Barnabas File

The latest cultural putdown and internet meme seems to be “OK Boomer.” In  The New York Times,  writer   Taylor Lorenz defines this as, " Generation Z’s endlessly repeated retort  to the problem of older people who just don’t get it , a rallying cry for millions of fed up kids." She writes that teenagers use the term as a comeback to "basically any person over 30 who says something condescending about young people — and the issues that matter to them." Let me clarify at the outset that I am not a Boomer.  I am part of what is often termed the Silent Generation .  Born during World War Two, I was raised by those that I still consider the Greatest Generation, people who came out of two major wars and an economic depression but never gave up.  According to those who study such things, people of my generation “exhibit a strong loyalty to their personal beliefs and possess a strong work ethic.”  For the most part, the descri...

Having grandchildren is a blessing.  Although sometimes care giving of grandchildren becomes a necessity, Rita and I are in a position to enjoy our grandchildren and then send them home to parents! The joy comes from watching them grow, learn, and come into their own as unique, gifted children of God.  They also teach me a lot. Earl Creps in Reverse Mentoring presents an argument for young adults in the church helping their elders learn how to be more effective in ministry.  I think this also applies to interactive grandparenting as my grandchildren help me to learn things that I need to know. First, they keep me informed about contemporary Christian music and the culture it reflects.  I don’t attend a contemporary worship service on a regular basis but through my grandchildren’s encouragement, I now have a couple of stations programmed into my car radio that play contemporary Christian music.  This makes them happy, but it also gives me an idea of t...

Mentoring is a very popular term today with a number of definitions and formats.   Mentoring allows us to benefit from the skills and experiences of others as we identify our own strengths and areas of potential growth.   The practice is important not only in corporations but for churches and not for profit organizations as well.   Several of types of mentoring are suggested in a blog from the Harvard Business Review, and I have added one more. 1.  Buddy or peer mentoring is much like an “apprenticeship” that helps a person “learn the ropes” in a new setting.  Formal peer mentoring helps a new person to mesh into an organization, but much of this type of orientation and assimilation takes place informally.  In a ministerial setting, we often find this type of mentoring with fellow students in seminary, other staff members, or in lunch or coffee groups with ministers in the community.  Although this may be done informally, the process is very im...