Message from the Pastors

Hello Harvest! A good time of year to pull out the children’s board book, “The Little Red Hen.” The wheat is ready and who will help bring in the crop? I remember delighting in each of the animal’s voices – “‘Oink, Not I’ said the pig.” The story builds with the repetition of Hen’s requests to harvest, grind, and bake followed by the disappointing trio of “Not I’s.” But the highlight of the story is Hen’s self-differentiation to once again ask, “who will help me eat the bread?” but then not share her bread! I am pretty sure the point of this story was to get me along with all children around the world to stop saying, “No” to parents’ requests and do what we are told. Hopefully the story does have a helpful, larger life lesson for participating in all parts of life, to work hard, to persevere, and to enjoy the benefits.
Starting Sunday, October 7, we will be opening Paul’s second letter to Timothy. Maybe it is a stretch, but I hear a hint of Hen’s story in this letter. Paul is nearing the end of his life and is passing on his best encouragement to his protege Timothy – “the struggle is worth it.” Even at the time of writing this, Paul is in prison and alone, but this suffering and all of his life’s hardships he has endured produced something far greater. He writes, “I have fought the good fight, I have finished the race, I have kept the faith. Now there is in store for me the crown of righteousness, which the Lord, the righteous Judge, will award to me on that day.” (2 Timothy 4:7-8). It sounds a little like the Red Hen, doesn’t it?
Paul is at the end of his story eating the bread, so to speak, of his life’s work while Timothy is just beginning his story pulling weeds, tilling the soil, and wondering how his hardships will turn out. He needs the encouragement that the struggle is worth it. For farmers, harvest is the reward. They can finally give a sigh of relief that the hard work did pay off and produce a crop. They can finally relax and not worry if enough rain will fall or worse if a hail storm will come this year and wipe out the crop. All summer they did not know how the crop would turn out, but now at Harvest they know and celebrate. In a similar way, Paul is celebrating and cheering on Timothy to press on, the harvest will come.
I am curious to discover what God has for us as a church in 2 Timothy. What encouragement do we need? What suffering are we experiencing and need a pep talk for? What is beginning and needs a little boost of energy? Please join us for 4 Sundays in 2 Timothy – one chapter a week, so read ahead. “Grace, mercy and peace from God the Father and Christ Jesus our Lord” (2 Timothy 1:2). – Submitted by Susie Grade