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 ...