Have you ever watched a relay race, or maybe ran in one? ... When I was much younger! I was a great sprinter, 100 meters was my favorite distance and I normally won! I was good.I regularly was selected for the school relay team and normally ran in the first position out of four so as to get our team up ahead, which would give us a great chance at winning. I remember learning how important it was to pass the baton well; half a second was like a week when you are running that fast, and to fumble, or even worse; drop the baton! meant certain disaster and most likely a race position of last. In a race, once the baton is passed, the one who passed it doesn't take too long to slow down and let the next runner take off. They will continue to watch the race however because they have such a stake in it, cheering on their team and either celebrating or commiserating together when the race is over.
The idea of passing on a baton is also used in the area of succession e.g the Royal family; when one monarch hands authority over to another. Our Queen will in due course hand her baton over to either Charles or maybe William, giving all the authority and advice that will come with the symbolic baton. I’m sure she will continue to watch and to cheer on, giving advice where necessary, as she has a stake in the realm that is being governed. She has put her life into carrying the "baton" of royal governance and now will trust all that she has done into the hands of another, just as many others have done down though the centuries in various cultures. Lets look at the church; Gods kingdom and what passing a baton may look like in our own context. As children of God we are all Heirs, we are all witnesses and all called to pass on our knowledge, experience, wisdom etc to others as we build and train each other up. Jesus knew his time on earth would last only three years, he focused on passing the baton to his disciples and training them to do the same. In this way, he ensured that his teaching, modeling and truth would continue for generations to come in lands yet to be explored.
He gave his apostles clear instructions: “Go and make disciples of all nations... teaching them to obey everything I have commanded you” (Matt 28;19-20 ). In a sense, Jesus instructed his runners to “pass batons” in every nation by teaching others what he had taught them. Following Jesus’ lead, Paul passed the baton to Timothy, and so on.
The church is full of spiritual fathers and mothers, spiritual big sisters and brothers. Those who have done the tough miles, those who have travelled the journey of being a Jesus disciple for longer. Those who are not afraid to be real, coming alongside the younger ones, the weaker ones, the ones who have fallen down and need a hand up.
Every Christian has a baton, a spiritual inheritance in Christ, which is worth passing on. Our baton is the sum of all the lessons, insights, wisdom, counsel, character and spiritual anointing that we have gained. Its the spiritual legacy God wants us to impart to others. When we are secure in who we are in Christ, it is not a problem to pass on these things, we are like proud as punch parents watching our children take their first steps.
“This will continue until we all come to such unity in our faith and knowledge of God’s Son that we will be mature in the Lord, measuring up to the full and complete standard of Christ. Then we will no longer be immature like children. We won’t be tossed and blown about by every wind of new teaching. We will not be influenced when people try to trick us with lies so clever they sound like the truth. Instead, we will speak the truth in love, growing in every way more and more like Christ, who is the head of his body, the church. He makes the whole body fit together perfectly. As each part does its own special work, it helps the other parts grow, so that the whole body is healthy and growing and full of love.” Ephesians 4: 13-16 (NLT)
Rev. Julie Shannon
Highway of Hope Christian Church - Melton