Barnabas File

Although Bible commentators suggest that Luke was probably writing his gospel for a Gentile audience, the first chapter of the gospel links directly with the Hebrew Bible and prophecy.  Zechariah and Elizabeth are a righteous couple from priestly lineage who represent the best of that tradition.  There is a bit of humor in Zechariah’s encounter with the Angel Gabriel, his voice being silenced due to his doubt, and an older couple finding themselves pregnant, but the task they receive is serious--they will give birth to and nurture the new Elijah, forerunner of the Messiah.   Elizabeth and her husband represent several things that we should take seriously as we consider the role of senior adults in the church today.   First, they represent communal memory.  They remind us from where we have come. Senior adults today provide link to the rich heritage of faith not only of the Hebrew tradition but now the 20 centuries of Christian faith and practice. ...

One of the challenges of Advent is keeping the events and persons fresh and relevant.     There is a tendency to come up with some basic ideas and become stuck there.     In an effort to get some new perspective, I reading Adam Hamilton’s book The Journey. He combines biblical reflection, observations about the places mentioned, and some preaching imagination to bring new insights to Mary, Joseph, and others in these familiar stories.   As he writes about Mary’s visit to Elizabeth (which probably lasted several months), Hamilton identifies the mentor and protégé relationship that was established between the two women. It is one worth unpacking.   First, when Mary finds herself miraculously pregnant, she must have thought of her kinswoman Elizabeth who also had been unexpectedly blessed.  Through the family grapevine, Mary learned that elderly, revered woman was expecting.  Although their circumstances were different, Mary identified eno...

One of the challenges of Advent is keeping the events and persons fresh and relevant.     There is a tendency to come up with some basic ideas and become stuck there.    In an effort to get some new perspective, I have been reading Adam Hamilton’s book The Journey in recent days. He combines biblical reflection, observations about the places mentioned, and some preaching imagination to bring new insights to Mary, Joseph, and others in these familiar stories.   As he writes about Mary’s visit to Elizabeth (which probably lasted several months), Hamilton identifies the mentor and protégé relationship that was established between the two women. It is one worth unpacking.   First, when Mary finds herself miraculously pregnant, she must have thought of her kinswoman Elizabeth who also had been unexpectedly blessed.  Through the family grapevine, Mary learned that elderly, revered woman was expecting.  Although their circumstances were differ...

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...

The Christmas season is here.  I know it is true not because of the displays in the stores--they have been pushing gift-giving and decorations since September--or the pounds of catalogs that arrive in our mailbox daily, but because the Salvation Army bell ringer with kettle was in front of the grocery store when I shopped last Friday.  Christmas is coming! Despite the commercialization of the season, Christmas is a defining moment in the year for believers and non-believers.  As an adult, my appreciation of the season has been enriched by Advent and its liturgical practices.  Advent Bible studies have allowed me to understand how anticipation of the coming of Messiah is both a joyous and bittersweet event.  The babe in the manger will become the crucified man on the cross.  Christ is born to die for humankind. I also understand that Christmas is a challenging time for clergy.  In addition to the special Advent services, parishioners want a...

Like most Baptists of my age who grew up in the South, Advent as part of the liturgical year (or the liturgical year, for that matter) was not part of my tradition.   The idea of expectancy and preparing for the coming of the Christ Child was still part of our celebration and our worship, however. As a child, I experienced not only the anticipation of Christmas morning gifts from generous parents and grandparents, but the wonderful carols and sacred music of the season as well as the shared worship experiences in a close church family.    As a college student, I looked forward to the time back home, but there were other aspects of the season that gave it meaning.   One of the first real dates I had with my future spouse was attending a Christmas performance of Handel’s Messiah.   I remember that every time I hear the work performed. As we became engaged, I looked forward to taking my finance home to spend holiday time with family and friends and f...

Babies change our lives.   No matter how much we plan, we are never really ready for what a new child brings into our lives.   They turn our lives upside down. In Isaiah 7, 8, and 9, the writer tells about three births.   Commentators make clear that Isaiah expected each of these births to take place within his lifetime or the near future. They were words of warning to King Ahaz of Judah and words of hope for God’s people.   The following text provided the hope of a just and righteous king who would rule his people with wisdom: For to us a child is born,      to us a son is given,      and the government will be on his shoulders. And he will be called      Wonderful Counselor, Mighty God,      Everlasting Father, Prince of Peace. (Isaiah 9:6, NIV) The text above probably was meant to be applied to Ahaz’s successor, Hezekiah, a hope for redemption.   Hezeki...

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...

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 ...

“But about that day or hour no one knows, not even the angels in heaven, nor the Son,  but only the Father. ”—Matthew 24:36 The fact that this is my 666 th blog posting on Barnabas File seems appropriate since so many Christian associate that number—“the number of the Beast”—with the end times, and some  people expected that the world would end today based on some interpretations of the Mayan calendar.  As of this writing, the world has not ended. This type of thing comes along regularly.  Christians have been anticipating the end of this present world since the time of Christ.  Various millennialists, chiliastics, prophets, and seers arise from time to time to proclaim “the end of days.” Some modern Christian sects have been founded on such calculations and then their leaders have done some fancy interpretation when the date arrived and everyone was still here.  The predictions continue, however. In connection with the present prediction,...