Mark 6:8: He ordered them to take nothing for their journey
except a staff; no bread, no bag, no money in their belts.
Jesus prepares his disciples to go out and spread the word, to
cast out demons and to heal without him. Eugene Peterson
in The Message phrases these instructions a little differently.
“Don’t think you need a lot of extra equipment for this.
YOU are the equipment. No special appeal for funds. Keep
it simple.” If they were rejected, they were to move on and
continue their work. What an awesome job they did in
starting the church. I have often wondered if they would be
happy or sad to look at the church today. How do you think
they would feel? What do you think they would see? What
do you see?
Looking back on the fifty years our St. Barnabas’ Church
has existed, I marvel at what has been accomplished. The
congregation has helped settle Vietnamese refugees; a young
child who needed a liver transplant; many who needed their
homes fixed up; people and families who are hungry and
most recently, the Annandale Safe Youth Project. Wonderful
volunteers have always been available to lead these projects.
By leading joyful God-centered lives we will continue the
work that Jesus and his disciples began 2,000 years ago.
Remember, we are the “equipment.”
Psalm 78:1-39; Genesis 45:1-15; 1 Corinthians 7:32-40;
Mark 6:1-13
These Lenten meditations were written by the people
of St. Barnabas' for the people of St. Barnabas' as part
of our recognition of the 50th anniversary of the founding
of this church. We hope that you will find them helpful
in your own Lenten devotions.
