Barnabas File

Parker Palmer is one of my favorite authors.   This quote from Palmer recently came to my attention: "The good news is that God loves us, and we’re all created in God’s image. And if you really believe that today, then that means staying grounded in that good news, being open to the world, taking creative risks and investing yourself and your resources." As I read this passage, I became aware that this provides a good theological basis for coaching. First, we are all created  in God’s image .  As I am involved in coaching my clients, I am aware they are individuals created in the image of God.  They are special and unique.  No matter where they are in their spiritual walk, they are important to God and to me. Second, my approach to coaching is  grounded in the good news .  For me that means everyone has the potential to be “transformed by the renewing of [the] mind” (Romans 12:2) and seeing life through the perspe...

Parker Palmer is one of my favorite authors.   This quote from Palmer recently came to my attention: "The good news is that God loves us, and we’re all created in God’s image. And if you really believe that today, then that means staying grounded in that good news, being open to the world, taking creative risks and investing yourself and your resources." As I read this passage, I became aware that this provides a good theological basis for coaching. First, we are all created  in God’s image .  As I am involved in coaching my clients, I am aware they are individuals created in the image of God.  They are special and unique.  No matter where they are in their spiritual walk, they are important to God and to me. Second, my approach to coaching is  grounded in the good news .  For me that means everyone has the potential to be “transformed by the renewing of [the] mind” (Romans 12:2) and seeing life through the perspe...

Fear is a powerful emotion.   The common reactions that a person adopts when he or she is fearful are   either “fight” or “flight,” but fear can cause individuals to do other things as well.    Fear can cause one to lie and cheat, to see the other as somehow alien and hateful, and to see reality in a horribly distorted way.   Otherwise good people act in bad ways due to fear. In A HiddenWholeness , Parker Palmer points out that fear feeds an arrogance that provides justification for our unseemly actions.  We fear being powerless, so we adopt a feeling of arrogance.  Of course, arrogance is rooted in insecurity. My arrogance becomes a shield against my insecurity and fear. Palmer, “The more insecure I feel, the more arrogant I tend to become, and the most arrogant people I know are also the most insecure.” It’s a vicious circle, isn’t it?     So what do we do with this fear?  In 1 John 4:18 we read these words, “ There is ...