Grace and peace to you, dear ones, who are reading today. My general focus is forward for newsletters; I hope to share something with you that will feed your spirit and relate to the upcoming lectionary, just in case you need a preaching/teaching nudge/thought. I am sure you all are way ahead of me and don’t need such!
This week, I have leaned into the Pray-as-you-go.org (the app) for my quiet time. Bishop Shelton has asked us all to begin making this part of our devotional time on a daily basis. Each offering is 10-12 minutes or so, includes music, scripture and questions/food for thought. I am liking this new way to use my phone; I have thus far remained much more “old school” in my devotional time, seeing it as a time away from my phone and in a real book or bible. I hope you will commit to trying this app as a means of connecting with other clergy and laity in our conference this year!
For this newsletter, I am bringing in a passage that was shared this past week (on 1/26) because I’m still pondering these words from Paul:
2 Timothy 1:1-8
Paul, an apostle of Christ Jesus by the will of God, for the sake of the promise of life that is in Christ Jesus.
To Timothy, my beloved child:
Grace, mercy, and peace, from God the Father Christ Jesus our Lord.
I am grateful to God – whom I worship with a clear conscience, as my ancestors did – when I remember you constantly in my prayers night and day. Recalling your tears, I long to see you so that I may be filled with joy. I am reminded of your sincere faith, a faith that lived first in your grandmother Lois and your mother Eunice and now, I am sure, lives in you. For this reason I remind you to rekindle the gift of God that is within you through the laying on of my hands; for God did not give us a spirit of cowardice, but rather a spirit of power and of love and of self-discipline.
Do not be ashamed, then, of the testimony about our Lord or of me his prisoner, but join with me in suffering for the gospel, relying on the power of God.
I have focused on several phrases within this passage over the past few days, rereading, listening again on the app. They seem to be feeding me right now; I hope they may speak to you, whether it is in your preaching or in meeting the needs of your spirit.
“I remind you to rekindle the gift of God that is within you” – there is a gift of God within each of us. This is easy to push aside, for us to forget, on a regular basis. On the worst days, we probably don’t believe it. Perhaps this is why Paul says “I remind you to rekindle. . .” We need reminders. We need to be surrounded by people who remind us that we have the gift of God within us. And when we do remember this gift, we may also need a push to rekindle this gift – to use it as God intended, to get excited about a gift that is ours, from God! What are our gifts? Are we using them, giving thanks for them?
Paul also reminds Timothy that he sees a faith in him which comes from both his grandmother and his mother. For some reason, this phrase feels so comforting. Its a faith so his and yet passed down through generations. There’s something about this which captivates me: I have a faith all my own, and yet, it’s backed up/supported/undergirded by faith that was passed onto me through ancestors, friends, those who raised me in all sort of contexts. Its a “conglomerate” faith perhaps. I mean, when we are feeling low, not remembering our gifts, they are still there. The gift of God is within us as is the faith that was planted in us via grandparents and teachers and friends made along this adventure called life.
We are all beloved, a gift of God. There is so much more to us than meets the eye, even our own perceptions of ourselves. I invite you to remember and recall: who taught you faith and how are they still present within you? And, how might you rekindle the gift of God within you?
I’m grateful for each of you, Harbor friends, as we travel this road together. Please let me know how I can walk with you, pray with you, and come visit with your congregation as we recognize the gift of one another.
Peace,
Tara
PS – I look forward to being with our Lay Leaders on Saturday, February 11, 10am-2pm at Trinity: Wilmington and with our Clergy on Thursday, February 16, at Grace: Wilmington!