Wherever you see the name St. Barnabas or The Branches in print, it is typically paired with this line: Where ALL Are Welcome.  I added this line shortly after my arrival here as Vicar (July 2007) because it was one of the first things I noticed about the community. Folks at St. Barnabas are a friendly group, an outgoing group, a group anxious to welcome the stranger into our midst.

Welcoming  - hospitality - is strongly rooted in the biblical tradition. Hospitality was important among the nomadic tribes of the Old Testament because it assured protection when travelling through foreign lands. For the Lord your God . . . loves the strangers, providing them food and clothing. You shall also love the stranger, for you were strangers in the land of Egypt.  (Deuteronomy 10:17-19).  But hospitality wasn’t only for protection, it was also offered out of thankfulness for the welcome and hospitality that God first showed to us: Welcome one another, therefore, just as Christ has welcomed you, for the glory of God. (Romans 15:7).  Offering hospitality was also considered important because you never knew when you might be entertaining God or God’s messengers: Let mutual love continue. Do not neglect to show hospitality to strangers, for by doing that some have entertained angels without knowing it. (Hebrews 13:1-2). And, if we truly understand ourselves to be members of the Body of Christ, then each time we offer hospitality to another person, we are, in fact, offering hospitality to Christ: Truly I tell you, just as you did it to one of the least of these who are members of my family, you did it to me. (Matthew 25:40) .

In our culture which values privatization and self-sufficiency, being an oasis of welcoming is rare indeed.  And we are blessed at St. Barnabas to be such a place for all who enter our doors. Recently our wardens and vestry passed two welcoming resolutions. I invite you to read them along with the comments of one of our vestry members.

 - Pastor Debra+

St. Barnabas will hold a Shrove Tuesday Pancake Supper on February 16 from 5 to 7 p.m. in the Parish Hall. Join us for a delicious dinner of pancakes, sausage and other goodies! This is a great time for the whole church and community to come together to celebrate and a great event to invite neighbors and friends to enjoy a great meal and great company!

Want to help with the planning, set-up, cooking, or clean-up? Contact Diane at 884-5204.

Shrove Tuesday takes place the day before Ash Wednesday and is traditionally marked by the eating of rich foods made with eggs, sugar, and butter - like pancakes! The name of this day varies from one culture to another, but one thing shared in common - eating!

• Mardi Gras (French): means “Fat Tuesday”
  
• Fastnacht Day (German-American): refers to a fried potato dough served with dark corn syrup
  
• Malasada Day (Hawaii): the occupying Portuguese in the 19th c. used up their butter and sugar making large batches of malasada or “doughnuts”
  
• Sprengidagur (Iceland): means “Bursting Day”
  
• Paczki Day (Polish): an indescribably delicious pastry (a favorite food of Pastor Debra, very popular in Chicago and a suburb of Detroit and only available at this time of year)
  
• Semla (Sweden): a semla is a sweet bun filled with almond paste and whipped cream, sometimes served in a bowl of hot milk In keeping with the tradition of eating,

The St. Barnabas Cares Food Pantry is open to residents of Lower Township at the following times:

• Mondays 10 - 11 am
• 2nd Tuesday 6 - 7 pm
• 4th Monday 9 - 11 am

Food donations (non-perishable items only please) can also be made at those times. On Monday, Jan. 18th (Martin Luther King, Jr. Day) and Monday, Feb. 15th (President's Day) the pantry will be closed.