Rekindling the Flame

A Sermon prepared for Cruso UMC and Longs UMC

You are once again getting a hot off the press sermon this week. When your pastor called me a couple of weeks ago I felt the luxury of having a lot of time to prepare and began immediately looking up and reading the different lectionary texts for this week. Typically when I read them something either jumps right out at me or I’m able to eliminate a couple that don’t jump out at me at all and I go from there. Nothing majorly jumped out at me this time but I did feel at peace with selecting this passage in 2nd Timothy. I began doing the research on it pretty consistently, tackling a verse or two a night and then life interrupted me as I was called upon to participate in my first funeral as a minister. This was followed by a work deadline and on Thursday I remembered that I was preaching today. I have really wrestled with this text over the last few days and was beginning to wonder if a sermon would ever come from all the wrestling…..but as God always does as I milled it over in my head while washing dishes and doing laundry things began to fall into place and what you get today is the product of that scenario.
The very first thing that I thought of when I read this passage was my Uncle Stan. Stan is 6 years my senior. He was in the first grade when I was born. Being that our age difference was so small our relationship was more that of siblings than of aunt and uncle. I always had admiration for him and looked up to him. He just recently published his first book, “Poor Memory” It is a fictional book based on reflections of his own call to ministry with the characters based on real people he has encountered in life. I was thrilled when I began reading the book and there in the first pages was this line…. “Other times I’m in front of the class for Show-N-Tell proudly displaying a ……picture of my newborn niece.” I made the book….Nevermind that he was describing a recurring nightmare of being in front of people with his socks, shoes and shirt on but no pants, only his drawers. That didn’t matter…..I still made the book and he told everyone that would read it that he was proud of me even then. Thus was born a relationship of niece/uncle; friends; mentor/mentoree.

Such was the relationship of Paul and Timothy. Paul the mentor/Timothy, the mentoree. Bare with me for a little while as I give you just a bit of a history lesson. When you are reading letters that Paul has written, it is important to understand the context within which they are written. Who are the characters in this letter.
The writer is identified in the text as Paul. We know from reading the book of Acts that Paul was at one time a persecuter of Christians. He was a Roman Citizen and a self avowed “phairisee” He was born as Saul. He had a powerful conversion experience and made a life change from being the persecuter to being the persecuted. He traveled throughout, beginning his ministry in Damascus and continuing on to take three Missionary Journeys going back to Jerusalem 5 times. Part of Paul’s ministry was insuring that the word spread beyond the Hebrew nations and to the Gentile world. Paul knew that Jesus came for all, there was no discrimination for Jesus love. He was hotly pursued by other Jewish leaders and persecuted for the message he was delivering. He ended up being put in prison because of his ministry. It is assumed that Paul is writing Timothy from Prison. In reading the whole book of 2 Timothy it seems as though Paul is near the end of his life and knows this and needs to write to Timothy some final words of advice.
Timothy was biracial so to speak. His mother was Jewish, his father was Greek. We know that his mother’s name was Lois and his grandmother was Eunice and we know that Lois and Eunice played a very vital role in giving Timothy the foundations of his faith. Paul had heard of Timothy, met him and decided to have Timothy join him in ministry. Timothy was young when he became ordained throught the laying on of the elders hands. Timothy, Paul and Silas are frequently mentioned together. Paul concentrating his ministry to the Jews and sending Timothy out to the Gentiles. (thus insuring that all persons are ministered to.) Paul refers to Timothy many times as being “like a son” to him. Paul was a coach, a teacher, a mentor. He feels very protective over Timothy and he wants to see Timothy succeed. Timothy and Paul were separated from each other when Paul was being pursued and upon that separation Timothy cried as Paul left him.
So, that is the background that brings us to this text today. A letter from a mentor to his mentoree. As we travel together through this text I want you to think of times when you have had the opportunity to mentor, advise, counsel, coach another person and think of times when you have sought the same from another. In Thessalonians, Paul, Silas and Timothy write to the church saying that they dealt with the church as a father deals with a son, they go on to identify this as encouraging, comforting and urging each other to live lives that are worthy of God’s calling of all of them into kingdom living.
The text begins as all texts written by Paul with Paul identifying himself and the person/group to whom he is writing. He then goes on as he does in his letters, to telling Timothy that He thanks God for him. He lets him know that he is constantly remembering him in prayer. One interesting thing that came from the study of this phrase in verse 3 where he says “I thank my God with a clear conscience as night and day I constantly remember you in prayer” came in the reading of I Samuel 12:20ff. In the passage Samuel is giving an exiting speech before his death. The passage reads:
"Do not be afraid," Samuel replied. "You have done all this evil; yet do not turn away from the LORD, but serve the LORD with all your heart. 21 Do not turn away after useless idols. They can do you no good, nor can they rescue you, because they are useless. 22 For the sake of his great name the LORD will not reject his people, because the LORD was pleased to make you his own. 23 As for me, (here it is) far be it from me that I should sin against the LORD by failing to pray for you. And I will teach you the way that is good and right. 24 But be sure to fear the LORD and serve him faithfully with all your heart; consider what great things he has done for you. 25 Yet if you persist in doing evil, both you and your king will be swept away."
When I’ve thought of sin before I don’t think I’ve thought of the omission of praying for people as sinful. That is pretty strong. However in reading this statement made by Paul about having a clear conscience because he has prayed constantly for Timothy and this very similar statement made by Samuel I think our very first lesson today is to Pray constantly for the persons God has put in our lives. To encourage one another, comfort one another, urge one another in love.
He goes on to acknowledge Timothy as being faithful to what he has been taught by his mother and grandmother and he then goes forward to be and encourager and urger to Timothy. He says “for this reason I remind you to fan the flame, the gift of God which is in you through the laying on of my hands. Reading this reminds me of a trip the Sunday School class made this summer to Deep Creek. We had built a fire in the grill out of twigs and paper so that we could make smores. The fire would begin to die out and one of the men would blow on it. Fire needs fuel and oxygen is fuel that will rekindle a flame. What a great illustration for faith sometimes. It is real easy to forget sometimes that important calling on our life, whatever it might be. In this instance for Timothy it was a calling to preach, to lead the church. It seems Paul senses that Timothy might be questioning his own worthiness or abilities for such a task and Paul wants to encourage Timothy to keep those gifts alive; to keep going.
I knew from a pretty early age that God was calling me into ministry. Growing up Baptist I had a lot of obstacles in my path for that, particularly if preaching/pastoring was what God was calling me to. I was a woman, strike 1. Later as I fought that I obstacle I became divorced, strike 2. The obstacles just continued to the point that I began questioning if I had heard God right. I began questioning my gifts and my abilities and I began a career in Social Work. Be sure that God has used my gifts in the area of Social Work but I was fooling myself to believe that was God’s ultimate plan and will for my life. This became clear in 2005 through a series of events that culminated in me awakening suddenly during the night with the reference Revelation 3:2 in my head. Now I am here to tell you that I had not spent a lot of time in deep study of Revelation, I had not recently read it and Revelation 3:2 is not a verse I had committed to memory as a child or any other time. This is what it says: Wake up! Strengthen what remains and is about to die, for I have not found your deeds complete in the sight of my God. My friends let me tell you that I woke up and I made an appointment the very next day to speak to my pastor to discuss my calling and the obstacles that being the single parent of a special needs child brought to me returning to seminary, to being an itenarant pastor in the UMC. I couldn’t uproot my child from his support system, therapists, and such. That is when Rob shared with me about the Lay Speaker training and I immediately signed up to take the training. This was followed by my becoming the lay ministry leader for congregational care. As much as this fulfilled parts of this burning call on my life, still things weren’t quite right. I couldn’t perform a marriage ceremony, preside as a minister at a funeral, get special visitation privalages in the hospital. Recently a friend’s daughter emailed me asking me to perform her wedding ceremony and that is when I decided I was going to use an unconventional way to fulfill this request I was so honored to receive. I became ordained through universal life church. Now we all remember the friends episode when Joey gets ordained over the internet to officiate at Chandler and Monica’s wedding. I have joked that I am now the new Joey Tribiani, however for me it is not a joke and it is not about performing my friend’s ceremony. It was about overcoming an obstacle and following the call God has placed on my life. It wasn’t a few weeks later that a friend’s mom passed away and I was called upon to participate as a minister at her funeral. What I can tell you my friends is that in those moments I am at home. The day of that funeral I was having an otherwise very stressful day but at that moment when I entered that funeral home and gave my remarks and prayed all those worries disappeared and I was at home. Night before last one of our church members was rushed to the hospital after being found unconscious and he now lies in a coma with his family sitting vigil at the hospital. In my visits to the hospital over the past two days to sit with the family and be present for them, all my worries were left behind and I felt like I was at home. Recently, a friend shared a quote that said, “you need to find something that you would do for free and then make a career of it.” There are some parts of social work I would do for free: visiting with and helping families…..but there are definitely parts of it that I wouldn’t do for free: like the mounds of paperwork. There is nothing about ministering that I wouldn’t do for free: The preaching, the studying, the visiting, the funerals, the weddings, the sermon preparation…nothing. So, I continue to fan that flame, one breath at a time, one piece at a time, one day at a time. What is it for you. What flames do you need to rekindle as an individual. What flames do you need to rekindle as a church? Think about that and begin breathing on that fire…..
In speaking of this Paul goes on to say “for God did not give us a spirit of timidity but a spirit of power, of love and of self discipline. He’s saying to Timothy: Do not be afraid, don’t be shy…..God doesn’t give us a spirit of fear. He tells Timothy this just as Jeremiah has said “Do not be afraid”. He tells this to Timothy just as he shared with the Romans that they should not be a slave to fear and he shared in Hebrews that persons needed to be freed from their slavery to fear of death. Don’t be shy Timothy, don’t be afraid. The spirit God gives us is a spirit of power, love and self discipline. Be bold with your gifts, be loving with your gifts, be sensible with your gifts. In what ways do you let fear captivate you and enslave you and keep you from breathing on that fire in your belly that God has given you for something. We are called here to let go of those fears.
He then goes onto say in verses 8-12:
So do not be ashamed to testify about our Lord, or ashamed of me his prisoner. But join with me in suffering for the gospel, by the power of God, 9who has saved us and called us to a holy life—not because of anything we have done but because of his own purpose and grace. This grace was given us in Christ Jesus before the beginning of time, 10but it has now been revealed through the appearing of our Savior, Christ Jesus, who has destroyed death and has brought life and immortality to light through the gospel. 11And of this gospel I was appointed a herald and an apostle and a teacher. 12That is why I am suffering as I am. Yet I am not ashamed, because I know whom I have believed, and am convinced that he is able to guard what I have entrusted to him for that day.
“Do not be ashamed.” Why would anyone be ashamed of Christ, of doing what they are called to do for Christ. Many people say that this verse is stating we should not be embarrassed of Christ or of being a Christian or of sharing our faith. We know that out of fear Peter denied Christ. He learns a lesson from that experience and in one of his letters writes that If you suffer as a Christian you should not be ashamed but Praise God that you bear that name. I believe that is a very strong message. We should not be ashamed of Jesus or of being a Christian though sometimes I am ashamed at some of things people say and do under the name of Christianity. Another thought came to mind though. Perhaps Paul was telling Timothy not to be ashamed of himself, of his shortcomings. Not to let his embarrassment over those things get in the way of sharing the good news. No, because God’s grace within humanity is the power of the message. That God can take a Roman Citizen that persecuted the church and turn him into the founder of Christianity, that God can take a young boy like Timothy and reach the Gentile world, that God can take a man that has trouble speaking and make him the leader of the Israelites out of bondage and to the promised land, that God can take a divorced, single mother with many other obstacles in her path and turn her into a pastor……That my friends is where the power is, the love is. Those are the stories that reach people so never think you are too human to share the love of God, to proclaim that you’re a Christian. I remember in my early social work days I was working in a children’s home in the Eastern part of the state. It was part of the Baptist children’s home system and one of my co-houseparents was a woman named Stephanie. Stephanie was one of those people that didn’t claim Christianity because she didn’t believe she was “good enough.” She was ashamed of her past. What I learned of Stephanie was that she lived more of a Christian life than many of the other houseparents that did claim Christianity. The Sunday before I was scheduled to leave that job she sang in church, dedicating the song to me. “I know you’ve got troubles, so do I….. I searched and searched to find a reference for this song or more of the lyrics but I couldn’t. The point is that she sang that song with such conviction that day and with such a heart of love for me and with such faith in One that could hold those troubles in his hands……She had gotten the point, I believe. None of us are “good enough” and it’s God’s interactions with us in all of our human-ness that sets Christianity apart from other World religions. So the message to Timothy might very well be “don’t be ashamed of who you are, don’t think that makes you unable to share God’s love, it is exactly what enables you to share God’s love, grace and mercy.”
This part of the text ends with Paul telling Timothy to keep what he’s heard from him as the pattern of sound teaching with faith and love in Jesus Christ.
I did something interesting with this sermon preparation, an experiment of sorts and I liked it so much that I think I will do it from now on when preparing. In my facebook status I posted, “wondering what thoughts my Facebook friends have about 2 Timothy 1…….I want to share with you the responses I received.
(insert posts)
This was a fun experiment, more than that it was neat to have those conversations with persons I’m connected to and to see who responded and have a new lens through which to see them. That is what this is about, ceasing those opportunities without fear, without embarrassment. So my challenge to you this week is to:
1. Write a letter of encouragement to a brother or sister in faith, to someone that is “like a son or daughter to you.”
2. Think about that one thing you would do for free……recognize it as your calling and let go of your fears, and obstacles, blow on that flame and rekindle it with the very strength and power and that you are given through your relationship with Jesus Christ.
3. What part of who you are makes you think you are unworthy to proclaim the good news, to proclaim the love of God, to live out your faith with boldness and pride? Let go of that embarrassment and shame and know that God loves you for who God created you to be.
4. Above all see everything and everyone through the lens of Christ’s love knowing that Christ did not come into this world to condemn the world but that through him the world might be saved!
I want to end my time with you this morning by re-reading this passage of scripture to you from the Message….a paraphrase I often use when I just want to leisurely read and understand…..
1-2I, Paul, am on special assignment for Christ, carrying out God's plan laid out in the Message of Life by Jesus. I write this to you, Timothy, the son I love so much. All the best from our God and Christ be yours! To Be Bold with God's Gifts
3-4Every time I say your name in prayer—which is practically all the time—I thank God for you, the God I worship with my whole life in the tradition of my ancestors. I miss you a lot, especially when I remember that last tearful good-bye, and I look forward to a joy-packed reunion.
5-7That precious memory triggers another: your honest faith—and what a rich faith it is, handed down from your grandmother Lois to your mother Eunice, and now to you! And the special gift of ministry you received when I laid hands on you and prayed—keep that ablaze! God doesn't want us to be shy with his gifts, but bold and loving and sensible.
8-10So don't be embarrassed to speak up for our Master or for me, his prisoner. Take your share of suffering for the Message along with the rest of us. We can only keep on going, after all, by the power of God, who first saved us and then called us to this holy work. We had nothing to do with it. It was all his idea, a gift prepared for us in Jesus long before we knew anything about it. But we know it now. Since the appearance of our Savior, nothing could be plainer: death defeated, life vindicated in a steady blaze of light, all through the work of Jesus.
11-12This is the Message I've been set apart to proclaim as preacher, emissary, and teacher. It's also the cause of all this trouble I'm in. But I have no regrets. I couldn't be more sure of my ground—the One I've trusted in can take care of what he's trusted me to do right to the end.
13-14So keep at your work, this faith and love rooted in Christ, exactly as I set it out for you. It's as sound as the day you first heard it from me. Guard this precious thing placed in your custody by the Holy Spirit who works in us.