Barnabas File

Unless you have been on a mission trip to Mongolia or experiencing power failures from hurricanes, earthquakes, or tornadoes, you have heard that Steve Jobs has resigned as CEO of Apple due to health issues.   Many articles extol his virtues as a visionary and speculate on the future of one of the world’s richest companies with his leadership.   There will undoubtedly be a new round of books on “The Leadership Lessons of Steve Jobs.” I am a late convert to the Apple faith.   I began to give in a bit when I purchased an iPod several years ago and enjoyed its flexibility and portability.   The iPad may have pushed me over the edge.   A generous donor recently provided the funds to purchase iPads for Central Seminary faculty, and I am afraid that I have become an enthusiast.   I would not be surprised if an iPhone is not in my immediate future and even an Apple computer somewhere down the road. But back to the wizard of Apple.   Steve Jobs is ...

We recycle at our house.   We are not fanatics about it, but we do collect the plastic, cardboard, cans, glass, magazines and newspapers after they are used and take them to a place where they can be repurposed.   I don’t think about this much, but I became very aware of it when I had to find a new place to take all of our recyclables today.   The old location was not properly used, so the store told the county they would have to pull the collection containers.   We had been gathering things for a couple of weeks, so it was time to dispose of it.   So I filled up my car and made my way to one of the county “convenience centers” to dispose of my “stuff.” As I began to unload, I was impressed once again at how much packaging material we had accumulated from groceries, mail deliveries, and clothing among other things.   Practically every thing we purchase comes in paper, cardboard, and plastic and it would occupy a great deal of space in the county ...

Our congregation is going through pastoral change.  Our pastor of nine years was called to a church in east Tennessee.  On his last Sunday in our pulpit, he wisely chose to share with the worshipers the discernment process that led to his decision to leave.  As we listened to how he had considered his own gifts and calling in the light of the new challenge, we had the opportunity to consider how this might apply to our own lives. I don’t think I have ever heard this done before, and it was certainly refreshing. So we are in a time of transition.  The reaction of church members covers the spectrum.  Many grieve the loss of a minister that they had come to love.  An effective pastor walks with us through the difficult times of life—birth, death, sickness, job transition, family challenges—so it is natural to miss such a person.   Others experience some uncertainty.   A good pastoral leader provides stability to the congregation a...

While driving last week, I was listening to a public radio broadcast on debunking conspiracy theories related to 9/11.   The guests pointed out several theories that had been put forward and proceeded to present the information they had uncovered to disprove these ideas.   During the broadcast, listeners repeatedly called in, saying in effect, “I don’t care what your facts are.   There were sinister forces behind the destruction of the World Trade Center and the attack on the Pentagon.”   At the end of the broadcast, the guests had to admit that no matter how much research they did, some would still believe what they wanted to believe. In recent blogs I have commented on the way we perceive both reality and past events.   Due to our experiences, influences, and training, we have developed certain ways to look at the world.   These filters determine how we observe, process information, see patterns, and draw conclusions.   What are some of these ...

One of the most useful tools for someone seeking to understand the nature of life coaching is Co-Active Coaching , a book by Laura Whitworth, Karen Kimsey-House, Henry Kimsey-House, and Phillip Sandahl.   They define co-active coaching as “an alliance between two equals for the purpose meeting the client’s needs.”   They emphasize that coaching is more of a relationship than a methodology with the coach and the client acting as co-creators or collaborators with the goal of benefitting the client.   The four cornerstones of co-active coaching emphasize the client’s natural creativity and resourcefulness; the client as the source of the coaching agenda; the need for the coach “to dance in the moment” (go with the flow); and the importance of addressing the client’s whole life in the coaching relationship.   This approach is intended to assist the client to deal with fulfillment, balance, and process in his or her life. For those who have been trained in e...

I rarely use maps anymore but have become very dependent on a GPS.   When the voice directs me to make a turn on road that isn’t there, I realize that my unit has not been updated recently.   It may be a cutting edge technology, but I should avoid mistaking what is in its software for reality! Alan Roxburgh introduced me to the idea that we should not mistake the map for reality. Our maps—whether paper or digital—are only representations of reality that lack the richness and vitality of the real world.   When we mistake the representation for the real thing, we miss the real joy of the journey. We should reexamine periodically the maps we use to help us interpret the world.   Early on in our marriage, I discovered that my wife and I had different ideas about how housekeeping duties should be addressed.   Neither of us were right or wrong, we had just been raised to think that the wife does certain things and that the husband does other things—but thos...

One of the things that I learned as I studied history in college (and as I have continued to read it) is that there is no such thing as an objective historian.  Even the most conscientious scholar brings certain perspectives, presuppositions, and paradigms to his or her research.  This may well determine what the researcher deems important and may either aid or encumber the discoveries made. If this is true of history scholars, it is certainly true of each of us as we think about our own history.  Although our memories may be very vivid, they may not necessarily be accurate.  We usually see only one side of events, even those events that we experienced personally.  Our feelings about people and our place in the world provide the filters through which we see the events of our past.  We also impose interpretations that help us make sense of the past but they are our interpretations. The person who says “This is not the church I grew up in” is not o...

“This church just does not respond to leadership.”   The voice on the other end of the phone was that of a pastor whose vision for his church had been defeated in a business meeting the night before.   He had not been helped by an enthusiastic supporter who had recommended that the plan be accepted by a two-thirds vote! As I remember, my response was something like, “It depends on the type of leadership.”   Leadership is a complex concept.   The way it is exercised and accepted is based on context, culture, attitudes, history, and personal needs and expectations.   Leadership is a stewardship to be handled with care and humility.   To do otherwise leads to marginalization or alienation and conflict. One mistake my friend made was to think that the primary measure of his leadership was a vote in a business meeting.   If a leader, especially one in a church, thinks that getting an affirmative vote on the floor of a business meeting validates o...

Washington’s new     memorial to the Rev. Martin Luther King Jr. opens to the public today. The opening of this memorial offers us an opportunity to reflect not only on a man but a movement.   Every movement needs a person who will step up and make the sacrifices necessary to be not only the spokesperson and spiritual leader but the lightning rod for criticism and potential harm.   Dr. King was such a person, but we need to remember those who worked with him and throughout society in the 50s and 60s. Some were the “shock troops” of the movement who put their bodies and lives on the line for what they believed. Rosa Parks, freedom riders, workers with organizations like CORE, SNCC, and SCLC, students, religious leaders and ordinary men and women—both black and white—stood up for an unpopular cause.   Even the President, Attorney General, and other national leaders lagged behind these citizens in taking a stand for civil rights. There were others who s...

In Medici Effect , Frans Johansson identified the process by which innovation often comes from bringing experts from different fields together to provide unique perspectives on an issue.   This process happened this week as the insights of two individuals—an entrepreneur educator and a theological educator—came together to reinforce an idea that I addressed in a previous blog. At the Willow Creek Leadership Summit last Thursday, Len Schlesinger , president of Babson College, explained, “If you can’t predict the future—and it seems increasingly you can’t—action trumps thinking.”   In other words, if you can’t predict the future, create it.   There comes a certain point where continuing to amass data makes no difference; it is time to act.   You will never have enough information and the crucial moment for action must be seize.   Schlesinger said, “Stop thinking about what you want to do and start thinking about what you want to do next.” On Sunday morn...

In a recent blog, Seth Godin pointed out that “history doesn’t always repeat itself . . . but it usually rhymes.”   Most of us grew up with the world view that history tends to be cyclical—wars, famines, economic disasters—tend to recur on a regular basis.   The players may be different, but the circumstances are pretty much the same.   This worked pretty well for us when we were much more tied to a low tech, agricultural culture.   Godin points out the new reality that the next “big thing” may look very different from the last one, bringing with it a number of unexpected consequences. For example, when we started using pagers, did we really expect that they would be replaced by compact “communicators” that we call cell phones?   Cell phones (and smart phones) have brought a whole different kind of wireless connectedness to our culture—text messages, instant pictures and videos, and delivery of music, movies, and other media—all in the palms of our hands...