Wednesday, August 17, 2022
Scripture: 3 John 1.4-8 (Common English Bible)
I have no greater joy than this: to hear that my children are living according to the truth. Dear friend, you act faithfully in whatever you do for our brothers and sisters, even though they are strangers. They spoke highly of your love in front of the church. You all would do well to provide for their journey in a way that honors God, because they left on their journey for the sake of Jesus Christ without accepting any support from the Gentiles. Therefore, we ought to help people like this so that we can be coworkers in the truth.
Devotion:
Several years ago, as a young youth director, I advocated for our Confirmation class to be approved by the Session to serve communion on Confirmation Sunday. The motion passed, but one elder was not happy about it. For weeks leading up to Confirmation Sunday, he gave me a constant list of reasons why he thought this was a terrible idea, not least of which was that he felt it was the responsibility of the adults to be leading the youth. On Confirmation Sunday, this man had the opportunity to hear his grandson stand before the congregation and declare his personal faith journey. He also had the opportunity to receive communion from his grandson. He came to me after worship, tears rolling down his face, and said, “This was one of the most sacred experiences of my life.”
It is the image of this man’s face, tears and all, that comes to my mind when I read this famous line from 3 John: I have no greater joy than to see my children walking in the light, living according to the truth. And this Sunday, August 21, we are going to have the tremendous joy of getting to experience this same joy. Our children and youth will be leading us in worship on Sunday, even leading the sermon time to bring us up to speed on what has been going on all summer for them. This is my favorite Sunday of worship—not because it will be perfect, not because everything will go smoothly, not because it will be polished and
pristine…because I will get the chance to be led, to be taught by our children who are walking in the truth. I can’t imagine a worship service that would make me feel more hopeful.
And as we prepare for this Sunday, I would invite us to remember the last verse of this passage: Therefore,
we ought to help people like this so that we can be coworkers in the truth. When we bubble over with pride at our young people walking in the truth, we ought to remember our responsibility in that. See, the elder I mentioned earlier wasn’t wrong: even though we have a lot to learn from our youth, we also have a
responsibility to be leading them as well, to be coworkers in the truth right alongside them. As we enjoy
worship this Sunday, I pray that we may be reminded of the incredible hope that we have for the next
generation of faith and our responsibility in leading them in the truth. Join us Sunday, August 21 for the
best Sunday of the year!
I have no greater joy than this: to hear that my children are living according to the truth. Dear friend, you act faithfully in whatever you do for our brothers and sisters, even though they are strangers. They spoke highly of your love in front of the church. You all would do well to provide for their journey in a way that honors God, because they left on their journey for the sake of Jesus Christ without accepting any support from the Gentiles. Therefore, we ought to help people like this so that we can be coworkers in the truth.
Devotion:
Several years ago, as a young youth director, I advocated for our Confirmation class to be approved by the Session to serve communion on Confirmation Sunday. The motion passed, but one elder was not happy about it. For weeks leading up to Confirmation Sunday, he gave me a constant list of reasons why he thought this was a terrible idea, not least of which was that he felt it was the responsibility of the adults to be leading the youth. On Confirmation Sunday, this man had the opportunity to hear his grandson stand before the congregation and declare his personal faith journey. He also had the opportunity to receive communion from his grandson. He came to me after worship, tears rolling down his face, and said, “This was one of the most sacred experiences of my life.”
It is the image of this man’s face, tears and all, that comes to my mind when I read this famous line from 3 John: I have no greater joy than to see my children walking in the light, living according to the truth. And this Sunday, August 21, we are going to have the tremendous joy of getting to experience this same joy. Our children and youth will be leading us in worship on Sunday, even leading the sermon time to bring us up to speed on what has been going on all summer for them. This is my favorite Sunday of worship—not because it will be perfect, not because everything will go smoothly, not because it will be polished and
pristine…because I will get the chance to be led, to be taught by our children who are walking in the truth. I can’t imagine a worship service that would make me feel more hopeful.
And as we prepare for this Sunday, I would invite us to remember the last verse of this passage: Therefore,
we ought to help people like this so that we can be coworkers in the truth. When we bubble over with pride at our young people walking in the truth, we ought to remember our responsibility in that. See, the elder I mentioned earlier wasn’t wrong: even though we have a lot to learn from our youth, we also have a
responsibility to be leading them as well, to be coworkers in the truth right alongside them. As we enjoy
worship this Sunday, I pray that we may be reminded of the incredible hope that we have for the next
generation of faith and our responsibility in leading them in the truth. Join us Sunday, August 21 for the
best Sunday of the year!