Barnabas File

“We will never be able to repay the privileges we have been given, but we can try.”—Seth Godin Our Bible study this week was on the parable of the laborers in the vineyard ( Matthew 20:1-16).  As with most parables, we might interpret it in various ways.  One way is to think about it as an expression of an equitable community.  Everyone who was willing to work received a fair day’s wage.  This meant that everyone was cared for and provided a positive ripple effect for the larger community; however, the first hired were interested in their own reward rather than whether the other workers had what they needed.  Rather than celebrating the landowner’s generosity, they questioned it. The bottom line is that in real community, we look out for each other.  How might we apply this to the world of work today? In  Give and Take:  Why Helping Others Drives Our Success , Adam Grant poses this question: “Every time we intera...

Having a coach is a good investment for a client. A coach provides the client the opportunity to identify one’s growing edge and to live into it.     This involves discerning a desired outcome, action steps to pursue to get there, and measures of success.     The coach also helps the client identify the resources available to assist in that quest. Resources include time, relationships, abilities, and strengths.   Why should we encourage clients to work from their strengths rather than focusing on developing their weaknesses?  The client should take advantage of what he or she already does well in working toward a goal.  Generally, there is some innate reason that we are not strong in a certain area.  This may be natural inclination, lack of passion, or personal disposition.   Marcus Buckingham has noted:   “You grow most in your areas of greatest strength. You will improve the most, be the   most creative, be the most...

I was first introduced to Celtic Christianity over thirty years ago when I heard Professor George Hunter make a presentation based on his book, The Celtic Way of Evangelism.     Hunter argued that the Celtic church converted Ireland from paganism to Christianity in a remarkably short period, and then proceeded to send missionaries throughout Europe.    He observed that its strengths provide a basis of effective evangelism in our time.   Celtic Christianity is a fascinating blend of early Christian beliefs and practices with the indigenous spiritual traditions of the Celtic peoples of Ireland, Scotland, Wales, and Cornwall. There are some key elements of the strategy that resonate with our contemporary culture and churches might consider as they seek to impact individuals, affinity groups, and communities with the Christian message.   First, the emphasis on monasticism.  Monasteries were the heart of Celtic Christianity. They were not just pla...