When Barnabas arrived (in Antioch) and saw evidence of God’s grace, he was overjoyed and encouraged everyone to remain fully committed to the Lord. Barnabas responded in this way because he was a good man, whom the Holy Spirit had endowed with exceptional faith. A considerable number of people were added to the Lord. – Acts 11:23-24

This morning – Saturday – I have been struggling to get a post going. It’s not that there is a lack of topics to choose from (I have a “Let’s talk about Autism” post percolating, for example), so much as that I want to support my foundational mission as a blogger, which is to write an ongoing journal rooted in my commitment to share the Good News Story in every way.

So I refocused to thinking about next Tuesday’s Bible study and found myself inspired by the above passage found in Acts 11.

Barnabas was known as joyful and positive; he was an encourager. Too much of religion often finds its focus in judging and condemning, but this guy was all about the invitation. Barnabas was a good man, the scriptures tell us, a leader endowed by the Spirit with exceptional faith.

The “Barnabas Effect”

Reading this gave me pause to reflect on the work Rebekah and I have been privileged to be involved in. It’s also front of mind because this weekend is the 43rd anniversary of her ordination as “Minister of Word and Sacrament,” at Trinity Presbyterian Church in Pensacola.

On that day as she knelt at the front of the sanctuary, literally scores of people surrounded her for the “laying on of hands.” Ordained pastors (they were all men in 1982) and elders who had themselves received the blessing, tracing the apostolic succession unbroken through time and generations to when Jesus passed on the responsibility – and the authority – to the disciples.

For Barnabas, and I love his example, it was the authority to encourage. This was the primary focus of Jesus too: “I have said this to you, so that in me you may have peace. In the world you face persecution/trouble/challenges. But take courage/take heart; I have conquered the world” (John 16:31-33).

Rebekah and I have always, consistently and unfailingly over the decades, seen and experienced a strengthening and a blossoming of the Kingdom of God. Whether evidenced in growth in young families, so many baptisms, starting new churches, restoration of what was broken, rebooting excitement, renewal of mission, deeper levels of commitment, movement from membership to discipleship, connecting people to Jesus, expansion of outreach or simply in terms of people more in touch with their relationship with God, we have been privileged to see God’s love in action in miraculous ways.

I stand as witness to all of that only so I can say this: “Our mission has always been to Barnabas our way through ministry.” Yes, there have been challenges and heartbreaks and setbacks and more; but we know and love a God who has charged us with the responsibility to be encouragers, cheerleaders, good-news people, believers. We are witnesses to the love, light, grace, mercy, goodness, justice, righteousness, victory over darkness and healing power of Jesus.

I love to tell the story

“I love to tell the story,” the old hymn goes, “because I know it’s true; it satisfies my longings as nothing else can do!”

We have both been accused – over so many years sharing a positive message rooted in encouragement – of naïveté. But as Rebekah pointed out once to one sourpuss of a preacher, a man who attempted to talk down to her winsome faith, “Maybe when I started out. But now, after all these decades of experiencing God’s blessings in ministry, I think the word you are looking for is not naive but ‘believe’.“

Yes, we believe. Lord, help us all to be encouragers like Barnabas – DEREK

“I love to tell the story” (Arabella Hankey, 1866):

1. I love to tell the story of unseen things above,
   Of Jesus and His glory, of Jesus and His love;
   I love to tell the story, because I know ’tis true,
   It satisfies my longings as nothing else would do.
   • Refrain:
     I love to tell the story,
     ’Twill be my theme in glory,
     To tell the old, old story
     Of Jesus and His love.
2. I love to tell the story, more wonderful it seems
   Than all the golden fancies of all our golden dreams;
   I love to tell the story, it did so much for me,
   And that is just the reason I tell it now to thee.
3. I love to tell the story, ’tis pleasant to repeat,
   What seems each time I tell it more wonderfully sweet;
   I love to tell the story, for some have never heard
   The message of salvation from God’s own holy Word.
4. I love to tell the story, for those who know it best
   Seem hungering and thirsting to hear it like the rest;
   And when in scenes of glory I sing the new, new song,
   ’Twill be the old, old story that I have loved so long.