Passing the Torch of the Gospel at Calvary and Beyond
It wasn’t just our vacations, school and work routines that were disrupted over the last year.
The Summer Olympics originally scheduled to take place in Tokyo in 2020 also had to be postponed.
The good news is that the Summer games were moved to this coming July/August and they appear to be on schedule! I just love the Olympics!!
One of the traditions of the Olympics is the “Passing of the Torch.” The Olympic flame is lit in Greece and in the months leading up to the games, the torch is passed to the host country where it is used to light the Olympic cauldron during the opening ceremonies. It remains lit until the games are over. (You can watch a live stream over the next 3 months of the torch being passed daily at tokyo2020.org)
What is the point of the torch ceremony? It is a symbol of good will and promotion for the Olympic games. It also serves as a symbol of continuity from the ancient to the modern games. The term “Passing the Torch” is a term we have also come to use to describe a change of leadership or passing of responsibility from one generation to the next.
The New Testament book, 2 Timothy, is the Apostle Paul’s “Passing of the Torch” letter to his protégé, Timothy. In 2 Timothy 1:13-14 Paul writes,
“Hold on to the example of sound words which you have heard from me, in the faith and love which are in Christ Jesus. Protect, through the Holy Spirit who dwells in us, the treasure which has been entrusted to you.”
Paul was handing over to Timothy his most precious treasure—the Gospel message, the good news of Jesus Christ. This was the news that Paul described in his first letter to the Church in Corinth as of “first importance” (1 Corinthians 15:3-4).
The question I want to ask this Sunday morning as we gather together to worship through music and walk through the word is this: “Here at Calvary Church, how do we pass the torch of the Gospel well—as individuals, as families, and as a church?” The stakes are high. There are known and unknown risks. And, our response to this question could impact the spiritual legacy of our families, our church, and even our world.
2 Timothy 1:13-14 gives us some powerful and practical words of instruction of how we are to pass the torch of the Gospel to the next generation. So whether you are young or old or somewhere in the middle, make sure you are a part of this Sunday’s worship gathering at Calvary Church, I believe our time together will shape us for many years to come.
A fellow torch bearer,
Matt Doan
REACH Pastor