Barnabas File

“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). ...

With 22 films over an eleven-year period, the Marvel Cinematic Universe closes out this chapter with Avengers:   Endgame , an exciting and emotional epic.   If you have not seen the film, no spoilers here! All good stories involve conflict, and there is plenty of that in the Marvel films, but the ultimate conflict is between two of the key superheroes--Iron Man (Tony Stark) played by Robert Downey, Jr., and Captain America (Steve Rogers) played by Chris Evans. Together, they embody the dichotomy that is America (and perhaps western civilization). Tony is an unrepentant capitalist--brash, rude, results-oriented, and short-tempered--but with an evolving social conscience.  Steve is a patriot in the best sense of the word--courteous, humble, committed, and brave--but a man out of his own time.  Steve represents the morality and values that we want to be known for as a people.  Tony represents the drive, vitality, and innovation that has d...

How do you measure success?  For many, it is a nice house, functional car(s), and a well-stocked refrigerator and pantry.  Just to have these things makes us richer than the majority of people in the world.  Of course, we don’t stop there.  We would like our share of electronics, opportunities to eat out on a regular basis, a few “toys” (name your favorite), and a variety of entertainment options.  If we are a bit more introspective, we will share our desire for personal health, good family or friend relationships, a challenging vocation, and a growing relationship with God. If I asked you to prepare a list of things that make one successful, you would pretty quickly come up some of the things I have already noted.  In doing this exercise, we describe our preferred reality, the type of life we work to create despite economic downturns, sickness, catastrophes, and relocations.  There is nothing inherently wrong with this, but this perception of r...