2 Timothy 2:8-15, October 9-15, Year C:

Paul is reminding Timothy here to remember Christ; for this Christ is worth any amount of suffering, even including imprisonment and death. This Christ is the Davidic descendant, the Messiah, the Promised One, risen from the dead. Paul may be in prison, but the word of God is not bound. The gospel is not restricted by earthly authorities or by time or place. And then, Paul quotes a saying which is trustworthy, probably one of the first formulations of a creedal statement in the early church. In order to be a true disciple, the Christian must learn that living is dying, that endurance is reigning, and that to deny Christ is to be denied by the Father. Yet, even if we are faithless, He remains faithful. Therein lies the grace and forgiveness and ultimate power of God--Father, Son, and Holy Ghost. That is the wonder of the gospel message. God has made a promise. He cannot deny Himself. He has set the plan of salvation in motion. This is what will redeem the elect and ultimately restore the creation. The passage closes with a reminder from Paul to Timothy of certain pastoral responsibilities. He is to remind his flock of these truths and steer clear of quarrels about words. He is to do his best to present himself to God as one approved, a worker who has no need to be ashamed. The requirement to study is part of this pastoral duty. Study is necessary because our minds are limited and prone to laziness. A minister, and even one who desires to be a Christian disciple, must be faithful; but faithfulness involves more than just giving assent to certain doctrines. It involves diligence, preparation, and hard work. It involves prayer, and seeking the mind of the Son and the power and illumination of the Holy Spirit. Faithfulness requires a knowledge of the Bible and the wisdom and the willingness to use that knowledge in the service and under the direction of God Himself.

Tradition?

I was listening to a colege football game on my XM Satellite radio yesterday afternoon when an ad. came on for an eatery in the Clemson, South Carolina, area. The tag line caught my attention. The announcer said: "A Clemson tradition since 1988.) 1988? A Tradition? As I write this, that wasn't even twentyyears ago! Why, we already had MTV and CD's by then. I'd had cable TV for more than ten years by 1988; and lots of people already had computers. Heck, 1988 isn't even a generation ago! Tradition since 1988? How long does something have to exist before it becomes a tradition? Of course, if we do something every day, it can become a tradition within a year or two--maybe even less time than that! But 1988 sounds so recent to me as I sit here in my 57-year-old body. Then again, think of 1988 from the perspective of a college student. Many of them weren't even born in 1988. To them nineteen years seems like an eternity. Things move so much faster today than they did back in the '50's or '60's. "Traditions" come and go so fast that we don't even realize that something was becoming a tradition until it's gone. TV shows can become a family tradition after they run two or three seasons, and then they're taken off the air! I don't know how long something has to be around before it becomes a tradition; and I probably won't be in Clemson, South Carolina, any time soon to try out that restaurant. Pastorates seldom last nineteen years; but I sure hope this church and I become something of a tradition in Schulenburg, Texas! I do know about a really good steak place in Nashville that's been around since the days of Prohibition. Now *there's tradition for you!