Rejoice in the Body of Christ

19th Sunday After Pentecost/Affirmation of Baptism Sunday at our congregation

Click here to read Philippians 4:1-9

Grace and peace to you in the name of the Father, and the Son, and the Holy Spirit. Amen.

‘Rejoice in the Lord always; again I say rejoice,’ Paul writes to his fellow Christ followers of Philippi (Ancient Greece). Paul is writing from prison, which is certainly not a joyful situation and it appears the Philippians are struggling as well. Yet Paul shares words of encouragement: ‘stand firm, be united, help one another, and remember who God is - which will give you peace’. Paul continues saying, ‘Do not be discouraged. There is a lot to bring us down and divide us, but give those things to God and keep on working for the mission and ministry Christ revealed to us. Whatever is true, honorable, pure, pleasing.. whatever is commendable, excellent or worthy of praise, think only of these things. Rejoice, I say, rejoice.’

I couldn’t help but hear these words this morning as if Paul were a leader of the church today writing to fellow Christians in quarantine. There is much to weigh us down right now as individuals and as community. There are many things that divide us from one another on a personal level and on a communal level as we prepare for the presidential election in less than one month. Tensions are high; emotions are high.. many are imprisoned or FEEL imprisoned at the moment.

My initial reaction to Paul’s words is ‘how dare you.. how dare you ask me to rejoice in a time like this.. can’t you just let me be sad!’ Perhaps many of you felt that ting of resistance to Paul’s words this morning too; ‘Rejoice!? How can we rejoice in a time like this!?’ As I spent time in the word this week, however, I was reminded that the joy Paul means here isn’t necessarily one of emotion. We often only think of joy as an emotion, but what we are referring to would better be described as ‘happiness,’ which we know is fleeting. Joy on the other hand is much deeper than that, more of a discipline or state of being than an in the moment feeling.

The joy of Christ and therefore of Christians, the joy Paul is reminding the Philippians about, is the joy we have from knowing God. This joy is the peace we feel in our core when we remember that God is author of the universe, savior of us all, and Spirit wind guiding all things to God’s end, not our own. God’s will WILL be done, victory has been won, the world has been saved, God is alive and at work despite current circumstances. When things look grim like they did for Paul and the Philippians.. when things look grim like they do in 2020.. joy is found when God is found present and at work in the midst of difficulty and pain. Joy is found in knowing that God is with us. Joy is found when we can breathe a sigh of relief that WE don’t have to be our own saviors.

As Christians, this joy is not complete unless shared in community. Paul’s joy is incomplete alone; it is essential he remain in community. The Philippians are divided and Paul calls them to unity, to lift one another up, to work together, to lean on one another. God is mysteriously present and at work at all times in all things, but God almost always chooses to work through created means. Created means like bread and wine, like water and word, like you and me.

As humans, sinners and saints, we know just how challenging it is to follow in the footsteps of Christ. We know that the gospel always leads to the cross, but we also know the power of resurrection. The journey is hard, some might even say impossible alone. It is a gift, an honor, to walk beside our siblings in Christ; rejoicing in our shared joy, love, and hope. The body of Christ on earth is made up of all of us, just as God intended. We were never meant to journey alone. As Christian community, when one is weak another is strong; when one falls down another helps them up; when one is lost another seeks to bring them home.

We, as the community of Christ in our area of the world, walk together in faith. Together, apart, near or far, present or online – we gather together in the joy of Christ to worship the one who holds the whole world in their hands. Together we learn about God and encourage one another to be ‘little Christs’ throughout our daily lives. We teach one another and we learn from one another. One of the ways we do this is through two years of instruction that we call Confirmation Classes.

We have all been invited into baptism by the Triune God and many of us received this sacrament as infants, unable to comprehend the gift being bestowed upon us BUT we were baptized into a community which promised to accompany us and grow us up in the body of Christ. In keeping this promise we provide intentional learning opportunities, which lead us to affirm our baptism; to be reminded of this means of grace and once again promise, together in community, to live out our lives as children of God who love as God loves us.

As God’s people we give thanks at all times and in all places for who God is and what God has done for us and in doing so we are transformed. When our hearts and minds are one with Christ Jesus, our lives are set into motion as the Holy Spirit lives and moves in us, using our hands and feet to do God’s work on earth – proclaiming the Good News wherever we go through word and deed, serving all people, and striving towards justice and peace. This may seem like an impossible feat, but remember, in community when you stumble and fall another is there to help you stand again.. and if they stumble in the process another is not far behind and another and another.. like dominoes the line of siblings to lean on is long and at the end, holding the entire structure is God, of course.

We are all called, individually and communally, as children of God to participate in the mission and ministry of Christ Jesus. This is impossible on our own and can sometimes feel like an insurmountable challenge when we feel broken or the world feels like it is falling apart all around us.. we rejoice in knowing that we are in fact in this together and God is in fact present and at work – working all things for God’s ultimate purpose, which is far greater than we could ever dream or imagine. Therefore,‘Rejoice in the Lord always; again I say rejoice!’

Amen.

At our baptism/when we affirm our baptism we:

-"renounce the devil and all the forces that defy God, the powers of this world that rebel against God, and the ways of sin that draw you from God"

-profess the Apostles' Creed

-begin/continue in "the covenant God made with you in holy baptism:

To live among God’s faithful people,

To hear the word of God and share in the Lord’s Supper,

To proclaim the good news of God in Christ through word and deed,

To serve all people, following the example of Jesus,

And to strive for justice and peace in all the earth."