Wednesday, December 21, 2022  

Today’s Scripture Reading
Philippians 4:4–15

Rejoice in the Lord always; again I will say, Rejoice. Let your gentleness be known to everyone. The Lord is near. Do not worry about anything, but in everything by prayer and supplication with thanksgiving let your requests be made known to God. And the peace of God, which surpasses all understanding, will guard your hearts and your minds in Christ Jesus. Finally, beloved, whatever is true, whatever is honorable, whatever is just, whatever is pure, whatever is pleasing, whatever is commendable, if there is any excellence and if there is anything worthy of praise, think about these things. Keep on doing the things that you have learned and received and heard and seen in me, and the God of peace will be with you.

I rejoice in the Lord greatly that now at last you have revived your concern for me; indeed, you were concerned for me, but had no opportunity to show it. Not that I am referring to being in need; for I have learned to be content with whatever I have. I know what it is to have little, and I know what it is to have plenty. In any and all circumstances I have learned the secret of being well-fed and of going hungry, of having plenty and of being in need. I can do all things through him who strengthens me. In any case, it was kind of you to share my distress. You Philippians indeed know that in the early days of the gospel, when I left Macedonia, no church shared with me in the matter of giving and receiving, except you alone. (NRSV)

Reflection

Rejoice. 

Bring everything to God in prayer. 

I find it natural to read these letters as if they were meant for individual study, both from my own practice, but also from my sense of Bible reading in the white Protestant culture I grew up in. I didn’t encounter Bible reading as a communal act, and even hearing it read in church seemed mostly in service of the sermon—which skewed toward the individual. Indeed, historically in white American Protestant Christianity, there is an emphasis on personal salvation rather than communal responsibility.* 

But Paul is writing to a community. Paul is always writing to a community. What is it like to take his exhortations and read them in that way? 

Rejoice together. 

Bring everything to God in prayer together. (Listen together.) 

And through the peace of God be formed in Christ together. 

And what is it like to do this not only in our larger communities but also in our smaller ones—in twos and threes even, wherever we find ourselves? 

I’ve been reading about transformative justice practice, and it sounds a lot like what Paul is saying here. Together—be open. Together—be honest. Together—trust the practice, refine it, and trust in it and each other again. Look to something larger than yourself individually or yourselves communally. 

This shouldn’t feel so revolutionary, praying and rejoicing and being formed together. 

This Advent, I wait. I pray—for myself and for others—by myself and in worship together. 

And all of this in gratitude to God. 

*The chapter “Believing” in Robert P. Jones’ White Too Long offers a good overview of how this came about and the impact it continues to have. 

Prayer

“May the peace of God, which surpasses all understanding, keep our hearts and minds safe in Christ Jesus.” Amen. 

Reflection written by Simon Crow, Program Manager, Discipleship and Small Group Ministry   

Reflection and prayer © Fourth Presbyterian Church

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