The Rev. Dr. M. Craig Barnes is pastor and head of staff of Shadyside Presbyterian Church in Pittsburgh, PA, and is a professor at Pittsburgh Theological Seminary.
The Rev. Dr. M. Craig Barnes is pastor and head of staff of Shadyside Presbyterian Church in Pittsburgh, PA, and is a professor at Pittsburgh Theological Seminary.
Dr. Barnes became the Robert Meneilly professor of leadership and ministry at Pittsburgh Theological Seminary in 2002. In addition to this teaching ministry at PTS, he currently serves as Senior Pastor at Shadyside Presbyterian Church. Previously, he served as the senior pastor of the National Presbyterian Church, Washington, DC. Barnes earned his doctorate from the University of Chicago, where his doctoral advisor was Martin Marty.
He is the author of several popular books, including Searching for Home: Spirituality for Restless Souls (Brazos Press, 2006), Sacred Thirst: Finding God in the Desert of our Longings (Zondervan 2001) and Hustling God: Why We Work So Hard for What God Wants to Give (Zondervan 1999). A well-known Presbyterian, he is also the author of numerous published articles and is a popular speaker at Seminary and church events.
The Meneilly Professorship was established in honor of the Rev. Robert Meneilly '47. It is designed to provide instruction in understanding the dynamics of congregational life and leadership. It also provides experienced pastoral presence on the campus.
The Rev. M. Craig Barnes is pastor and head of staff of Shadyside Presbyterian Church in Pittsburgh, PA, and is a professor at Pittsburgh Theological Seminary.
More...Our text today begins with Jacob running away from home. He's running because his older brother Esau was trying to kill him for deceiving their father and stealing the blessing of Esau's inheritance. Jacob traveled up to Haran, where his uncle Laban lived. And as soon as he arrived, he saw Laban's daughter Rachel out in the fields with her father's sheep. It was pretty much love at first sight for Jacob who was enraptured by Rachel. Jacob started working at Laban's sheep farm, and eventually they hammered out a deal. The deal was that if Jacob worked for seven years, Laban would let him marry Rachel.
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