WATCHWORD:
2 I am writing to Timothy, my true son in the faith. May God the Father and Christ Jesus our Lord give you grace, mercy, and peace. 3 When I left for Macedonia, I urged you to stay there in Ephesus and stop those whose teaching is contrary to the truth. 4 Don’t let them waste their time in endless discussion of myths and spiritual pedigrees. These things only lead to meaningless speculations, which don’t help people live a life of faith in God.
5 The purpose of my instruction is that all believers would be filled with love that comes from a pure heart, a clear conscience, and genuine faith. 6 But some people have missed this whole point. They have turned away from these things and spend their time in meaningless discussions. 7 They want to be known as teachers of the law of Moses, but they don’t know what they are talking about, even though they speak so confidently.
8 We know that the law is good when used correctly. 9 For the law was not intended for people who do what is right. It is for people who are lawless and rebellious, who are ungodly and sinful, who consider nothing sacred and defile what is holy, who kill their father or mother or commit other murders. 10 The law is for people who are sexually immoral, or who practice homosexuality, or are slave traders, liars, promise breakers, or who do anything else that contradicts the wholesome teaching 11 that comes from the glorious Good News entrusted to me by our blessed God. 1 Timothy 1:2-11
Meditation:
Wanted: Bold Christians
Funny how some things don’t change. In today’s world, we seek creative leadership in our churches, and leadership seems to be in short supply. Even in our seminaries the numbers are dwindling, while the number of churches without ordained leadership are rising. In apostle Paul’s day, it was the same, only different.
Paul, planter of churches to the Gentiles, had an immediate and future need for church leadership. He often sought out and instructed young members of congregations to step into leadership roles. Timothy was one of those, and Paul considered him his true son in the faith.
Paul depended on Timothy, coached him in ways to overcome the young man’s fear and a lack of confidence, then left him in charge of the church in Ephesus. After his release from prison, Paul discovered that during his absence the church there had become a storm center of false teaching. Timothy was intimidated by the many voices that seemed to be raised in opposition to what he was preaching.
In this letter to Timothy, Paul reminded his young charge of his spiritual gifts and the need to continue to nurture them and share them openly and with boldness. More importantly, he reminded Timothy that the fear that he was feeling was not from God, and that he had within himself all the power and love and self-discipline he needed to overcome, all graces given by the Lord.
As we read Paul’s letters we get the sense that he is speaking to us, encouraging us to overcome those influences that take us away from our commitment to Jesus. In this day of isolation and separation from the physical church, and all that that means, we must rely upon the spirit of Christ for the commitment and self-control needed to carry out whatever tasks God has given us.
We hear a lot about “Covid-fatigue”, and it shows up among some of our loved ones in the form of anger, or carelessness, or risk-taking. It is in this environment that our strength, trust and confidence rests in whose we are and our “genuine faith” which equips us to shine a light of encouragement with those who are in a dark place in their lives. We are called to reach out, to lift a light on the paths of those who are struggling. Encourage them. We all need to know that the time is coming when this darkness will fade, but for now, our task is to persevere. Stay with God’s program, so that we will all be there when that new day dawns. Amen??
Bulletin Board:
Can I riddle you? What is seen in the middle of March and April that can’t be seen at the beginning or end of either month? Do you need a clue, or r you thinking of the answer?
Okay, that was bad and some of you still haven’t solved it. Enough of that. Back to the shaggy dog:
The story of the Revolting General — There was a Babylonian General who was declared a traitor for leading a revolt. He escaped one night and hid in an old Babylonian ziggurat, or temple, where he expected to find some of his associates. He searched all over, but couldn’t find them! So, he figured he had better burn all the secret plans that were hidden in the ziggurat. As soon as the fire was going he threw in the first papers, and he was then promptly discovered and captured.
The moral of the story: WARNING! The searchin’ General has determined that smoking ziggurats may be hazardous to your stealth!
Closing Prayer:
Heavenly Father, during this season of Advent, as we come expectant with joy, pouring over promises made by prophets, may we rest assured that even though we have sinned, nothing can separate us from Your love. Give us the grace to show and share the love of Jesus with everyone we meet. Amen.
