights about how to live with their disease, the busy mother who tutors at-risk children, the business person who finds himself the “chaplain” in his workplace. This is what missional Christians do; they serve in the world. These are not church-sponsored activities. These are ministries that they have identified and pursued. In Missional Renaissance , Reggie McNeal notes: “People don’t go to church; they are the church. They don’t bring people to church; they bring the church to people.” Wherever a believer is, there the church is present. For some reason, we have erected an artificial dividing line between “sanctioned” and “unsanctioned” ministry. The challenge for the church is to give members the permission to seek...

Where does spiritual growth take place? If your immediate response is “the church,” please think again. Where have your most meaningful spiritual experiences taken place? I am sure that we would all mention times of worship, Sunday school classes, retreats, and other church-based activities, but we would also talk about one-on-one conversations with friends, an “Aha!” moment in Bible reading, a time of quiet contemplation on the beach or along a mountain trail, an awareness of blessedness in family life, or a sudden realization of answered (or unanswered) prayer as we drove to work. As Reggie McNeal comments in Missional Renaissance , many of us (especially in the West) have come to the conclusion that the church can “provide the venues and opportunities for people to live out their entire spiritual journey as part of a church-sponsored or church-operated activity.” This assumes that what is spiritual takes place within the walls of the church and not in the world. He goes on to say...

Dr. Rosell leading workshop on ethical issues New tools expand our abilities but those also bring their own challenges. During Central Seminary’s “The Church in a Virtual Age” Conference last week, Professor Terry Rosell offered an excellent workshop on ethical uses of technology in the church. The official title was “Why Take Up an Offering When We Can Donate Online?” but the session covered several other topics of concern and possibility. Rosell’s basic premises were that technology itself is morally neutral but its use is morally significant. He also pointed out that technocrats (those makers who become rulers) in the church are dangerous and that technocracy in the church can become a state of idolatry. His final premise was that “use of technology in the church need not lead us into sin . . . but take heed lest you fall.” After presenting ten principles that inform our use of technology in the church (such as “protect people’s privacy” and “use God’s resources wisely”), R...

When a person comes to faith in Christ, are we calling that person FROM something or TO something? I thought about this as I listened to Ryan Bolger address the recent “The Church in a Virtual Age” conference sponsored by Central Seminary. Bolger pointed out the missionary model used by western missionaries in India (and a number of other countries) in the 19th and 20th centuries pulled believers out of their society. This model called converts out of their culture into a way of life that was westernized, centered on the mission station, and separated from the world that gave them birth. The mission station was an enclave in a world that was perceived as hostile. We may critique that approach as naïve and unproductive, but we often follow the same model today in calling people out of the world with which they are familiar into the church. We encourage people to find all of their friends, family activities, and service opportunities within the walls of the church. We often encourage p...

While attending Central Seminary's Spring Lectures on "The Church in a Virtual Age," I had the opportunity stay at the Stone-Yancey House in Liberty, Missouri, a bed and breakfast owned and operated by Carolyn and Steve Hatcher. It was quite a contrast to go from talking about virtual communication to experiencing the very personal setting of the Hatcher's home. As innkeepers, they go "above and beyond the call of duty" to make their guests feel welcome. During the conference, lecturer Ryan Bolger and workshop leaders helped participants to learn a great deal about the use of digital means to build community, so it was some what refreshing to go from mediated to non-mediated communication. Hospitality, such as that shown by the Hatchers, is more than a business, it is a gift. Hospitality is an essential element of the life of the church, but it seems to be one that we are having to teach believers Perhaps we need to practice doing hospitality with our n...

“Never too old to learn!” I would love to have someone say that about me when I depart this earthly home. I attended the memorial service today for my friend Frances McGlocklin. Frances was 94 when she succumbed to cancer. She retired at age 70 and spent the ensuing years traveling, gardening, and learning. She learned how to quilt. She also became rather proficient in the use of the Internet. Although learning how to function in the digital realm frustrated her at times, she was not deterred. Frances kept up with the times. Not everyone does. That is certainly their choice. I think it is unfortunate, however, when we have new tools at our disposal but do not take advantage of them. We can curse the Internet or attempt to tame it for our own use. Technology is neither good nor bad; its value depends on how we use it. The church is missing a great opportunity when it does not attempt to understand and function in the digital realm. On April 11-12, Central Baptist Theological Semina...

The Great Convergence happens on Easter Sunday in churches across the land. There is a great coming together of various cohorts—those that usually only come the first and third Sundays; those who come the second and fourth Sundays; those who come to make Mom happy; those who just know this is the place to be; and those who are just curious. This convergence—the perfect storm, if you will--results in record high attendance in morning worship services in most churches. Blessed is the pastor who overcame the impulse this morning to wish everyone “Happy Fourth of July!” because he or she knows that some will not be back until Christmas or next Easter. Blessed are those who gave up their favorite seat because an infrequent attendee or visitor got there first. Blessed are those who worked in the nursery to take care of all the unfamiliar children and babies; they entertained angels unaware. Blessed are those who parked further away from the sanctuary because someone else got their parking...

When we think of “church,” we generally think congregation—building, people, location, programs. This is the traditional faith community that most of us experience. A new model is emerging. This model has been called many things, but I refer to it as the “missional faith community.” Although I am not part of such a community, I do know of several that exist or are in the process of being formed. In Missional Renaissance , Reggie McNeal introduces such groups in this way: “The anticipated future has arrived in the form of missional communities in every culture where the Westernized Constantinian order is collapsing and the organic church is taking root.” I won’t try to unpack everything that McNeal is saying there, but the key point is this: A more incarnational form is replacing the institutional form of the church. These groups go by several names. In Europe, they are called “clusters” or “midsized groups.” The model includes many of the groups that we would call “house churches...