Barnabas File

We lost a hero this week.  John Glenn passed away at the age of 95.  The last of the original Mercury 7 NASA astronauts, Glenn could not have been more perfect for the role of the first American in space if he had been recruited from Central Casting in Hollywood. He was raised in a small Ohio town, married his childhood sweetheart, was a combat pilot in two wars, and was movie star handsome. Although much of what we think about Glenn comes from The Right Stuff movie where he was portrayed by Ed Harris, those who knew the astronaut well testify that the portrait was accurate.   Glenn was committed to his wife, his family, his country, and his mission.  He was a man of faith and an ordained Presbyterian elder (PCUSA) who saw no conflict between scientific research and a Creator God. I was a high school and college student when Glenn first came to prominence.  As a child of the new “space age,” I was thrilled by the early NASA flights and the mis...

 “As many of you as were baptized into Christ have clothed yourself with Christ.  There is no longer Jew or Greek, there is no longer slave or free, there is no longer male and female; for all of you are one in Christ Jesus” (Galatians 3:27-28). As I approach a birthday this week,   I have been thinking about a number of family, personal, and professional milestones.  Some were very positive experiences, some were bittersweet, and some were disappointing. One of the things that I am disappointed about was my failure to stand up for women in ministry early in my ministry.  Although I always encouraged everyone—male and female—to discover and exercise their gifts and abilities through the church and campus ministry, there were some times when I faltered.  One was in discouraging women to take the top leadership roles in our campus organization. Of course, during that time, I did not know any women who were ordained or who were pastors...