Our Patronal Feast

Yes, “patronal” is a churchy word since it is not used in many other contexts (and should not be confused with the Patronus charm from Harry Potter, but I digress).  It is the adjectival form of the word “patron” and, in this case, refers to the patron saint of our church, i.e. St. Barnabas.
I think it is wonderful tradition to name a community of believers in remembrance of persons of faith.  Many of these people have been given the title of “saint” for their extraordinary life and are usually remembered on the day of their deaths in the Church calendar.  Often times a church is dedicated on the feast day of a specific saint and hence takes on the name of that saint.  Such is the case of St. Barnabas.
A faithful community of believers gathered together on June 11, 1872 (June 11th is the feast day of St. Barnabas) and dedicated themselves to living as disciples of Christ in this area of New Jersey, along the Route 1 corridor.  In the 145 years since its inception, several buildings have housed and many people have incarnated the ministry and mission of this congregation, sharing God’s love and presence with one another and the world.
Not many churches are named after St. Barnabas, but the fortunate few are truly blessed to live into the legacy of a faithful man.  All we know of him is in the Acts of the Apostles.  He was a Levite, which meant his family was from the tribe of Levi, the tribe of priests of Israel.  However, we are also told the he was a native of Cyprus, which means that his family was part of the diaspora that did not return to Israel and made their lives outside the Promise Land.  He was a man of property as he sold a field and gave the money to Jesus’s apostles soon after the Pentecost event.  This means that Barnabas had learned of Jesus Christ and chose to change his life radically by giving himself completely to the ministry and mission of the Way.
It was Barnabas who brings the most notorious persecutor of the church, Saul, back to the elders in Jerusalem after Saul’s conversion on the road to Damascus.  It was Barnabas who worked with Saul/Paul in the early church, teaching, preaching and healing Jews and Gentiles alike throughout the Mediterranean area. And it was Barnabas who, for the sake of the Gospel, left Paul when their differences (which are never really explained) make it difficult to serve together. 
Barnabas, whose apostolic name means “son of encouragement”, exemplifies offering ministry with no ego or pride – only to share the love of God through knowing Jesus Christ. He gave of himself in every way possible to support and uphold the ministry of others, especially Paul and Peter.  And while their private conversations are not recorded in the pages of the Book of Acts, I am sure Barnabas lived into his name and offered continuous encouragement to his friends, reminding them to truth fully in God.
This sensibility is exactly the way we still need to be in the world, especially in our current secular culture that dismisses “organized religion” as arcane expressions of authority.  We need to be reminded that God is and continues to be with us always, especially when we feel lost and forgotten.
It is very appropriate that as the community of St. Barnabas, we too are encouragers in our age, sharing our love for God with God’s people.  And taking the example of Barnabas and Paul, who spent years with various communities and established relationships with people, this ministry is about support rather than the slightly terrifying idea of proselytizing to strangers. 
With credit to Bob Logan, who wrote the short book “Becoming Barnabas,” we are given 6 questions to inquire of our family, friends, co-workers and others whom we encounter:
How are you?
What are you celebrating?
What challenges are you experiencing?
What do you plan to do about these challenges?
How can I help you?
How can I pray for you?
These simple questions move beyond the nice pleasantries we share into authentic concern and support WITHOUT solving another’s problems.  And, save for the last question, they are not overtly religious. And yet, by engaging in the rest of the conversation, that final question shouldn’t feel awkward or oppressive because it is about our want to offer prayer in the hope it will help the other.  And most people are happy for someone to pray for them!
As we continue to live into the legacy of our patron saint, I hope we can become more comfortable and authentic in continuing his ministry of encouragement.  These questions are a wonderful way to do that.  I am sure Barnabas who approve and encourage us to be bold for God!
In Christ,

Rev. Valerie+

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