Barnabas File

For the most part, I only think about “customer service” when I am the customer and on the receiving end of what I consider poor service.   I will not elaborate here.   Each of us has a collection of frustrating stories we could provide as illustrations. In preparing a Bible study recently, I was forced to put myself on the other side of the transaction.  The passage I was considering deals with Jesus’ response to the question, “What is the greatest of the commandments?”  His reply is recorded in Mark 12:28-31:   “The most important one,”   answered Jesus,   “is this: ‘Hear, O Israel: The Lord our God, the Lord is one.     Love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your mind and with all your strength.’   The second is this: ‘Love your neighbor as yourself.’   There is no commandment greater than these.”  (NIV) The command to provide neighborly love is a call to servant leaders...

During the Advent season, we are introduced to many interesting characters:   Mary, Joseph, Anna, Elizabeth and Zacharias, Anna and Simeon, John the Baptist.   Most of these are in Luke’s Gospel, but Matthew’s Gospel gives us a different perspective and some new characters.   Matthew 12:1-12 introduces several kings—some wise Gentile “kings” and one paranoid king. The individuals we call the “three kings” or Magi came from east of Palestine, probably Persia or Babylon (present day Iraq or Iran). We don’t really know how many there were; the number three comes from the three gifts they carried.  Although commonly placed at the stable and depicted in Nativity scenes, they came long after Jesus’ birth (probably two years later). These men (and they were most likely men although they did ask for directions) were part of a unique group.  They were astrologers, men of wisdom, and advisors to the king of Babylon. In those times, astronomy and astrology mad...

As we gathered with several hundred other worshippers at our church for the Christmas Eve service, I was struck by the way in which this assembly reflected the nature of the church.  Many present were long time members of this particular body, faithful saints who have faced life’s challenges and remained faithful.  Some were relatively recent additions, while others were visiting family members, friends, and guests.  Undoubtedly, some were not believers but they were present to hear the Good News of Messiah’s birth. Various types of families were represented—nuclear and extended, single parent families, unmarried individuals, in-laws and a few ex-mates.  All saw the value of being together for this time of common worship, even if it may have taken an extra effort and some emotional anxiety to be there. And there were children present.  A few had gone to the nursery, but for the most part even babies and preschoolers were in the service, adding a bi...

Starting out in any field is not easy, but ministry has its own challenges.  Most congregations expect that their new pastor or staff member will “hit the ground running” and be ready to deal with both the routine and the unexpected tasks encountered.  Too often, our ministers’ preparation has not taught them how to reach out to others for support, guidance, or collegial relationships.  My recent experiences with young ministers indicate that most ministers in their first call—whether to a church as solo pastor or to a staff position—not only want but are eager for someone to become their mentor.  Although the young minister may not use that term, he or she would welcome a relationship with a more experienced clergy person who would give them good feedback and even suggestions about their work. When a church calls a new minister to staff, especially if that person is right out of seminary, the senior pastor or head of staff should expect to become a mentor...

I was listening to a podcast recently that featured a computer systems engineer who had worked with six different tech firms over the last 20 years.   He had some interesting stories, but what struck me most about his presentation were some of the words he used—words like “mission,” “values,”   “making a difference,” and “calling.” These are all terms that I am accustomed to hearing in a religious context.  In the church we affirm that we have a mission—the missio Dei (or “mission of God”), we help believers recognize and act on their values, we encourage congregants to “make a difference” in the world, and we facilitate each person discovering his or her calling. How did this connection or transference originate?  For a number of years, various types of companies have emphasized the need for a clear vision and a mission statement.  These terms could very well have come from other sources such as the military.  The use of more values-laden terms...

Dr. James V. Green at the University of Maryland College Park teaches an online course titled “ Developing Innovative Ideas for New Companies: The First Step in Entrepreneurship. ”  The course encourages students to identify and address opportunities for innovative services or products.  Of course, innovative approaches can be generated within an existing organization as well, but this requires a creative environment or climate.  Green identifies several characteristics of such a creative climate.  They are: • An enjoyment in experimenting with new ideas • A trustful management that does not over-control • Considerable communication with outsiders • Open channels of communication • A willingness to accept change • Little fear of negative consequences for making a mistake • Selection and promotion of employees based on merit • Sufficient financial, managerial, human, and time resources for accomplishing goals As one who identifies with t...

Hardly a day goes by that I do not read some criticism of the church—whether in its local, national, or global expressions.  I acknowledge that there is much to criticize but there is much to praise as well.  As I worshipped last Sunday, I started thinking, “When is the church at its best?”  Several things came to mind. First, the church is at its best when it engages people in authentic worship that brings them into the presence of God.  Of course, God is the audience in worship and we are the performers, but we know when worship is working when we are brought face to face with the God who is both transcendent and immanent. Second, the church is at its best when it is caring for the hurting, whether they are part of the community of faith or not.  There are many who are sick, lonely, or stressed whose lives have been made a bit easier by a visit, a prayer, a kind word, a helping hand or an offering of food from someone in the church. Third, the c...

Chaplain Pierce McIntyre offers helpful insights and prayers for dealing with every day life in his regular e-mails to friends and colleagues.  In a recent e-mail, he pointed out that there is an inherent contradiction in the term “holiday stress.”    A holiday is “a celebratory day, break, day of rest or vacation.”  Stress means “anxiety, impatience, and nervous tension.”  The two really don’t seem to go together, but we know that they exist in combination too often these days. We are now immersed in the “holiday season’ that is inaugurated with Thanksgiving, reaches its peak with Christmas, and then closes out with New Year’s Day.  This is a time of feasting, visiting, giving, reflection, and worship for most of us.  As McIntyre notes, however, it is often a time of stress as well. So how do we deal with the stress?  What are some things we can do to deal with the stress? First, we can set priorities.  What do we really ...

Abraham Lincoln is reported to have said:  "Give me six hours to chop down a tree and I will spend the first four sharpening the axe.”  This approach to preparation was popularized by Stephen Covey in his book The 7 Habits of Highly Effective People.   Even so, the practice of continuing personal and professional development is not a high priority for many leaders—especially clergy.  They are too busy chopping down the tree to take time to sharpen the axe. Since I became a certified professional life coach, I have entered into a world of required professional development that I have only observed from the outside in the past.  My friends who are public school educators, counselors, marriage therapists, and medical professional are required to take a certain number of hours of continuing education each year in order to maintain their license or certification.  Some denominational judicatories require such education for their clergy, but this is the ex...

A friend told me recently that he and his wife have chosen to participate in a bank account deduction giving option that their church offered.  The offering is deducted from their bank account on a regular basis and placed in the church account, all done electronically.  Not writing checks or having to remember to take them to church to put in the offering plate seemed like a good idea.  He realizes now that there are drawbacks. One concern is that his children no longer see him putting anything into the offering plate, so they are probably wondering, “Why don’t Mom and Dad support the church any more?” Of course, other members may be thinking the same thing!  What kind of example is he setting? As important to my friend is that he feels that he is missing out on an act of worship.  Offering something back to God in a tactile way can be a very satisfying act of worship. I understand how my friend feels.  I have often said that offering is an ...

“ Whatever you have learned or received or heard from me, or seen in me—put it into practice. And the God of peace will be with you.” -- Philippians 4:9, (NIV) When I first considered this verse, my initial response was that Paul was being pretty egotistical:  “Look at me!  Do what I do!”  I have come to realize that Paul was justified in exhorting his readers to follow his example.  He was writing to people who had probably seen only one practicing Christian believer and that was Paul himself. If we are going to grow spiritually, we need models and guides who will assist us along the way.  When we seek such help, we are looking for spiritual direction. Spiritual direction has a long history in the Christian church.  For centuries, men and women have sought out mature Christians who could help them to grow in Christ.  In such a relationship, the one giving spiritual direction is providing both information and accountability. ...

The assassination of John F. Kennedy was the defining moment of my generation. When he was killed in Dallas, I was 20 years old and a junior in college.   During a time of stress in our nation—the Cold War and civil rights, among other things—Kennedy embodied hope and a promise for a better future.   In hindsight, we now know about his flaws including his reluctance to act on crucial issues, his physical illnesses,  and his personal indiscretions. In 1963, however, Kennedy seemed to embody all that was good about America. I have been reading a book entitled What If?   in which leading military historians imagine what might have been if certain military conquests had ended differently.   It is tempting to play the “what if” game with the assassination of John Kennedy. If Kennedy had lived, would we have entered in the quagmire of Vietnam that resulted in the deaths of 60,000 Americans and hundreds of thousands who lived in Southeast Asia?  Many y...

The management narrative was probably invented by Ken Blanchard and Spencer Johnson over 20 years ago with The One Minute Manager.  The format uses a story to communicate information about management and leadership.  The protagonist goes on a quest to discover how to become a better leader, manager, parent, or person, meeting various people along the way who give information and insight.  The best writer in this genre is Patrick Lencioni; his characters have depth his situations are realistic.  Mark Miller has used this format in four books now.  He is not as good a writer as Lencioni, but his style does not get in the way of presenting some significant and helpful leadership principles. In The Heart of Leadership , Miller brings back young Blake Brown and seasoned leader Debbie Brewster.  Blake is stuck in his company, unable to get to the next level.  Through mentoring and directing Blake to other leaders, Debbie helps him to see that leade...

Although I am not a counselor, I spend a lot of time with counselors, pastoral counselors and therapists and count a number of them as friends.  I have taken a number of counseling and psychology courses as an undergraduate, seminarian, and graduate student.  I have also served on the board of a pastoral counseling center and regularly attend the continuing education events the center offers.  I have even done a unit of Clinical Pastoral Education.  One of the things I have learned in all this is that I do not have the gifts to do long term counseling.   I have great appreciation for those who do and support their work every chance I have to do so, but it is not my calling. Most of the counselors I know are Christians, but they do not necessarily market themselves as “Christian counselors.” Even so, they bring a theological perspective and world view to their practices that are informed by their faith. First, they have encountered a God of gr...

In a recent blog , Shane Raynor addressed millennial myths and the real reasons that people leave the church.  He argues that millennials are not a homogeneous group, and their decisions to disengage from the church vary greatly.  Some are reasons that lead people of all ages to leave the church.  He suggests five reasons that millennials leave.  I don’t agree with all of them, but he does suggest one with which I resonate—“They don’t feel challenged”—but I see it in a slightly different way. Raynor says, “Some of us have tried so hard to meet people where they are that we’ve made church too accessible.  Most people want to grow spiritually, and it’s hard to do that in churches that spend an inordinate amount of time catering to the spiritual lowest common denominator. . . .People who don’t feel they have opportunities to move forward spiritually may leave church simply because they’re bored.” I would suggest that challenge comes in many forms.  ...

Mark Wingfield, associate pastor at Wilshire Baptist Church in Dallas, recently posted a blog challenging the assumption that a doctorate degree is always a good thing for pastors to have.   Wingfield presents a good case that not every ministry situation requires someone with a doctorate (Doctor of Philosophy, Doctor of Ministry, Doctor of Education, etc.) and that some churches may just be on an ego trip when they seek a minister with a doctorate. If a church just wants someone with some initials after their name or a title, they can give the candidate a few dollars and point him or her to the internet. We all know that getting a certificate that says one is a “doctor” is different from earning a recognized doctorate degree in a field.  Pastor search committees really need to be asking potential pastors, “Are you a life long learner?” Churches need ministers who are continuing to grow personally, professionally, and spiritually. A minister of the gospel faces ne...

Over the last four years, I have had the opportunity to engage in coaching conversations with some committed and gifted people.  Walking alongside such person as they explore new directions for their lives and ministries is very rewarding.  They are very “coachable.”  But is everyone “coachable”?  The question has been asked in different forms, but the core intent of the inquiry is, “When is a person coachable or ready to be coached?”  In truth, some people are not ready to be coached; that is, they are not ready to commit to a coaching conversation for their own personal or professional growth.  Perhaps the person is dealing with baggage from the past or a poor self-image.  Maybe they have not taken the time to reflect on the idea that they have the ability to do more with their lives.  It may be that the “coachable moment” has not come in their lives. How can you tell if a person is ready to be coached?  Look for these things...

A memorial service for Dr. Katharine Bryan was held in Knoxville on November 6.   Katharine was a colleague while we both served the Executive Board of the Tennessee Baptist Convention but she was also a valued mentor and friend to me. Katharine served as a mission educator for a number of years including 12 years as executive director of the Tennessee Woman’s Missionary Union.  After “retiring” from her work with the state convention, she served as director of adult education at Carson-Newman University and then as interim director of North Carolina.  Katharine was a visionary mission leader, an insightful educator, and a committed church leader, but I remember her most as a mentor. Katharine exhibited the best qualities of a mentor. She was willing to make herself available .  I enjoyed a number of lunches with Katharine as well as “drop in” visits at her office.  Although she was always busy, she was ready to make the time to talk about personal ...

Time to face reality—strategic planning is dead. It has been for a long time, but few have been willing to acknowledge its demise. Things change too fast to develop a three, four, or five year plan of action. The environment, the markets, personal interests, and technology make it impossible to set specific goals for an unknown and unknowable future. I work with a consulting group that provides planning services for churches and not-for-profit organizations. When I first became part of the group, I was reluctant to call what I offered “strategic planning” because I realized the futility of promising anyone that you could help them come up with a hard and fast route to their desired future. We do a visioning process with our clients. You may say, “That’s still planning,” but it is more of a way of thinking that takes into account the realities of a changing world.  We need to be open to respond to opportunities that come our way unexpectedly.  We also must be ready t...

After the gift of the Holy Spirit, the primary resource that God has provided for the development of the church are the women and men who make up the people of God.   Each believer is a unique individual who has been called and gifted by God.   The challenge is to help each person discover how God has “wired them up” to serve. The writer of First Timothy provides this challenge: "Do not neglect the gift that is in you, which was given to you by prophecy with the laying on of the hands of the eldership. Meditate on these things; give yourself entirely to them, that your progress may be evident to all.” (1 Timothy 4:14-15 , NIV) The role of ordained and lay leaders is to call out, encourage, and empower all believers to be part of the mission Dei (the mission of God).  This is disciple development and it can be done in many ways.  The church has used various processes for growing disciples through its long history, but I suggest three that are particula...