Claimed, gathered and sent

This is the sermon I preached on Sunday, 10/6/19 at St. Timothy Lutheran Church. The text was 2 Timothy 1:1-14.    This is the first of three in a series on 2 Timothy, which seems appropriate, since our church is named after Timothy. 2 Timothy addresses the faithful life of an individual Christian, Timothy. Here we find a history of Timothy’s faith; beginning with his grandmother, Lois, and his mother, Eunice and passed on to Timothy. They were Jewish believers in Jesus. Timothy’s father was Greek, but nothing is told to us of his faith or lack thereof. Some of us came to faith in the way Timothy did, while some of us did not. I often envied those raised in families of faith since I was not. Timothy was a co-worker of the Apostle Paul and a third-generation Christian. The letter has a very personal feel to it. After all, Timothy was one of Paul’s closest companions and most loyal followers. In the book of Acts, you will find stories of their travels together. Paul sp...

Here are some thoughts about this Sunday's second reading. What do you see here? Let's talk about it via email or in the comment section of the blog post. This was sent to the people of St. Timothy Lutheran Church.  Second Reading: 2 Timothy 1:1-14 1 Paul, an apostle of Christ Jesus by the will of God, for the sake of the promise of life that is in Christ Jesus,   2 To Timothy, my beloved child: Grace, mercy, and peace from God the Father and Christ Jesus our Lord.   3 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. 4 Recalling your tears, I long to see you so that I may be filled with joy. 5 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. 6 For this reason I remind you to rekindle the gift of God that is within you through the laying on of my hands; 7 for God did not give us a spiri...