Skip to main content

Trekking with Timothy

5th Century Baptism  Font

But you, man of God, flee from all this,
and pursue righteousness, godliness,
faith, love, endurance and gentleness.
Fight the good fight of the faith.
(from 1 Timothy 6:6-19)

 



Gwendolyn Brooks wrote:

"Live not for battles won.
Live not for the-end-of-the-song.
Live in the along.1"

Trekking: A long-distance adventure to explore remote or rough areas, usually including overnight camping.

50 Miler hikes with Boy Scouts are like this definition. During the hike, scouts have opportunities to learn, develop skills, and interact with others in the group.

The scout who cooled his feet at a lake during a rest learned about blisters. Eager for relief, a younger scout ran to the water’s edge and soaked his feet.

The combination of damp boots and tender feet became a lesson as he soon nursed a painful blister, learning a small but memorable lesson

Trekking daily gave me a sacred time to reflect deeply, to listen for God’s voice in the quiet forest, or in the conversation around a campfire.

My Elder’s Pilgrimage, trekking alongside Timothy’s ancient wisdom, became a sacred time for this kind of growth.

Godliness

Verse 6 says “there is great gain in godliness combined with contentment.”

Godliness, for Jesus' first-century followers, implied living as disciples guided by their awe of God.  

Living as disciples transforms behavior through a sacred spark of God's presence.

God’s presence removes sources of disobedience and separation from God, such as feelings of doubt, distraction, or unhealthy habits."

God’s presence is like a sight-giving balm of wisdom, propelling us to become more like Jesus through active faith.

We are sustained, I believe, in this life-long journey, this “living in the along” through God’s freely given gifts of grace, mercy can peace.

Works of Piety. Wesley divided them into individual practices such as studying the scriptures, prayer, fasting and community practices such as sharing in the Communion and Baptism and Bible study.

Work of Mercy. Such as visiting the sick, prisoners, and feeding the hungry. They wee also divided into communal practices such as seeking justice, ending oppression and caring for the poor.


Labels:

Comments

Post a Comment

Popular posts from this blog

Grantchester's Warning

"But know this: if the owner of the house had known at what hour the thief was coming, the owner would not have let his house be broken into. You also must be ready, for the Son of Man is coming at an hour you do not expect.” (from Luke 12:32-40 ) I regularly watch Grantchester; a murder mystery set in 1950s England. The main characters are a local detective and an Anglican priest who, as a team, solve mysteries set in the town. Two aspects of Grantchester impress me. First, the simplicity of the 1950’s police communications done by a landline phone and not cell phone. Second, the simplicity of daily life with little television and fewer possessions allowing the characters to focus on their vocation of detective and priest. This simplicity is more than a nostalgic return to the “good old days”. Instead, it’s a Shaker type of simplicity where austerity allows freedom from distractions to focus on worship and community. Today’s distraction-filled world has seemingly countless activ...
Post a Comment
Read more

Walking with God

Praise the Lord, my soul; all my inmost being, praise his holy name. (from Ps.103:1-8 ) Thomas Merton, American Trappist monk, writer and theologian, once asked himself a question he immediately answered:   How does an apple ripen? The apple, by simply being in the sun, fulfills its purpose of ripening, The apple doesn't try to ripen faster, it simply allows the sun to do its work.   There is nothing it can do to ripen itself. It can’t do workouts, tighten its muscles and then suddenly be a red, ripened, juicy apple in the morning. The apple just hangs on the branch in the sun, naturally ripening, where it receives its daily nourishment. This is the basic plan for how Christians ripen in their relationship to God. The difference is that Christians don’t naturally ripen in their relationship to God, we have to place themselves where we can be nourished. The beginning place of nourishment I find most helpful is the Guide to Prayer For All Who Walk With God. The daily walk in the...
Post a Comment
Read more

Jesus, Deliverance, and Demons

"Then people came out to see what had happened, and when they came to Jesus, they found the man from whom the demons had gone sitting at the feet of Jesus, clothed and in his right mind." (from Luke 8:26-39 ) Astrid is a streaming program I often watch. The plot is a basic cops and robbers action until the criminal is caught. The uniqueness of the program is Astrid, who is on the Autism spectrum, is brilliant at solving puzzles including connecting clues to solve the crime. Watching this program has given me a more profound insight to people living with this condition and their acceptance in society. My first-hand experience with children on the Spectrum was driving a Special Needs school bus for 6 years. With this experience, I can imagine the life the possessed man was experiencing, especially living among the tombs, bound with chains and shackles, having to live in the wilds. It was no wonder he cried for mercy. Jesus, with his power and mercy, cast the demons out and even...
Post a Comment
Read more