Barnabas File

Ministers tend to collect Bibles over the years.     I received a Scofield Reference Bible when I was ordained.     I collected several translations while in seminary including Greek, Greek Interlinear, a Harmony of the Gospels, and Hebrew scriptures (and rarely touched after seminary).      My Bible that has the most wear and tear is a New American Standard Version (The Open Bible Edition) that I used while serving as a campus minister on three campuses.     It is a little worse for wear these days, but I have found it illuminating to look back on the passages underlined, the notes in the margins, and the “Personal Study Notes” in the back.  There are several things there that reflect both what I was attempting to teach and what I was trying to learn.   One of the first things added was this quote from Francois de Fenelon, Archbishop of Cambrai (1651-1715):   “The right to be wrong in matters of religious belief must...

As I read the story of the Good Samaritan during my devotional today, I was reminded of the times that I have heard the story in the Christian education setting of the local church--as a youngster in primary and intermediate classes (old terminology), as a young adult in college classes, and then as an adult, often teaching the passage myself.     The characters and story line are very familiar due to these experiences of Christian education. These are challenging times for Christian education in the church.  Like so much of what is happening in the church today, the old forms do not seem to support present needs.  What once worked no longer seems to be effective.  Christian education or the formation of believers is in a state of flux. In an article on ethicsdaily.com , retired professor Colin Harris addresses this issue. He points out that the period of the 60’s and 70’s  “saw the beginnings of a loss of vitality within the educa...

As people of faith, we are part of a story.   You may choose to begin that story with the Garden, but I usually start with the covenant that God established with Abraham in Genesis 12:1-3:       “I will make you into a great nation, and I will bless you . . . and all peoples on earth   will be blessed through you.”   God was calling out a people who would do what God does—bless others.   The end of the story is found in Revelation 21:1-3:   “Then I saw a new heaven and a new earth . . . And I heard a loud voice from the throne saying, ‘Look! God’s dwelling place is now among the people, and he will dwell with them. They will be his people, and God himself will be with them and be their God.’”   God’s people find themselves in perfect union with God at the end of the story. A lot happens to humankind and it relationship to God between Genesis and Revelation, but the theme continues—God is calling out a people who will be on the miss...

This past Sunday our pastor Michael Smith preached on Luke 15:11-32, the parable we usually refer to as “the prodigal son” or “the loving father.”   He referred to it as “the indispensable parable.”   Mike’s approach was that this text tells us a lot about the family of God and provides a lens for us to use as we read all of scripture.   This is a good insight.   Although it may be unconscious, I think that most of us tend to look at scripture through the point of view of a particular scripture text or texts. For example, if you read the Bible through the lens of John 3:16, you see the unfolding thread of God’s plan of salvation from Genesis to Revelation.   If you read it though the texts dealing with the Lord’s supper, you probably are more sensitive to passages about the formation of the people of God throughout the Old and New Testaments, and God’s desire for unity, sharing, and love in that community of faith.   If you read the Bible from the pe...