I learned this song in Sunday School (sung to the tune of “Bringing in the Sheaves”)

There were twelve disciples Jesus called to help him;

Simon, Peter, Andrew, James, his brother John;

Philip, Thomas, Matthew, James the son of Alphaeus,

Thaddeus, Simon, Judas, and BARTHOLOMEW.

We sort of shouted Bartholomew as an expression of joy that we had gotten through all twelve names without messing them up.

Bartholomew’s Day in the Christian calendar is today, but there isn’t much to say about him. He appears on each of the four lists of the twelve, but there are no stories in the Bible about him. We aren’t even sure what his name is, since Bartholomew may be patronymic for “Son of Tholomai”. Some suggest Bartholomew is the same person as Nathanael in the Gospel of John since the name Bartholomew never appears in John and Nathanael never appears in the other gospels, but that doesn’t help much.

What did Bartholomew do that was so important that we recall his name almost 2,000 years later? Jesus called him and he followed.

What about us? What do we say when Jesus calls us? That Sunday School song had this chorus:

He has called us too. He has called us too.

We are his disciples. I am one-are you?

He has called us too. He has called us too.

We are his disciples. I am one-are you?

There’s the question. Am I a disciple of Jesus? Do I reflect that in everything I think and say and do? It’s something to ponder.

Read Matthew 10:1-13 and remember: God loves YOU unconditionally.

Wayne