Welcome Home!
“Welcome one another as
Christ has welcomed you.”
Romans 15:7 (ESV)
Two very different events have occurred in my life over the last 7 days, but both have had the same theme: “Welcome home!”
Last week our oldest son Robert was named the new head football coach at our local high school. Vestavia Hills High School is Robert’s alma mater and the place where he excelled athletically. “Welcome Home!” was the theme of the school’s media announcements. It was also the theme for Monday night’s “Meet and Greet” introduction to our community. I finally quit counting the number of times I heard people say, “Welcome home, Robert!” but I never tired of hearing them say it! Our family has been so blessed by the outpouring of community support that Robert and Anne have received and we are very grateful.
Last Thursday was also the homegoing for Barbara Barker after her long battle with dementia. Barbara was the beloved wife of our church’s founding pastor Dr. Frank Barker who also died just 17 days before Barbara. I have no doubt that the first words Barbara heard in heaven after “Well done, good and faithful servant” (Matthew 25:21) were the words, “Welcome home!”
Dr. Harry Reeder, Senior Pastor of Briarwood Presbyterian remembered Barbara Barker “as an amazing and unique woman of God. Her leadership, teaching, hospitality, and creative gifts from God were distinctively and constantly on display in concert with Frank and his ministry. Barbara’s talents and gifts were prominently seen in the Briarwood Ballet where she pioneered the ministry in 1980 and served as founding director for over 40 years.”
When I remember Barbara, I think of her hospitality and how many times she opened her own doors with “Welcome! We’re so glad you’re here!” Biblical hospitality extends the gift of place to others by making them feel welcome, wanted, and worth the trouble. Barbara Barker did just that with fifty years of weekly Saturday morning men’s prayer breakfasts, visitors’ dinners, Bible studies, and folks who just needed a place to stay. Her son Frank III once remarked that he was never sure from day to day just who was going to be sleeping in his bed that night!
Beyond her hospitality, I will always be grateful for Barbara’s Scripture memory. As much as she loved teaching the Bible, Barbara loved memorizing it more. As a young mom I was blessed by her teaching and personal testimonies of God’s faithfulness and provision. Barbara always challenged me to memorize God’s word in chunks, large passages of scripture and not just verses. Romans 8, John 15, and the entire book of Philippians were some of her favorites. I marveled at, not just her ability, but her determination and commitment, to memorize God’s Word as she juggled marriage, children, ministry, and ballet responsibilities.
A Celebration of Life Service will be held for Barbara B. Barker on Sunday, January 23 at 2:30 in the Worship Center. A visitation will be held afterward in the foyer. This service will be live-streamed on Facebook, at briarwood.org/livestream and on the Briarwood App.
Welcome home!