Barnabas File

Yesterday I taught a summer class on coaching and co-facilitated two peer groups of seminary students without leaving my home office.   Using online technology and the telephone, I was able to pursue my work as an adjunct professor for Central Baptist Theological Seminary.   Increasingly, this is the face of theological education in the early 21 st century.   How did we get here? First, God calls. God continues to call out women and men as ministers.   This call comes at the most unexpected times to the most surprised people.   The subject of the call may be a businessman in his fifties, a single mother in her thirties, or a professional nurse in her forties. God calls people of all races and ethnicities.   Certainly God continues to call young men and women to the ministry but not every person who receives the call is right out of college.   God is funny that way. Second, life happens.   Even those who have been called to the ministry have lives beyond the church.   They

Last Saturday night was my first in-person experience with a professional soccer match.   I was not disappointed.   Tied 0-0 with the Seattle Sounders at the 83 minute mark, Sporting KC scored on a penalty and went on to win the game 1-0.   We were right behind the goal when the point was scored.   During the game, it was announced that there was a record attendance that night.   The atmosphere was family friendly and welcoming.   I will be back! I was reflecting on this experience on Sunday and thinking about church participation.   The church I attended on Sunday morning was not packed with people and the atmosphere was—well--worshipful.   This contrast often leads commentators to talk about decline of churches, denominations, and organized religion in general.   If we were doing the right thing, more people would attend our services.   Let’s not compare apples and oranges.   Certainly we do not often find the kind of enthusiasm and participation in organized religion that w

“What’s in it for me?” is a question asked in business.   What is the return on investment?   Although it may not be verbalized, people in the church often ask the same question.   Whenever we engage in ministry with the marginalized, step outside the doors of the church or offer help to the impoverished, or take off to some other part of the country or world to serve, someone is thinking, “What’s in it for us?” One answer can be found in one of my favorite passages in the Book of Acts.   The church at Antioch is doing well. God is blessing.   People of varying ethnic and social backgrounds are responding to the Gospel, they are involved in spirited worship of God, and they are impacting their community.   In Acts 13, we read these words. “Now in the church at Antioch there were prophets and teachers: Barnabas, Simeon who was called Niger, Lucius of Cyrene, Manaen a member of the court of Herod the ruler, and Saul.   While they were worshiping the Lord and fasting, the