The Unchained Word 2 Timothy 2:8-15 October 10, 2010 Len Malotte

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1 The Unchained Word 2 Timothy 2:8-15 October 10, 2010 Len Malotte The great baseball player and manager, and appropriator of the English language, Yogi Berra grew up in St, Louis. A few years ago, Yogi received an honorary degree from the University of St. Louis, and delivered the commencement address to the 1900 graduates and the 10,000 people in attendance there. Although I don't have a copy of the speech, I think - with the help of St. Louis columninst, Steve O'Niell I can approximate what it might have sounded like: "Thank you all for being here tonight. I know this is a busy time of year, and if you weren't here, you could probably be somewhere else. I especially want to thank the administration at St. Louis University for making this day necessary. It is an honor to receive this honorary degree. It is wonderful to be here in St. Louis and to visit the old neighborhood. I haven't been back since the last time I was here. Everything looks the same, only different. Of course, things in the past are never as they used to be. Before I speak, I have something I'd like to say. As you may know, I never went to high school, or college for that matter. To be honest, I'm not much of a public speaker, so I will try to keep this short for as long as I can. As I look out upon all of the young people here tonight, there are a number of words of wisdom I might depart. But I think the most irrelevant piece of advice I can pass along is this: The most important things in life are the things that are least important. Strive for success and remember you won't get what you want unless you want what you get. Some will choose a different path. If they don't want to come along, you can't stop them. Keep the faith and follow the Commandments: Do not covet thy neighbor's wife, unless she has nothing else to wear. Treat others before you treat yourself. Hold on to your integrity, ladies and gentlemen. It's the one thing you really need to have; if you don't have it, that's why you need it. Throughout my career, I found good things always came in pairs of three. There will be times when you are an overwhelming underdog. Give 100 percent to everything you do, and when that's not enough, give everything you have left. 'Winning isn't everything, but it's better than rheumatism.' I think Guy Lombardo said that. Finally, dear graduates and friends, cherish this moment; it is a memory you will never forget. You have your entire future ahead of you. Good luck and Bob's speed."

2 A commencement address is basically a pep talk and advice, and that's what we encounter in our text today. Here we have Paul giving a pep talk and advice to his young protégé, Timothy. Paul is in prison again, and I think he realizes that his legacy, and the future of this small religious movement that we now call Christianity, depend on people like Timothy to carry it forward. So Paul writes a letter to Timothy. It's not a very long letter by Pauline standards, but it contains by my count, twenty-seven pieces of advice, a whole lot of encouragement, and an interesting refrain that's included in our text today. Scholars tell us that those verses are the words to an early Christian hymn, but I kind of think of them as more of a jingle. You know, something catchy that sticks in your head, and reminds you of whatever the jingle is about. See if you remember this one: You'll wonder where the yellow went Or how about: Brylcream.. To all of you who remembered those, all I can say is "Wow, you're old!" And then we have all these words of advice and instruction that Paul is doling out. He knows that he's near the end of his career, and after traipsing about most of the known world preaching the good news of Jesus Christ; and after helping to establish Christian congregations wherever he went; and after mentoring those congregations so that they might thrive, Paul, it seems, wants to pass along some of his experience and hard-earned wisdom. As a matter of fact, many scholars believe that this is his last known writing, and we can read toward the end of this letter, some words of Paul that might have made a fitting epitaph: "I have fought the good fight, I have finished the race, I have kept the faith." But it is the word of God that seems to be Paul's main focus in this letter. As we read it, we find that fully two thirds of Paul's advice is concerned with the word of God. And why not? It is has been his life's work to spread the word of God, and his life' work has led him into prison. We can imagine Paul in his cell - obviously not a dungeon, but certainly not the Ritz-Carlton either - pacing back and forth in frustration at not being able to go out in ministry. Consequently, he does what he can by encouraging the ministry of others. I think that's why, in our text today, we find the incarcerated Paul saying that although he may "chained like a criminal the word of God is not in chains." Of course the word of God is not in chains! He won't shut up about it! And he's telling other folks to go out spread it too! This guy's relentless! But please notice if you will, that Paul doesn t say that the word of God cannot be chained, because I think Paul believed, as I do, that God's word can be chained.

3 God's word can be chained by indifference and apathy to the suffering of God's children anywhere in the world God's word can be chained by bigotry, prejudice, and narrowmindedness. God's word can be chained by demands for retribution and revenge, rather than justice and mercy. God's word can be chained by greed and the abuse of power. And God's word can be chained when Christians fail to stand in opposition to those things. But Paul says the word of God is not in chains. He knows that the work will go on. He knows that the people that he has encouraged in ministry - Timothy, Thecla, Barnabus, Apphia, Titus, ect etc etc - will carry on, and that they'll encourage still others in ministry. One evening, several years ago, many of you were present when Rev. Nancy Humes helped us conduct a self assessment here at the Center. She asked us to list all of our church activities, and she wrote each one down on a sticky-note. There was choir, Baseball with the Babes, Over the Hill Gang, Four C's, Sunday worship, Sunday school, and the list went on. Then she divided a white-board into two sides. One side, she labeled "IN," and the other, "OUT." And she asked us to tell her which activities were basically inward facing, and which ones faced outward. She then placed the sticky-notes on the appropriate sides of the white-board. And when we were done, there was one sticky-note on the outward side - Four C's, the local food bank that we support. The rest were all on the "IN" side. Well, you could have heard the proverbial pin drop, and our jaws dropped at this revelation. In the interest of time, I'm going to talk about just one of the many ministries that grew directly or indirectly from that meeting, because it was within just a few days of the meeting, I believe, that Chris Gerez had the idea for a free community meal. There was no way she could do it by herself. But a whole gang of folks strapped on the now famous yellow aprons, and they cooked, and served, and advertized and by doing so, they encouraged Chris in her ministry.and Loaves and Fishes was born. But wait there s more! Loaves and Fishes could have just gone on feeding the hungry, and that would have been fine. But, because of interest from other congregations, the Manua Center Loaves and Fishes became an incubator for other Loaves and Fishes meals at other churches - encouraging them in their ministries - so that now there are several Loaves and Fishes ministries around northeast Ohio. That's what I call keeping God's word unchained. Amen?

4 I suppose that this is as good a time as any to tell those of you who don't already know, that through the encouragement of Pastor Chad, the Elders, Sister Laurie Metzko, the regional Commission on Ministry, and other folks here at the Center, I am on track to becoming a commissioned minister in our denomination sometime this Fall. This is a different call than Laurie's call to become ordained. My call is from and specific to this family, but it's a call that I've felt for a while, and I can tell you that Chad and Laurie were instrumental in my decision to pursue it. Speaking of Mrs. Laurie Metzko, it s because of her decision to seek ordination, that our church family has been designated by Lexington Theological Seminary, as a teaching congregation. What an honor and priviledge that is for us. During the next three years, we not only get to watch Laurie's ministerial education, we get to participate in it! Amen? And I believe that participation is the greatest form of encouragement. When Paul says, I have fought the good fight. I have run the race, I think he s saying that unchaining God s word is not a spectator sport it requires involvement. So just as Laurie has given me support in my pursuit of ministry, I m looking forward, along with all of you, to offering her all the support and encouragement I can provide. In similar fashion, just as Chris Gerez received encouragement to get Loaves and Fishes off the ground, she and others lent their experience and support to other ministies. Because you see, brothers and sisters, sometimes we re Paul, and sometimes we re Timothy. Sometimes we give encouragement to our brothers and sisters in their ministries, and sometimes we benefit from their encouragement and advice. And I believe that it s that kind of dynamic exchange that keeps the good news of Jesus Christ alive and vital; and it s that kind of love and support and involvement that keeps God s word unchained.

5 The word fan, a shortened form of fanatic, comes from the Latin word fanaticus, meaning inspired by a deity, frenzied. That word derives from fanum, Latin for temple. The word s use continues to be true to its etymology.