Barnabas - the great encourager

Here's the reflection that I shared today during the lunchtime Eucharist for St Martin-in-the-Fields:

Though not named among the twelve apostles of the evangelists, Barnabas emerges in the Acts of the Apostles as one of the most significant of their number (Acts 11. 19-30). He sold his estate and gave the proceeds to the Church, since all things were to be held in common, and clearly became a leader. In Acts 4 we read, "Joseph, a Levite, born in Cyprus, whom the apostles called Barnabas (son of encouragement), sold a field he owned, brought the money, and turned it over to the apostles." (Acts 4:36f). This is the first mention we have of him. His new name fits what we know of his actions. He is described as a Levite from Cyprus so, like Paul, was from the Greek world rather than that of Palestine, and he introduced Paul to the leaders of the Church in Jerusalem.

When Saul (or Paul) came to Jerusalem after his conversion, most of the Christians there wanted nothing to do with him. They had known him as a persecutor and an enemy of the Church. But Barnabas was willing to give him a second chance. He looked him up, spoke with him, and brought him to see the other Christians, vouching for him. He was sent to Antioch apparently to guide the Christians there in their relations with non-Jewish converts, promoting the concept of all being one in Christ.

Later, Paul and Barnabas went on a missionary journey together, taking Mark with them. Part way, Mark turned back and went home. When Paul and Barnabas were about to set out on another such journey, Barnabas proposed to take Mark along, and Paul was against it, saying that Mark had shown himself undependable. Barnabas wanted to give Mark a second chance, and so he and Mark went off on one journey (to Cyprus), while Paul took Silas and went on another. Apparently Mark responded well to the trust given him by the "son of encouragement," since we find that Paul later speaks of him as a valuable assistant (2 Tim 4:11; see also Col 4:10 and Phil 24). Tradition has it that Barnabas was martyred in Cyprus in the year 61. (http://justus.anglican.org/resources/bio/182.html and http://www.excitingholiness.org/first-edition/index.cgi?m06/d11.html)

Dr Meredith Belbin and his team identified nine clusters of behaviour – called the 'Belbin Team Roles' - as part of a unique study of teams that took place at Henley Business School. Belbin suggests that every team needs access to each of the nine Team Role behaviours to become a high performing team. If we were to assess the skills and actions of Barnabas against the Team Roles, he would probably come out as a Teamworker, who helps the team to gel, and a Co-ordinator, who draws out team members and delegates work appropriately. Barnabas consistently facilitated the ministry of others; providing resources for the church in Jerusalem initially, then uniting the church in Antioch, before supporting the developing ministries of Paul and Mark, even when they got into difficulties.

In Ephesians 4 we read that ‘Christ himself gave the apostles, the prophets, the evangelists, the pastors and teachers, to equip his people for works of service, so that the body of Christ may be built up until we all reach unity in the faith’ (Ephesians 4.11-13). So, in a letter attributed to Paul, we hear that the leaders in a church are there to equip the people for service that builds up the whole community. It is feasible that that description of church leaders may have been pointing people to Barnabas as a role model.

We are all part of teams, whether in our church or in elsewhere. All teams need those who, like Barnabas, encourage, equip and facilitate the ministry of others. Michael Moran, one of the great encouragers' at St Martin’s, often encourages each of us to bloom where we are planted; that is an encouragement to take on board for ourselves, but is also one to share with others. In the spirit of Barnabas and Michael, the encouragers', I wonder who we can encourage to bloom where they are planted today and how we might do so.

Pat Marrin, writing of Barnabas, reminds us that: ‘History gives top billing to the big stars, but it is often the supporting players who enabled their greatness.

St. Barnabas … was one of these key agents in the early church, directly responsible for integrating Saul of Tarsus into the Jesus movement after his conversion …

[his] gift was to season others with encouragement. Not too little, not too much, salt improves food, company, conversation and friendship. Barnabas, overshadowed by Paul, taken for granted, invisible and imperceptible, nevertheless enhanced the life of the church in every way.’ (https://www.ncronline.org/news/spirituality/pencil-preaching/st-barnabas-apostle)

May it be so for us. Amen.

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Cyrillus Kreek - While Great Is Our Poverty.

Scriptural Reasoning: Using God's gifts

Our Scriptural Reasoning group considered our use of God's gifts this evening. This is what I said in introducing the Christian text:

Paul’s main role after his conversion was to start new churches in different parts of the Roman Empire. His practice when he arrived in a new city was to preach - either in the synagogue or public square or both. While he continued preaching, he also met with converts in their homes and taught them how to be church. He appointed people in these new churches to be leaders of the church and then moved on to a new area.

So what he means by having laid the foundation for the church at Corinth is that he began the church by preaching and teaching about Jesus, with the teachings about Jesus and the experience of knowing Jesus being the ultimate foundation for the church. He then moved on and the people that he left in charge are the ones who are now building on the foundation that he laid. In other words, they are the ones taking the church forward now.

However, Paul doesn’t leave them behind altogether. He hears news of how they are getting on and he writes to them with advice and further teaching to try to ensure that they develop in the way that he thinks best.

That is the immediate context for the passage. What can it say to us about the use of the gifts that God has given us?

First, Paul is saying that, although the work that we may do is significant, ultimately the work is God’s not ours. We see this in two ways. First, the foundation laid is Jesus. The basis of the work we do for God is God. We are only working for God if we are building on the foundation of God’s revelation of himself. Second, we never complete the work. There is always more to be done and people who will follow us and build on what we have done. This is important as it brings a sense of perspective to what we do. We are working for the long-term not the short-term and we need the input and perspectives of others.

At times in his writings Paul can seem directive and domineering but this tendency is also reigned in to some extent by his awareness that it is God’s work that counts and that he cannot achieve solely by himself and his own resources (which is one reason why he generally travelled with a team of people and created teams of leaders in the churches he established).

Second, our work will be tested. Fire refines or consumes. It burns up wood, hay and straw so it is as though these things never existed but it refines/purifies gold and silver. In Paul’s thinking the test comes at the end of time on the day of judgement but we could also understand testing to be an ongoing, ever-present reality as those around us question and critique what we are doing and the motivations for it. This passage, therefore, seems to encourage us to understand questions and critiques positively as things which can help to refine and better shape the ways in which we use our gifts in God’s service.

In this life the ultimate test is the test of time. What kind of legacy will we leave? Will we, the things we do or the things we make be remembered for any length of time? Will the things we do in the here and now enable other things to occur in the future? Will we have leave a legacy or will the things we do now prove to be ephemeral?

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The Swell Season - Low Rising.