Many churches throughout the world use a Bible reading schedule called a "lectionary." It's just a fancy word meaning "selected readings." Posts like this reflect on the readings for an upcoming Sunday or other Church holiday, as found in the three-year lectionary.
This week’s Epistle reading, from 2 Timothy chapter 2, serves as the primary New Testament teaching about passing on the Christian faith from one generation to another. While it does contain that concept, it strikes me that the bulk of the passage is focused on the actual work of the pastor. Timothy was a pastor, sent to Crete by Paul. He is responsible to care for the spread of the Christian message in the various communities in Crete.
How many distractions are there to the work of a pastor? In verse three Paul mentions hardship. Yet his illustrations which continue in verses four through six speak of the kind of work which can be won or lost based on our reaction to disruptions. Are we understanding the signs of our time? Do we know the parameters of our work? In verse eight we are told to remember Jesus. He is heart and center of Christian life and ministry.
What demands are there on a pastor’s life? Do some of them take away from the calling he received? So many pastors are distracted by good and bad things which tear them away from the rightful dedication to God’s Word and prayer. May we have grace to remember Jesus. It is only in this way that we can pass along the Christian faith to the next generations.
If this brief meditation was helpful to you, I hope you will check out the other materials on our website at www.WittenbergCoMo.com and consider supporting us.
This week’s Epistle reading, from 2 Timothy chapter 2, serves as the primary New Testament teaching about passing on the Christian faith from one generation to another. While it does contain that concept, it strikes me that the bulk of the passage is focused on the actual work of the pastor. Timothy was a pastor, sent to Crete by Paul. He is responsible to care for the spread of the Christian message in the various communities in Crete.
How many distractions are there to the work of a pastor? In verse three Paul mentions hardship. Yet his illustrations which continue in verses four through six speak of the kind of work which can be won or lost based on our reaction to disruptions. Are we understanding the signs of our time? Do we know the parameters of our work? In verse eight we are told to remember Jesus. He is heart and center of Christian life and ministry.
What demands are there on a pastor’s life? Do some of them take away from the calling he received? So many pastors are distracted by good and bad things which tear them away from the rightful dedication to God’s Word and prayer. May we have grace to remember Jesus. It is only in this way that we can pass along the Christian faith to the next generations.
If this brief meditation was helpful to you, I hope you will check out the other materials on our website at www.WittenbergCoMo.com and consider supporting us.
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