Connections

Here’s a peek behind the curtain! On World Communion Sunday, I decided to swerve and do something else instead of preaching a sermon. But I did write one! I promise! In case you don’t believe me, the blog this week is the fabled “unpreached sermon of 2025”. And in case you were wondering, I am only sharing this because I think it is of supreme value, not because I feel the need to make sure I pick all the meat off the bones of my writing. I even wrote this introduction! So, there!

2 Timothy:1-14

This is perhaps the most personal piece of writing in the entirety of the Bible. It is a letter from one person to another. It is not just a letter from Paul to an entire church, nor is it just a letter from Paul to a stranger. This is a letter that was written from a place of deep love and community. This is a letter of love. “I remember you constantly in my prayers night and day.” This is the sort of relationship that is not a superficial connection between two members of the community, but rather through a knowledge and constancy that speaks to what the church can be when it is at its best.

My favorite part of the passage, however, is how the author not only recognizes the goodness of Timothy himself, but also how he recognizes the path that Timothy took to get to his present state in life. We all have received our faith from somewhere. We were not made to exist wholly as people of faith without some sort of inspiration. Lois, the grandmother, and Eunice, the mother, were the progenitors of Timothy’s faith, a faith that has inspired apostles to write letters about the depth of faithfulness and love. We all have the people in our lives who have helped call us to faith. We all have a history that involves deeply beloved individuals who brought us to the place we currently reside. This letter starts with a celebration of that love and connection. There is no faith without the faith that has come before us, and the author of this letter sees that faith continued and lived out through Timothy’s witness. It is in the spirit of Lois and Eunice that the author is able to give Timothy the encouragement to continue living his life in faith. This letter was written from the depths of jail, from the place of deep despair, but the writer does not indicate that the cruelty and evil of the world dominate his life. Rather, in the despair of imprisonment this author is able to find life and healing in the love he has for someone else.

This is world communion Sunday, a day in which we recognize the community of God’s children around the world. It is in this connection with our worldwide community that we are able to write of hope and joy. It is in connecting with those who came before us, and remembering those who inspired those around the world that we are able to remember one another in our prayers constantly. On this world communion Sunday, we pray for our siblings around the world, knowing that our love for them is rooted in a common ancestry. The world’s community is strong because we have built foundations over the generations. Even at a distance and even with estrangement, those connections persist. On this world communion Sunday, we ask that all we do be a testament to the connections forged through our common bonds. We ask that we may serve as a testament to the love we have shared and as a promise for the love that we can continue to share.

Amen.

Peace,

Rev. Jeff Fox-Kline

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Let’s continue celebrating the love and faith that connect us across generations and around the world. Come be part of our community this Sunday at 10:00 a.m. for a meaningful time of worship and togetherness at Twelve Corners Presbyterian Church, located in the heart of Brighton, NY. All are welcome to join! We also invite you to contact our office with any questions by calling 585-244-8585 or send an email through our secure contact form.