This has been an interesting year for all of us.  I’ve been giving it extra thought because of three events that happened all at once for me.  First, our daughter, Catherine, was married on July 8th to Terry Jaimes.  Since then, I’ve been trying to learn the wisdom of Ecclesiastes 3 about the season of life where you discover there is a time to embrace and a time to refrain.  We learn to let go after a marriage – or we should.  Second, I turned 60 the next morning.  While I blew right past 40 and 50, something was different about 60.  Some of you may have had the same experience.  A friend told me years ago I would see things differently at 60.  I’m only a couple of months into it…but he’s right.  Third, my father is 91 this year and he decided to give me his watch he had worn for so many years. It was his way of passing on something of himself and his own lifelong commitment to Paul’s command to redeem the time that is God’s gift to us.  All of these things coming together have made me more reflective this year – and not just about my life but about the future of The Gathering.

If you’ve ever been to a football game at the University of Oklahoma, you’ve experienced the “Boomer/Sooner” yell.  One side of the stadium shouts out “Boomer!” and the other side responds “Sooner!”.  This goes on for quite some time. Quite a long time, actually.  I only bring it up because it reminds me that there are many of us boomers who have become elders much sooner than we expected. This has not gone unnoticed at The Gathering.  In fact, I’ve had a couple of friends ask why there seem to be so many young ministry leaders on the program this year.  It’s intentional…and it’s intentional because our direction for the next five years is to actively encourage more and more young givers as participants and young ministry leaders as resources to The Gathering.

I’ve been mulling over the Apostle Paul’s counsel to Timothy and what he said there is just as relevant for us.  “Don’t let anyone look down on you because you are young, but set an example for the believers in speech, in life, in love, in faith and in purity.”  I want you to think about those things with me this evening as we begin.

Paul didn’t tell Timothy to spike his hair, become a youth pastor in his first church and limit himself to concerts and beach trips.  Instead, he was to teach all the believers. Believers of all ages and maturity. That’s how we need to view our younger participants and leaders now.  We don’t need to start a “children’s church” for The Gathering.  Rather, we are in a unique place to start learning from those who are young.  It’s a simple illustration but think about who taught you to use your first computer.  Your son or daughter probably or even your grandchildren.  Who taught you who to use email?  Who taught you how to program your Blackberry?  We’re already being taught by the young in so many ways.

Paul then encourages Timothy to take seriously his role as an example to the other believers.  He’s not to depend on their being models for him but he is to take the responsibility of being an example of spiritual maturity for them.  An example of what?  An example of a mature believer.  The word “example” really means a sample – a taste of what you are about to have.  I loved examples in my math classes because I needed to see something tangible first.  Something that I could follow and know it was not just a theory. In the same way, Timothy may be young but he has much to teach them about their own walk with Christ.  They should be looking to him as a taste of what they can expect in their own lives and not the other way around. He should be respectful but not reluctant.

Then Paul tells Timothy where he needs to focus and at the same time tells his elders how they can learn from him if they are wise.  They can learn from his speech.  In the same way, we can learn from their straightforward and enthusiastic speech we’ll be hearing this week-end.  What has too often become a professionalized process with specialized language for us is still a thrill for them that is often hard to articulate.  It comes out not as “That looks very effective and efficient” but as “Oh, sweeeeet!”

They can learn from Timothy’s life.  You’ll see some pictures and videos this week-end that are illustrations of how the younger people scattered around this room are going out into the world and giving not just their money (or family’s money) but spending a part of their lives in remote and extremely challenging places.  They are taking risks that make some of us more than a little uncomfortable – even queasy – but they are part of a generational wave of volunteers, pioneers and explorers. The new missionaries we might say…but they don’t call themselves that.

They can learn from Timothy’s love and faith.  Watch for it tonight and tomorrow and each day in the music and the break-outs.  Listen to the stories of passion for people all over the world and the extraordinary expectations of our young friends who have a calling to fulfill and not just a career to find.  They are in Uganda, in India, in Cambodia, in Haiti, in China, in Russia and Rwanda, in Europe and Ethiopia, in Canada, in Latin and South America, in Australia – and everywhere they are going they are stimulating faith and exhibiting the love of Christ. I wish you could see all the pictures and hear all the stories of what they are doing because they believe the power of the Gospel is as real today as it was in the past.

Finally, Paul says the young Timothy will be an example of purity for us.  Not just sexual purity but a purity of spirit and purpose.  A purity that is not jaded or cynical or diluted by comfort.  It is a purity that comes from a fresh and compelling experience with the Spirit of God and an openness to new ways of seeing His kingdom come on earth.

I cannot imagine a better place to be this week-end.  Our future is in this room tonight and I want us all to realize as profoundly as did the Apostle Paul that they have much to teach us and are not simply here to learn.  These are our “samples” we show to others to describe The Gathering and over the next five years we want to steadily increase the number of Timothy’s at The Gathering.  Not just to make us younger on average but to be examples for us to renew our hearts and imagination and enthusiasm for God’s call in our lives.  Listen to our friend Paul again. “Do not neglect your gift and the responsibility of it”  I want to challenge the young participants here tonight to take on the responsibility of teaching us, being examples for us, inspiring and challenging us and showing us through your lives, your faith, your purity and your speech what it means to be joyful and generous and committed.

“Don’t let anyone look down on you because you are young, but set an example for the believers in speech, in life, in love, in faith and in purity.”