Barnabas File

The Apostle James was not one to mince words.   In the book attributed to him, we read:   “With the tongue we praise our Lord and Father, and with it we curse human beings, who have been made in God’s likeness.   Out of the same mouth come praise and cursing. My brothers and sisters, this should not be.”   ( James 3:9-10, NIV) In a first century society built on oral communication, the one who proclaimed this message (probably orally before it was written down) knew how powerful words can be.   Contrary to the old adage--“Sticks and stones can break my bones but words can never hurt me”—words do hurt.   Hurtful and malicious words degrade and demean people made in God’s image.   Words break the heart and the spirit.   They also can inflame passions that lead to violence. Words matter. Although spoken words have great power, we have added another dimension in the 21 st century—the words conveyed by social media.   Many of...

In a recent blog , Tom Ehrich commented on those who are concerned that Christianity is “in trouble.”   He wrote,    “In fact, I would argue that Christianity isn't in trouble at all. Churches are in trouble. Denominations are in trouble. Institutions are in trouble. Professional church leaders are in trouble.” I agree with him.   The Christian faith will survive and prosper but some of the churches, denominations, institutions and professionals who attempt to represent the faith will not.   A student in one of my seminary classes observed, “What I have learned in this class is that every church or Christian institution starts out as missional but losses it way over time and must be renewed.” She nailed it. Churches and institutions are in need of continuous renewal.   Any organization can evolve new structures and strategies to meet opportunities and challenges without surrendering its core values.   A sure sign that a church, institutio...

Fifty years ago this month I was commissioned as a Second Lieutenant in the United States Army.   I had some idea of what was coming in the next few months.   I would graduate from college that same weekend. Rita and I would be married the following month and then almost immediately we would leave for my first posting at Fort Lee, Virginia, for the Basic Officer Training Course.   All of those things happened more or less as expected, but we had little idea of what the future held beyond those days. The years since have been immersed in raising a family, serving in various ministry roles, making and losing friends, living with both faith and uncertainty, experiencing tragedy, and celebrating loving relationships.   Some days I feel like Abraham!   God has given us three children, eight grandchildren, and four great-grandchildren.   This is certainly not a “great nation” by biblical proportions but a significant group of offspring from my perspecti...

How believers talk about the faith to unbelievers, those of faith who have differing interpretations of the faith, or those estranged from the faith has always been a challenge for the Christians.   Does one pursue persuasion and reason or attack and ridicule? Unfortunately, the aggressive approach seems to win out more often in contemporary society.   Apologetics (defense of the faith) very easily becomes polemics (disputation about the faith) in the marketplace of ideas. Much of this is motivated by fear.   We fear that which is different from ourselves.   We fear that which calls into question our established habits and norms.   We also may be afraid that we will be proven wrong or made to look foolish. We see this when a “prayer breakfast” becomes an occasion to attack those who are different from ourselves.   A speaker finds it is much easier to stand on a platform and pontificate than to acknowledge the “other” as a real person who ...