To the Pastor

I was reading 1 Timothy this morning. As I start studying a book, I take the first day and simply read through the whole thing as the first readers would have. As I reflected on the letter, my first reaction was to put myself in Timothy's place and receive instruction from my mentor.

• How do I need to teach and lead and shepherd.
• How I should talk to different people in the church.
• What leaders should look like.
• How a community should work.

After a few minutes of reflecting on this, I realized that there was someone else I needed to think about...Paul. What would I write to Terra Nova and her pastor if I were Paul?

Three different thoughts came to mind:
1) Don't get too comfortable.
2) Stay zealous for the lost, the oppressed, & the needy.
3) To the pastor: give the people something to do that is worth sacrificing for.

We live in such a time of finding what is comfortable and easy that we don't have anything in our lives worth making a sacrifice for. The question really isn't what are you willing to die for, the question is really "What are you willing to live for?" What vision am I casting for the people of God that is worth giving something up to pursue?

This is a question I will have to soak on for a while! I hope you will, too.

Under the Mercy,
Jason