Barnabas File

Since I have several young grandchildren, I find myself viewing animated films on a regular basis. Sometimes this is enjoyable and other times it is a duty to be endured. Seeing Moana was the former.  The story of a strong-willed Polynesian princess—sorry, the daughter of a tribal chief—and her alliance with the mythological demigod Maui is a fun and engaging experience. Featuring the voices of Auli'i Cravalho , Dwayne Johnson , Rachel House , Temuera Morrison , Jemaine Clement , Nicole Scherzinger and Alan Tudyk , the film follows the usual Disney formula of an adventurous heroine on a quest who is plucky, heroic, and a good singer.  In an effort to save her island and her tribe, Moana seeks out Maui, a hero who has fallen on hard times, for help.  There are some nice underlying themes in the film such as following one’s calling and caring for the earth, but I think the key biblical theme is redemption.  Moana may be the protagonist of the sto...

You walk into your church on Sunday morning and see a piece of trash on floor.  What do you do?   On your way to your Bible study class, you see a young couple with three small children who appear to be confused and looking for the right place to go.   What do you do? If you choose to accept responsibility in the two instances above---disposing of that trash in a refuse container and taking the time to get the couple to the places they need to be—the philosophy behind The Experience:  The 5 Principles of Disney Service and Relationship Excellence will seem like common sense and second nature to you. Bruce Loeffler and Brian Church have drawn on their time with the Disney organization to put together a book which is much a checklist as it is a narrative.   They provide additional examples of superior experiences from other organizations such as the Ritz-Carlton Hotels, Tractor Supply Company (TSC), and Starbucks that are known for their customer s...