I am excited to dive into a new preaching and worship series this summer, based on the New Testament Letters to Timothy. True confession: the epistles (letters) are not my typical go-to preaching texts. Give me a puzzling parable or winding Hebrew Bible saga any day; stories are interesting! But the letters are often so…preachy.
For a while I’d thought it might just be me, but Rev. Edward Pillar, commentator at the Working Preacher whose outlines we’ll expand upon in this series, feels similarly. He shares that the epistles are often tough to preach on because they are themselves sermons: commentary on the not-yet-written-down scriptures as well as the lived experiences of the early churches.
Yet the context of Timothy caught my eye: what does it mean to be a church in generational transition? How do we strike a balance between preserving tradition and leaving plenty of room for new faith expressions? How do we raise up leaders with integrity when those with shakier foundations are happy to take charge? It sounds like—to use a term of my generation—a hot mess there in Ephesus. And at the center is a young leader, receiving (likely unsolicited) advice from a seasoned veteran about how to handle it all.
Lest one think that I see myself in Timothy’s shoes, rest assured, I do not. Likely, he was about half my age (or younger!) and a native to the community where he was serving. Our situation is not theirs when it comes to the players, cultural context, or demographics. But questions about how to hold together a diverse body of believers, how to articulate a mission that is both grounded and expansive, and how to confront messages that are not of Christ, those are all quite relevant for us today. And I’m far from the only one with thoughts to share.
Therefore, consider yourself officially invited to Tuesday Lectio Lunches, beginning on July 14 at noon in the Crawford parlor. Lectio Divina (sacred reading) is a form of Bible study that requires no commentaries or study guides, just a willingness to prayerfully show up and listen deeply to the text. Each week, we’ll hear the text for the coming Sunday several times, holding both silence and space for sharing. And at the end we’ll break bread together–whatever bread we bring for ourselves in a sack lunch.
This practice will allow us to get to know each other as we wrestle together with teachings that aren’t always easy. And it will better inform Sunday’s preaching, giving us all a chance to hear and respond to these lessons for a church in transition.
I recognize that the date, time, and location will not work for everyone. We will have further get-to-know you opportunities later in the summer, both in person and online, during and after working hours.
Looking forward to seeing you soon,
Pastor Jen
Tuesday Lectio Lunches Schedule (meet at noon)
July 14: 1 Timothy 6:6–19
July 21: 2 Timothy 1:1–14
July 28: 2 Timothy 2:8–15
August 11: 2 Timothy 3:14–4:8, 16-18;
[Note: No meeting August 4.]