October 11, 2020

Philippians 3:1-14

Throughout my early to mid-twenties, I pretty much lived in various polo and uniform shirts. I had a red polo for when I cashiered at Sport Chalet, blue polos for when I was a teacher in after school programs at the YMCA and another non-profit. On Sundays and throughout the week I was in my kids’ ministry t-shirt. I felt kind of like a cartoon character, wearing the same outfits everyday. I would work my day job and then go straight to a church event or volunteer in the same clothes or change the shirt to another uniform. Don’t get me wrong, it was nice not having to put much effort into choosing what I had to wear for the day. The problem was, I was slowly loosing my identity. I became Jasmine the Kids Pastor, and struggled to find hobbies or passions outside of the kids/church bubble. I realized how lost I was when I stopped working with kids and didn’t have jobs which required a uniform, and didn’t know what style of clothes I liked. I hadn’t bought new clothes in years! My self-identity was completely merged with my work, so when the title of Kid’s Pastor was taken away from me I had an identity crisis.

Paul also had many titles associated with him. We see his outstanding pedigree in Philippians 3:4-6. He was a full member of God’s covenant people through circumcision. He was an Israelite by birth with all of the rights and privileges that came with it. Paul’s ancestors were from the tribe of Benjamin, who were faithful to God’s covenant. He was a son of Hebrew parents, with no Gentile contamination. His resume was even more impressive. He practiced strict observance of the law as a Pharisee, his devotion to God was so extreme that he persecuted the church. Finally he was considered to be righteous under the law and blameless.

With all of his inherited privileges and achievements, Paul makes the surprising statement, “I once thought these things were valuable, but now I consider them worthless because of what Christ has done. Yes, everything else is worthless when compared with the infinite value of knowing Christ Jesus my Lord.”

How do we know Christ…like, really know him? I think we know a lot about him through the Bible, but I struggle now with the idea of having a personal relationship with a man from 2,000 years ago. I, like Paul, have had mystical encounters with Christ. And I believe we can experience Christ through the Holy Spirit. Yet how can the humans fully wrap their minds around knowing Jesus the Christ? Perhaps it is not about a personal relationship with Christ, but rather a knowing of the Christ reality. 

To know Christ is to know death and resurrection. It’s being in tune with the rhythm and beat of death transforming into new life throughout the universe. From exploding stars creating new galaxies, to the constant regenerating of our skin cells, we are all participating in the cycle of death and resurrection both physically and spiritually. I may not know what Jesus’ favorite snack was, or what makes him laugh, but death…I know what that is like. Resurrection…I’ve seen that happen. I think there is a lot of folks out there who don’t know anything about Christ, but are acutely aware of knowing the Christ reality. 

I believe this is where joy is found. Joy is found in knowing Christ. It’s the joy of knowing that death does not have the final word. 

We experience joy in the midst of our world being flipped upside down, knowing that we will be transformed into something new. It is a defiant and subversive optimism.

Knowing Christ is realizing that it’s not faith or the works and polo shirts we acquire that bring resurrection, but it is the faithfulness of Christ which brings it. Joy is trusting the faithfulness of Christ.

Joy asks with curiosity and wonder, “What new life is going to come out of even this?”

Where in your life have you experienced the joy of death and resurrection? Five years ago, I was in a deep depression because I thought my ministry career was over. I didn’t know how to function in a church outside of kids’ ministry, let alone in a place where I am treated as a second class citizen in the Kingdom of God. I had to bury and mourn all of those t-shirts I’ve collected over the years. Slowly, little sparks of joy started to emerge when I found queer Christians and ministries on the internet. I began to lift my head a little, knowing that there may be a future in ministry for me eventually. New life came in the form of affirming relationships and spaces where I can be myself…and explore more deeply who I am. I may have known a lot about Christ. I was born into the faith, dedicated my life to service within the church, attended seminars, conferences, and classes…all of that has no value to me anymore, now that I personally know the Christ. Speaking to you know is a testament to the resurrection and joy I live into now. 

May the One who creates galaxies out of dead stars strengthen you.

May sparks of joy lift your head in the midst of suffering

May you ask with curiosity and wonder, “What new life is going to come out of even this?”

And may you know the resurrected Christ who accompanies you always and forever.

Amen.

October 4, 2020

First Lutheran Church

October 4, 2020 – Philippians Series

Chapter Two – Joy in Emptiness

Philippians 2:1-13.  1If then there is any encouragement in Christ, any consolation from love, any sharing in the Spirit, any compassion and sympathy, 2make my joy complete: be of the same mind, having the same love, being in full accord and of one mind. 3Do nothing from selfish ambition or conceit, but in humility regard others as better than yourselves. 4Let each of you look not to your own interests, but to the interests of others. 5Let the same mind be in you that was in Christ Jesus, 6who, though he was in the form of God, did not regard equality with God as something to be exploited, 7but emptied himself, taking the form of a slave, being born in human likeness.  And being found in human form, 8he humbled himself and became obedient to the point of death - even death on a cross.

9Therefore God also highly exalted him and gave him the name that is above every name, 10so that at the name of Jesus every knee should bend, in heaven and on earth and under the earth, 11and every tongue should confess that Jesus Christ is Lord, to the glory of God the Father.

12Therefore, my beloved, just as you have always obeyed me, not only in my presence, but much more now in my absence, work out your own salvation with fear and trembling; 13for it is God who is at work in you, enabling you both to will and to work for his good pleasure.

Sermon “Joy in Emptiness”

Pastor Greg Ronning

Today's text from Paul's letter to the Philippians contains one of my favorite portions of scripture, the so called "Christ Hymn.” In our reading Paul quotes the hymn …

"Let the same mind be in you that was in Christ Jesus, who though he was in the form of God, did not regard equality with God as something to be exploited, but emptied himself, taking the form of a slave, being born in human likeness.  And being found in human form, he humbled himself and became obedient to the point of death even death on a cross.  Therefore God also highly exalted him and gave him the name that is above every name, so that at the name of Jesus every knee should bow, in heaven and on earth and under the earth, and every tongue confess that Jesus Christ is Lord, to the glory of God."

Tradition says that this hymn was sung by the early church on the occasion of baptism as the community recalled the saving acts of God.  It is a song of love.  God's incredible love for us, inspires the creative and redeeming "Word" to give up the glories of heaven to become flesh, a human of no status or privilege; and to face death, even death on a cross.  Jesus “emptied himself” that we might be filled, that we might know the love of the creator, that we might have abundant life.  And in this action, in this decision, Jesus is filled with joy.  The writer of Hebrews tells us, "Let us fix our eyes on Jesus, the author and perfecter of our faith, who for - the joy set before him - endured the cross." (Hebrews 12:2)

The "Christ Hymn" tells the gospel story, it reveals the passionate nature of God.   And it is a hymn that both comforts us and challenges us.  The comfort is found in the incredible love that motivates Christ to descend deep into the human realm; and the challenge is found in its call for us to be of “the same mind” as Christ, to follow the way of Christ, to humbly descend, to embrace emptiness.  In today’s text we find comfort, challenge, and the promise of joy!

It’s a challenge because we don't like to descend, we live in a world that likes to ascend to the top!  And we don’t like to be empty, we prefer plenty over want.  Truth be told we're actually quite afraid of descent and emptiness.  Descent and emptiness force us to ask the hard, existential questions of life.  So instead we race to the top and along the way we fill our lives with as much stuff as we can, - and our world has a lot of stuff.  And boy do we know how to collect stuff!  Our cars sit in the driveway because the garage is filled with stuff, we’ve created a booming “self-storage” industry, and we all have a box or two of “something” that we’ve held onto from a past move, a box whose contents are a mystery.  Yet we hang on to it.  As a society we’ve been trained to “acquire,” and to “consume,” but not to “let go!”  So it is, descent and emptiness, the humble descent into emptiness, which accord to Paul is the mindset of Christ, the way of Christ, - is indeed a challenge for us. 

And that’s a problem because the ability to “descend” and “let go” - is actually a gift.  It’s a gift that we want, that we need, a gift of faith that we are invited to open up and experience.  For it is in the emptiness of life, that the one who became “empty” is intensely present for us!  So when we choose to fill up our emptiness, or cover it up, when we choose to race to the top of the heap; we cut ourselves off from that gift, we insulate ourselves from the experience of unconditional love; the chance to become that person - that we truly are - deep inside, the opportunity to experience and live life from the depths of joy.

Emptiness is the fertile ground of creation, the source of vocation, the place where we discover our great longing, our calling in life.  When we avoid emptiness by filling our life with the values, attitudes, and things of the dominant culture that surrounds us, we exclude the possibilities of the kingdom.  And without the kingdom nothing changes, nothing's realized.  Outside of the kingdom the best we can hope for is to be routine or ordinary, the best we can hope for is meaningless possessions and mere happiness.  In and through emptiness God calls us to be more.  Our emptiness will not be satisfied by anything less.  It inspires us to find a life that is full, a life that has depth and meaning, a life of serving others, a life that makes a difference, a life that knows the depths of joy.  The ironic truth is that the emptiness we fear and avoid is actually present in our life to save us, to lead us into a life abundant.

“Love Rains on You”

In the middle of the pain, Hear your lover say

“Hold onto the emptiness that comes to save”

In the silence of the night, The hollow of the day

Don't become your fear, hear the artist say

I am there, Creating in you

In the mystery of life and death

Everything's made new

Love Rains on You

The sojourner must cry, Along the less traveled road

But with every step taken the dream takes hold

Only the empty heart, Can hold life that's true

A strange peace and a strong love waits for you

I am there, Creating in you

In the mystery of life and death

Everything's made new

Love Rains on You

As the rain begins to fall, Take the risk of letting go

The world may pass you by but you'll never know

In the renewal of the mind, The transformation of the heart

A new age dawns, faith becomes art

I am there, Creating in you

In the mystery of life and death

Everything's made new

Love Rains on You

For three long days love rains on you

For three long days love rains on you

For three long days love rains on you

Life begins, all things are new

St. Paul implored the Philippians, and on this day St. Paul invites each of us, “Make my joy complete,” (Make your joy complete!) “Let the same mind be in you that was in Christ Jesus.”  May God grant each of us the faith and courage to take the risk of letting go, to trust the way of God, to embrace descent and emptiness, to let go of the things of this world in order that we might grab hold of the things that belong to the kingdom.  And in doing so, find ourselves wrapped up in the unconditional love of Christ; and called by Christ into a life of meaning and purpose, a life of humble service, a life lived from the depths of joy, an abundant life filled to overflowing with the good things of God.  Amen.

September 27, 2020 Phlippians Chapter One

First Lutheran Church

September 27, 2020

Philippians Series + Chapter One

Philippians 1:3-11; 18b-30

3 I thank my God every time I remember you, 4 constantly praying with joy in every one of my prayers for all of you, 5 because of your sharing in the gospel from the first day until now. 6 I am confident of this, that the one who began a good work among you will bring it to completion by the day of Jesus Christ. 7 It is right for me to think this way about all of you, because you hold me in your heart, for all of you share in God’s grace with me, both in my imprisonment and in the defense and confirmation of the gospel. 8 For God is my witness, how I long for all of you with the compassion of Christ Jesus. 9 And this is my prayer, that your love may overflow more and more with knowledge and full insight 10 to help you to determine what is best, so that in the day of Christ you may be pure and blameless, 11 having produced the harvest of righteousness that comes through Jesus Christ for the glory and praise of God.

Yes, and I will continue to rejoice, 19 for I know that through your prayers and the help of the Spirit of Jesus Christ this will turn out for my deliverance. 20 It is my eager expectation and hope that I will not be put to shame in any way, but that by my speaking with all boldness, Christ will be exalted now as always in my body, whether by life or by death. 21 For to me, living is Christ and dying is gain. 22 If I am to live in the flesh, that means fruitful labor for me; and I do not know which I prefer. 23 I am hard pressed between the two: my desire is to depart and be with Christ, for that is far better; 24 but to remain in the flesh is more necessary for you. 25 Since I am convinced of this, I know that I will remain and continue with all of you for your progress and joy in faith, 26 so that I may share abundantly in your boasting in Christ Jesus when I come to you again.

27 Only, live your life in a manner worthy of the gospel of Christ, so that, whether I come and see you or am absent and hear about you, I will know that you are standing firm in one spirit, striving side by side with one mind for the faith of the gospel, 28 and are in no way intimidated by your opponents. For them this is evidence of their destruction, but of your salvation. And this is God’s doing. 29 For he has graciously granted you the privilege not only of believing in Christ, but of suffering for him as well— 30 since you are having the same struggle that you saw I had and now hear that I still have.

Sermon “Philippians Chapter One - Joy From Prison”

Today we begin our four-part sermon series, following the appointed epistle readings for the Season of Pentecost, - the Apostle Paul’s letter to the Philippians.  The four parts of the series will cover the four chapters of the book.  Today we begin at the beginning, with Philippians Chapter One!

Paul writes this letter to the Church in Philippi, a Roman Colony in Macedonia.  Paul, along with Timothy and Silas, founded the Church at Philippi during his second missionary journey.   And his relationship with the members of this community is marked by a special affection and deep longing, as evident in the opening verses of the letter.

And it’s important to note that Paul writes this letter - from prison.  Paul does not indicate where he is being imprisoned, tradition holds that he was in Rome.  However, since he was imprisoned on a more than a few occasions during this time period, we cannot be certain of the exact location.  But nonetheless, it is important to remember that he was in prison when he wrote this letter.  And it’s very important that we understand this context, for it is from this setting that the words penned by Paul find their incredible depth and meaning. Words that bring The Word into our life today.

Paul was in prison a lot!  In the last quarter of the book of Acts we find Paul imprisoned in Jerusalem, Caesarea, and ultimately in Rome.   He is imprisoned on a boat that becomes shipwrecked.  Sometimes he was under house arrest and other times he was in shackles. He was treated respectfully, and he was beaten and abused.  The letters of Ephesians, Philippians, Colossians, and Philemon were all written from prison. And finally, Second Timothy was also written from prison—likely Paul’s final imprisonment in Rome prior to his death sentence and execution.

Paul was in prison a lot, imprisoned for living out his faith and proclaiming the Gospel of Jesus Christ.  And yet with each shake down and lock up, despite strict confinement and harsh treatment, under physical punishment, and in the face of the constant threat of death; Paul’s faith becomes stronger, his witness - bolder, his peace - deeper, and his proclamation and testament to “joy” - more profound.

Which brings us back to Paul’s letter to the Philippians and its over-arching theme, “joy.”  “Joy” is found in each chapter of this letter.  Paul mentions “joy” and “rejoice” sixteen times.  Paul speaks of his joy, Paul points to the joy of Christ, and Paul exhorts us to live joyfully, to rejoice at all times and in all things.  Together over the next four weeks we will return back to this theme time and time again, to “joy” as understood and experienced by Paul.  Each chapter will give us a new opportunity to think about joy in a different way, as we continue to unpack this wonderfully deep theological word. 

Today, in chapter one, we are reminded that Paul speaks of “joy” while he is suffering in prison.  From prison, Paul challenges us to make a distinction between joy and happiness, a distinction we don’t always make in our use of the language.  And this may be a bit of a challenge for us, for in common English usage, (and even in the Greek,) the word for joy and happiness are pretty much interchangeable.  But that can’t be in the case of Paul, nobody speaks of being “happy” in prison.  So it is that “joy” must mean something different to Paul.  Today we are reminded that the “joy” of which Paul speaks comes from a deeper place than mere happiness.  Once again, Paul speaks of “joy” while sitting in prison!   He wants to invite us into a deeper experience, a deeper experience of faith in Christ.  C.S. Lewis spoke of this peace when he wrote, “Joy must be sharply distinguished both from happiness and from pleasure.”  The 19th Century British hymn writer H.H. Lemmel wrote, “Happiness happens, but joy abides in the heart that is stayed on Jesus.”  Over the next four weeks we will be exploring and unpacking this “joy.”

And we will be doing this in a time of pandemic; a time of social distancing which has required us to separate from each other by wearing masks, standing six feet apart, engaging behind plexiglass barriers, visiting over the phone, worshipping with zoom, and even being quarantined at home.  And while I know it’s not really fair to compare our current experience to Paul’s experience in prison, (our social distancing mandates can’t begin to compare with life in a First Century prison,) sometimes it feels like the Coronavirus has imprisoned us.  When it all began that was the language we used, we went into “lockdown.”

So, what can we learn from Paul, from his letter written from jail to the Church at Philippi?   What did Paul have to say when he found his life put on “pause?”  What did Paul do when he was forced into “social isolation?”  What did Paul proclaim and believe in the face of death?

In chapter one these words jump out at me, “I am confident of this, that the one who began a good work among you will bring it to completion by the day of Jesus Christ.”  In this time of Pandemic, when everything feels like it’s been put on hold, when some things feel like they may have ended permanently; I am hopeful that the good work that God has begun in me is not over, that the good work that God has begun in you is not over, and that the good work that God has begun in us is not over.  There are times when I am tempted to proclaim and believe the opposite, in the midst of this pandemic I am want to say, “I have no faith, that all the things I have been working on, all the things we have been working on together here at First Lutheran, will survive this pandemic and the mandates of social isolation.”  Yet Paul, in a much worse, so much worse situation, is confident, “that the one who began a good work among you will bring it to completion.”  Still, that is not an easy conclusion to trust.  The future is uncertain.

We keep hearing that things will never go back to the old normal, and this can be cause for lament.  But it doesn’t have to be just that!  It doesn’t mean life is over!  It just means that things will change.  We are a people who believe in death and resurrection!  We are a people that believe that God is at work in us bringing about a new creation!  We are not a people who are condemned to the past but a people with a desire for the Kingdom that comes!  The Pandemic has changed things, and we will miss some of those things, and yes we will need to mourn those losses; yet ultimately I believe Paul would have us “rejoice” in the deeper patterns of faith, the more profound patterns that are always present in the life of faith, to see in death – new life.  This pandemic may leave some things in ashes, but it is out of the ashes that new life rises up, just as Christ was raised up from the grave, just as we too have all been raised up in his death and resurrection.  The future may be uncertain, but the truth of death and resurrection remains!

We begin our journey through the book of Philippians with Paul sitting in prison.  And at first glance this setting looks very direr and hopeless.  Yet Paul, even under the threat of death, is filled with “joy.”  The joy that is life in Christ.  And he wants to share the source of this joy with us.  May we, living in our own prisons, living in our own time of uncertainty, living in the midst of change, living in the fear of the unknown; be filled with that same “joy.”  Let us be of the same mind in boldly proclaiming, “I am confident of this, that the one who began a good work among you, (among us,) will bring it to completion by the day of Jesus Christ.” 

Be filled with faith, hope, peace, and joy, for the Spirit is at work among us even now, even in the midst of life and death, ushering in the Kingdom of God.  Amen.