Episode 7 Passing The Baton

The podcast episode begins with an introduction to 'After Sunday, After the Amen' and the purpose of reflecting on Sunday's readings. It then delves into Paul's charge to Timothy, the concept of passing the baton of faith, the importance of scripture, passing the baton to the next generation, and concludes with a prayer and reflection.

Takeaways

• Passing on the faith involves both teaching and living by example.
• The scriptures are a valuable tool for teaching, reproof, correction, and training in righteousness.

Transcript

SPEAKER_00 0:01

Welcome to After Sunday. After the Amen. Join Reverend Rick as he shares the word. Finding peace in the prayer we pray. After Sunday. After the Amen.

SPEAKER_02 0:24

Hello and welcome to After Sunday, After the Amen. The podcast where we take a few moments to pause after the service has ended. The last hymn has been sung and the final Amen has echoed away. I'm Reverend Rick Grattan, Ministry Area Leader in the Clinvie and Upper Avan Valleys Ministry Area. And each week we spend a little time reflecting on Sunday's readings, our sermons, and what they might mean for our everyday lives. Whether you're listening on a Monday morning with a cup of coffee, out walking the dog, driving to work, or simply looking for a few moments of encouragement. Thank you for joining me. So wherever you are, settle back, take a breath, and let's continue the conversation that brings begins on Sunday and carries on throughout the week.

SPEAKER_01 1:17

This is after Sunday, after the Amen. So let's get started.

SPEAKER_02 1:23

Well, our reading this week that we're going to look at is Paul's second letter to Timothy 3 10 to 17. This is called Paul's Charge to Timothy. Now you have observed my teaching, my conduct, my aim in life, my faith, my patience, my love, my steadfastness, my persecutions and my sufferings, the things that happened to me in Antioch, what persecutions I endured, yet the Lord rescued me from all of them. Indeed, all who want to live a godly life in Christ Jesus will be persecuted. Wicked people and impostors will go from bad to worse, deceiving others and being deceived. But as for you, continue in what you have learned and firmly believe, knowing from whom you learned it, and how from childhood you have known the sacred writings that are able to instruct you for salvation through faith in Christ Jesus. All scripture is inspired by God and is useful for teaching, for reproof, for correction, and for training in righteousness. And so that everyone who belongs to God may be proficient and equipped for every good work.

SPEAKER_01 2:50

So this week I'm going to share a reflection on that passage about this letter from Paul to Timothy.

SPEAKER_02 3:00

Now I wonder how many of us have watched a relay race at some point whether it's the Olympics, the Commonwealth Games, or perhaps the School Sports Day. Relay races are fascinating because they are different from most races. In a relay race, it isn't enough to simply run fast. The crucial moment comes when the baton is passed from one runner to the next. You can be the fastest runner in the world, but if you drop that button, the race is lost. Success depends on passing something valuable from one person to another. As we listen to Paul's words to Timothy this morning, that's exactly the picture that comes to my mind. Paul is nearing the end of his ministry. He knows his life is drawing towards its conclusion. He has travelled, preached, suffered, and planted churches. He has faced persecution and imprisonment. And now he's writing to Timothy, a younger leader whom he loves deeply. In many ways, Paul is passing the baton. He reminds Timothy, You have observed my teaching, my conduct, my aim in life, my faith, my patience, my love, my steadfastness. Now notice, Paul doesn't simply talk about what he taught, but he talks about how he lived. Timothy learned from Paul's words, but he also learned from Paul's example. And that's how often our faith is passed on. Most of us can probably think of people who've handed the baton of faith to us. Perhaps it was a parent or grandparent. Perhaps it was a Sunday school teacher. Perhaps it was a priest, a youth leader, or a friend. Perhaps it was someone who simply lived their faith quietly and consistently. When I look back over my own life, I can think of many people who influenced me, but some probably never realized the impact they had, kind words, a faithful example, an invitation to church, a conversation over a cup of tea, small things perhaps, so they help pass the baton on. The wonderful thing is that God often works through ordinary people doing ordinary things safely. Paul reminds Timothy that following Christ is not always easy. He speaks about persecutions and sufferings. That isn't a message we hear very often today. We sometimes imagine that faith should make life straightforward and trouble free. And yet Paul says quite openly that difficulties will come. Now the good news is that God remains faithful through them all. Many of us could testify to that. If we were to tell our stories today, there would be chapters of joy and chapters of sorrow. There would be prayers answered and prayers that were still waiting. There would be times when we felt strong in faith, and times when we struggled. Yet somehow, through it all, God has carried us. And that too is part of the button that we pass on, not a story of perfect people, but a story of a faithful God. He said, All scripture is inspired by God and is useful for teaching, for reproof, for correction, and for training in righteousness. The scriptures are part of that baton passing too. Generation after generation has treasured these words. People have read them in times of war and times of peace, in times of prosperity and times of hardship. In churches packed full and churches nearly empty. And still God speaks through them. The Bible is not simply a book about what God did, it's a living witness to what God continues to do. Each time we open it, we join a long line of believers stretching back through the centuries. Now as a church, we now find ourselves in an important position. We are no longer simply receiving the baton, we are also passing it on. Every act of worship, every prayer we say, every conversation we have, every welcome given to a newcomer, every visit made, every act of kindness we do, and every invitation that's offered. These are ways in which faith is passed on to the next generation. The baton is now in our hands, and perhaps that's the challenge and encouragement of this reading. One day of us will look back and remember the people who helped them to discover Christ. I wonder will they remember us? Will they remember me? Will they remember our faithfulness? Will they remember our kindness? Will they remember that we pointed them towards Jesus? The race is not yet over, the baton is still being passed on. And thanks be to God, the same Lord who strengthened Paul, who guided Timothy, and has sustained generations of Christians before us, is with us today. So may we run our part of the race faithfully, and may we pass this pattern of faith on well.

SPEAKER_01 9:06

Amen. Let us just pray for a moment. So let us pray.

SPEAKER_02 9:16

Lord God, our loving Father, we thank you for all those who've passed on the faith to us, our parents and our grandparents, our teachers and our clergy, our friends and our neighbors, and all whose example has helped us to know and love you. Lord, in your mercy, hear our prayer. Lord, we pray for your church throughout the world. Strengthen all who preach, to teach and share the gospel, and bless those who are passing on the faith to children, to young people and new believers. And of course, in our own ministry area, guide us as we seek to be faithful witnesses to your love in our communities. Lord, in your mercy, hear our prayer. And Lord, we pray for the generations who will follow us, for our children and our grandchildren, the schools and colleges and youth groups, to those who are searching for meaning and purpose in their lives, may they encounter the love of Christ and discover the hope that can be found in Him. Lord in your mercy, here we pray to our communities, to those who feel lonely or forgotten, the families that maybe feel under pressure, pray for those struggling with financial worries, of illness or anxiety. Help us be people who share your compassion and bring light into the lives of others.

SPEAKER_01 11:00

Lord, in your mercy, hear our prayer. And Lord, we pray for all who are sick or frail at this time.

SPEAKER_02 11:11

And in a moment of silence, we remember before you those known personally to us. May they know your healing presence, your comfort and your peace. Lord, in your mercy, hear our prayer. And we remember those who completed their earthly race and entered into your nearer presence to give thanks for their faithful, their witness, and their example that they have left behind. May we, like them, remain faithful to the end.

SPEAKER_01 11:48

Lord, in your mercy, hear our prayer.

SPEAKER_02 11:53

Father God, help us to cherish the faith that we have received, to live it with courage and joy, and to pass it faithfully to those who come after us.

SPEAKER_01 12:06

Amen.

SPEAKER_02 12:09

Well that's all for this week's episode of After Sunday after the Amen. Thank you for spending these few minutes with me. I hope something from our conversation today has encouraged you, maybe challenged you, or simply given you something to reflect on in the days ahead. Remember always that faith isn't just for Sundays. The God we meet in worship is the same God who walks with us through the ordinary moments of everyday life, the joys, the challenges, and the questions, and the unexpected surprises. So until next time, may you know God's peace in your heart, God's strength in your struggles, and God's presence in all that lies before you.

SPEAKER_01 13:01

Take care, God bless, and I'll see you next week.