Thoughts On Titus, Entry 1

*note: After asking patrons to give me some things they might like for me to blog about as I spend time studying God's Word, their primary suggestions were regarding the prophets. Since I'd recently spent a semester teaching the minor prophets, I wanted to spend some time in the New Testament...and there might be a minor prophets series in this space in the future. However, I started a study of Titus today and I wanted to welcome you to my first attempt at doing this on-line...stuff like this has existed in my journals until today. I can't guarantee this will be daily or that I won't tire of it or whatever, but it's a start, okay?

I was an altar boy.

I'd been watching for a year or so when my mom told me that, "Once you turn 10, you can do that, too." I couldn't wait. I mean, sitting in the Episcopal Church for pretty much my entire life meant that you learned how to bow when the cross went by your row, when to kneel, what to say back to the priest and when, clock countdowns, doodling, and general fidgetry.

Not long after my 10th birthday I got to meet with Rev. DeLong. He seemed nice enough and taught me the ropes one Sunday after church. I was in.

Before church we'd put on the robes with white overlays and check out our assigned roles that week and usually you had two responsibilities. One for the "processional" which included carrying a flag or maybe the cross. On special days you might get to swing incense. You might carry a big Bible for the priest. The older guys carried the Cross in because it was gold & heavy. One of us got to ring the bell signifying that church was supposed to start...but that got old pretty quickly.

There were other duties related to the Lord's Supper during the service. You might be lighting the candles at the appropriate time or you might bring the wafers & wine & water or you might exchange silver chalices when one emptied. You might move the big Bible from one lecturn to the other. The younger kids might assist the elderly by giving them an arm for support to help them up or down the stairs/kneelers when they approached the altar.

But it was pretty cool. It kept us interested and busy. And I knew that the other 8 & 9 year-old kids (girls were included, too) were thinking they'd like to be up there with us because I'd thought those same thoughts for a while. It was a small honor of sorts, I guess.

And it was a learning opportunity of sorts, I guess. Remember? I knew the ropes. Particularly by the age of 14 or so you knew all the jobs...and when I started asking questions about them a few years later I really believe the experience accelerated my learning curve by the constant comparison & contrast against the information I was learning at my polar-opposite Bible church.

(Read Titus 1: 1--4 here)

See, Paul refers to himself two ways in verse 1: A slave & an apostle. The greek word for bond-servant is doulous...and in American culture the word "slave" has negative connotations. But a 1st century reader wouldn't have seen it that way but rather in such a way like I percieved being an altar boy. Sure, it was "work" and sometimes grunt work at that and we had various responsibilities that might've been pressure (ever been 4-feet tall trying to light a 3-foot tall candle sitting on a 4-foot tall table with e 3-foot tall candle lighter while the entire church/priest was waiting for them to be lit before they could start the Supper? That's age-appropriate pressure when you're 10, I can tell you.) but it was certainly an honorable task. There was training, and people appreciated it, and it was kind of cool. Well, as "cool" as church things can be, anyway.

As an apostle, he was one commissioned by God to teach truth. I've always appreciated Paul's understanding of his role among us. He seemed to grasp that balance between slave & apostle. Seems most church leaders get into trouble when they go too far in either direction.

Now I could go on and on about what it means to be "chosen" of God...it's a study in and of itself. But the bottom line is that my salvation doesn't depend on me and my actions. See, the reality is that I'm one of His no matter what. I've been chosen by the King of Kings and Lord of Lords to be one of His children. Forever in His family. This reality encourages me when the Hakken-Kraaks howl or it "feels" like there's a Grand Canyon between He and I or my sneakers get wet or I can't see the growth in people around me or I can't see the reality of it in me or my marble goes down the drain. My salvation is in God's hand from beginning to end, past/present/future, and I'm glad because I can awfully wishy-washy at times.

Now the thesis of the letter as I read it is in the next clause, "the knowledge of truth which is according to godliness." Paul's going to write this letter to his co-worker in the faith...and I think as we get into this letter we'll see that "knowledge"--of "truth," (which is important that what you know is learned from the "right" source--which is why Wikipedia can be dangerous, right?)--has a connection with godliness. God-like-ness. Making us more like Him.

And in verse 2 we see that he did his ministry "in view of" (better translation than "resting on" or "hope of" from what I can gather from books--I never took Greek) eternal life. And I think this is helpful for those of us in ministry because, as Eugene Peterson once said, "Spiritual formation is a slow business."

It is for me personally. I mean, it's taken me nearly a quarter-century to begin to think I'm starting to get some sort of handle on this journey. My walk has been anything but crystal clear. I've learned to walk around with shoelaces untied. I've learned that sometimes when you tie them up it can be more dangerous than letting them flop around. Sure. You'll trip sometimes, but mostly it's a brief stumble and you regain balance pretty quickly. It's taken an awfully long time and circuitous routes to get where I am...which, even now, doesn't seem like it's where it should be. But at the same time, it isn't where it was, either. God has worked in me and through me. I'm thankful, too. Because I remember how it felt at times on the journey. But He's been faithful over the long haul.

It's a slow business for those I serve, too. They're coming from all over the spiritual map and dropping in at various places and trying to do it without all the formal education I've been blessed with and they have their own jobs and kids and extracurriculars and hobbies and they've got their own untied shoelaces and tied shoelaces and some stumble and fall on their faces and some regain their balance and it's beautiful to see God transform lives. It just takes time.

So, when I view ministry in view of eternity...well...it takes the heat/pressure right off. And it's more pressure than a 4-footer trying to light a 3-foot candle standing on a 4-foot table with a 3-foot extension candle, I can tell you that. The whole Church is watching. The King of Kings and Lord of Lords is watching.

But He chose me. He started all this in me. He'll finish it in me.

I'm His "slave," which keeps me busy and interested, and, some days I get to swing the incense or carry the cross in processional and other days I move the elements around and some days I help the elderly with their balance. Ironically, it's an honor to be His doulous.

I'm responsible for teaching truth, which ironically, is quite an honor. And because of that I get to watch Him transform lives through His Holy Spirit working in concert with His living & active Word. And that, my friends, allows the King of Kings and Lord of Lords to have His Kingdom be more populated and more rewarded...giving glory to Himself. No matter how slow or fast that process might be...it's beautiful to watch.

And beautiful to experience.