In the presence of God and of Christ Jesus, who is to judge the living and the dead, and in view of his appearing and his kingdom, I solemnly urge you: proclaim the message; be persistent whether the time is avorable or unfavorable; convince, rebuke, and encourage, with the utmost patience in teaching.

– 2 Timothy 4:1-2

A confession time from your pastor:

I like to get the last word in. It is a form of communication that can be used in a variety of ways whether the intentions are to be playful, funny, manipulative, instructive, memorable, annoying, passive aggressive, or something else entirely. I like to get the last word in for all these reasons (my wife Trish will roll her eyes here and say, “yes he does”).

Sometimes, “last” words can be famous (not that I anticipate ever having such an accomplishment). Our passage of scripture for Sunday is one of those texts. 2 Timothy 4:1-8 is recognized as being the apostle Paul’s last letter or final discourse before he is beheaded under the rule of Nero.

It is as if he is saying, “If you remember nothing else from my actions, I hope you will recognize something familiar in what I am telling you as a reminder of how I lived my life.” Like how Jesus would tell a parable and then explain it, so too is Paul hoping to leave a lasting impression with this closing faith statement.

As we conclude this short series, “Never too old,” I encourage you to think about what you would say about your faith? What do you believe? What are the most important things that followers of Christ can faithfully do or be? Chances are good that this will lead to a few more weeks of exploring what we believe in as individuals and as a congregation.

I am really looking forward to sharing this journey with you as we thrive to be our best selves as disciples of Jesus. I will see you Sunday in the chapel, or you will see me on YouTube! Many blessings.

Brett