Barnabas File

Abraham Lincoln is reported to have said: “If I had six hours to chop down a tree, I'd spend the first four hours sharpening the axe.” Stephen Covey in his   The 7 Habits of Highly Effective People  changed this to “Sharpen your saw.”     But even earlier, the author of Ecclesiastes wrote, If the ax is dull, and one does not sharpen the edge, then he must use more strength; but wisdom brings success.” (10:10, NIV).    The Message has, “Remember: “The duller the ax the harder the work; use your head: the more brains, the less muscle.”   The basic idea behind the quote and the story is that we must spend time preparing to accomplish the tasks at hand.  What does this mean for us in these volatile times that challenge our capacity and resilience?  Let me share some ideas.   First, Rest.  In addition to an adequate amount of sleep each night, seize the opportunity during the da...

“If you think that not gathering in a church building is going to kill the church, you just don’t understand the revolution Jesus started.” -- Dan White, Jr. In a previous blog post, I referred to the VUCA world  of volatility, uncertainty, complexity, and ambiguity.    The term certainly describes the context in which we find ourselves--the onset of the coronavirus, political division, and economic challenges. Churches are certainly not immune to these influences, but I have found that clergy leaders are not just reacting but responding in creative and effective ways to this new environment. One thing that church leaders are discovering is that, despite what is going on around them, they must hold on to mission.  As Stephen Covey said, “The main thing is to keep the main thing the main thing.” Although we cannot do ministry as we are accustomed to doing, we are still God’s people carrying out the  missio Dei  (mission of God). ...