It's a fairly common name and phrase among the church crowd. Not sure that I've heard it much beyond those circles. Timothy. It can be a young aspiring leader following a mentor's lead. Sometimes it refers to a young man that has two letters bearing his name in the New Testament. Written to by his mentor, Paul, and directed to this young man's current situation. A minister, shepherd, pastor of a local & real church. Warts and all Paul lays out encouragement, direction and rebuke for this flock and it's fledgling leader.
Recently at a retreat with Christ In Youth, Wilderness it's called, we were encouraged to take off our "Pastor" glasses in a sense and just read these letters as if they were written for us. As if we were Timothy and this was our church.
As if Paul was writting to... me.
Its often not that hard to show up at my desk, flip open my Bible and begin studying for a lesson or message. What is ashamedly far more rare is to flip open my Bible and allow it to study me. To let it's words penetrate and soak in, and then call out to me in my everyday life and existence. Stepping into ministering fairly young and totally inexperienced might have had something to do with this or somewhere along the way I just made a trade counciously or uncounciously. My personal growth for the group's growth. I know that's not a fair trade, a smart trade, sustainable trade or a transaction we are ever called to make by God. Maybe we trade the business of the Father for just being busy. Or we find such identity in what we are doing that we forget that is not all we are.
All that aside, what does one do now? When one finds themself in a local church, placed in a role of teaching, mentoring & leading others. And you ask yourself, "Ok, so what next?" One idea, see what Paul told another young minister. Search for what Paul told a real young man, in a real church, that existed in a very real place not that long ago. Thats where I'm going to try and start anyway.
Well
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