We are very grateful to Peter Graystone for making daily Bible readings available for us.  Enjoy!

The Spirit and the church 

Sharing everything

& The whole group of those who believed were of one heart and soul, and no one claimed private ownership of any possessions, but everything they owned was held in common. With great power the apostles gave their testimony to the resurrection of the Lord Jesus, and great grace was upon them all. There was not a needy person among them, for as many as owned lands or houses sold them and brought the proceeds of what was sold. They laid it at the apostles’ feet, and it was distributed to each as any had need. There was a Levite, a native of Cyprus, Joseph, to whom the apostles gave the name Barnabas (which means ‘son of encouragement’). He sold a field that belonged to him, then brought the money, and laid it at the apostles’ feet.
 

Acts 4:32-37

    When a name gets changed, there is always a good reason. When the Windscale nuclear reprocessing plant in Cumbriachanged its name to Sellafield, there must have been people who hoped that any negative associations it had would change with it. In March 2001 the Royal Mail changed its name to Consignia at a cost of £½ million. Fifteen months and £1 billion of losses later, they changed it back. In June 2002 the accountancy firm Price Waterhouse Cooper briefly changed its name to Monday - a failure that rather overestimated people’s enthusiasm for the start of a working week.
 

It must be remarkable to have your name changed to ‘the encourager’. And even more so to deserve it so much that people forget you were originally called something else. Barnabas was later to strengthen the work of churches, to build bridges between old enemies, and to train promising young people. But he first earned his name through an act of generosity on behalf of people in need.
 

In 1964 a twenty-year-old organisation called the Department for the Inter-Church Aid and Refugee Service changed its name to Christian Aid. Snappy, huh!
 

It is interesting to reflect on how its work has subsequently echoed that of Barnabas.

 

Try to identify the names of someone who has encouraged you and someone who needs encouragement. Make a couple of phone calls this evening for some idle chatter!

' Holy Spirit, the encourager:
give me grace to follow in the steps of Barnabas,
who followed in the steps of Jesus,
who gave everything on behalf of a needy world. Amen.