Rejoice in the Lord!

Rev. Debbie Cato

Matthew 22:1-14 and Philippians 4:1-9

Peace Presbyterian Church

October 12, 2014

Rejoice in the Lord!

“Rejoice in the Lord always; again, I will say, Rejoice.” This is Paul's call to contemporary faith communities on this Sunday.

Remember, Paul is writing from prison to the church at Philippi. Longing to be with his favorite church, Paul is well into long,-difficult days between his last visit to Philippi and when he will again feast with his brothers and sisters there. The Philippian church, like Paul, is also suffering. The joy that energized the community when Paul first proclaimed the gospel in their midst is waning, partly because of his prolonged absence.

As sometimes happens during uncertain times, tensions have surfaced within the Philippian community. Paul urges Euodia (Eooda) and Syntyche (Sydeehe), co-leaders of the church who seem to be at odds with one another – or perhaps even with Paul, to “Be of the same mind as Christ.”

Paul knows these women well. They struggled beside him in the work of the Gospel and even though Paul is in prison, he has heard that they are not getting along – they are disagreeing. Euodia (Eooda) and Syntyche (Sydeehe) are long-time friends and co-workers. They are leaders in the believing community in Philippi, most likely heads of house-churches who have fallen on some bad times in terms of their “doing the gospel.” Most likely their disagreements were not even substantial. Perhaps they had more to do with what projects to take on, how to worship, which activities to be involved in. But because they are leaders, their unresolved disagreements are having a negative impact on the worshiping community in Philippi. “Have the same mind as Christ,” Paul tells them. “Stand firm in the Lord. Rejoic in the Lord.”

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Paul uses the language of rejoicing to both encourage and remind his beloved brothers and sisters. Paul reminds them that they have a story of faith. They have experienced God's presence in their midst. This Greek city is home to Paul’s first church – the Holy Spirit formed a Christian church out of a bunch of pagans in the middle of a Roman controlled Greek city. Women were the head of the house churches in Philippi. God’s presence was with them as they grew in their faith and were witnesses of the good news in Philippi. Paul praises the work they have done and encourages them and the rest of the Philippian community: “Keep doing the things that you have learned and received and heard and seen in me, and the God of peace will be with you,” he tells them. In Paul's understanding of the life of the Spirit, “joy” and “peace” go together.

Now the kind of joy that Paul refers to is not some superficial cheerfulness but a deep joy in what God has done in Christ and is continuing to do through the work of the church. The kind of joy Paul is referring to is not an emotion dependent on our circumstances. Paul is not thinking of something that is merely an emotional experience but rather he is speaking of something deep and lasting; a joy that comes through a deepening relationship with Christ. This joy is not an escape from the pain of life; it is a reconsideration and reinvestment in life from a different, liberating perspective. The fact that this joy is “in the Lord” reminds us not only that it comes from the Lord, but also that it is shared by those who live in him. This unmitigated, untrammeled joy is – or at least should be – the distinctive mark of the believer in Jesus Christ. This unmitigated joy is the distinctive mark of the body of Christ – the church.

Paul urges Euodia (Eooda) and Syntyche (Sydeehe) to resolve their differences and focus on what’s important. “Have the mind of Christ,” he tells them. Paul is a wise man. He knows that when the body has no joy – the body is dying.

I’ve witnessed that first hand. A church with no joy. The church had turned inward - existing only for itself. No longer being the church but only a social club. Gathering together on Sunday’s only to be with one another; to visit with one another. Unwelcoming to new visitors. Not wanting to grow in their faith or be engaged with the community. Feeling bitter and angry toward outside influences. The joy of the Spirit had long since gone. There was no life left in that church.

That’s not our church. Peace Presbyterian Church has a story of faith. You have experienced God's presence in your midst; you have felt the joy of the Holy Spirit. This week for the first time I saw the newspaper article announcing the first church service in the newly built sanctuary! I could imagine the joy experienced by those building this beautiful sanctuary and how it must have felt completing the job and preparing to worship in here for the first time. I actually got chills thinking about entering for the first time and sitting in the pews. Singing the first hymn, praying the first prayer – feeling the presence of the Holy Spirit here in this place that you built with your own hands.

I saw youth group pictures from years when this church was filled with families with children and youth and I could hear the laughter and noise that filled the church during those years; the life that was in these buildings. God was at work in our congregation.

God is still at work in our congregation. After decades without a youth group, the Holy Spirit moved in miraculous ways this summer and even though we don’t have families in the church with youth, we have a youth group. The joy of the Spirit is present at Peace!

We decided to collect school supplies for the children at Spring Creek Elementary and we called it Peace Presbyterian’s BIG School Supply Drive. We prayed you would participate even though we don’t have children in our congregation. You did! You bought more school supplies than would fit in the bin. They spilled onto the floor and piled up all around. The staff at Spring Creek were thrilled to see all that we collected and how it would benefit their students. The joy of the Spirit is present at Peace!

We have had our times of uncertainty; times of transition. Like the leaders at Philippi, we too have had our disagreements. We too have had our struggles. But we knew as leaders, we needed to work them out. Paul says, “Stand firm. Be one in the Spirit, as one person contending for the faith of the gospel. Have the same mind as Christ.” We knew that Peace has a wonderful story of faith and we are confident that the story isn’t finished yet. The joy of the Spirit is here. Perhaps we even heard Paul whispering, “Keep doing the things that you have learned and received and heard and seen in me, and the God of peace will be with you.” Joy and peace go together.

Your leadership – your elders and your deacons came together and in doing so, they felt the joy of the Lord. In our time together, they clarified our identity as a church and how we are going to live out the everyday promises of the resurrection as the community of Christ here at Peace; how we are going to experience the ongoing joy of the Spirit.

Starting this morning, you are going to be hearing about the outcome of the work the deacons and elders have done over the last month. We are excited to share the Ministry Plan for Peace for the next year – the direction that we sense the Holy Spirit is leading Peace as a Church. A direction that will help us grow deeper in our faith, meet the needs of the congregation, and help us reach out into the community - the same community where God planted this church over 50 years ago. As you learn more, you will see that there is a role for everyone – for only together are we the body of Christ. We need all the parts to be whole. It’s what makes our joy complete! Ordinary acts bearing extraordinary gifts of God's love.

Paul uses the language of rejoicing to encourage and remind us. Our joy is found in what God has done in Christ and is continuing to do through the saints in the church. The kind of joy Paul is referring to is not an emotion dependent on our circumstances, but is a deep and lasting joy that comes through a deepening relationship with Christ. The fact that this joy is “in the Lord reminds us not only that it comes from the Lord, but also that it is shared by those who live in him. It is shared by each of us in his church.

“Rejoice in the Lord always; again, I will say, Rejoice.” This is Paul's call to contemporary faith communities on this Sunday. This is Paul’s call to us. Rejoice in the Lord always; again, I will say, Rejoice!

May His kingdom come on earth, as it is in heaven. Amen

Fee, Gordon, D. Paul's Letter to the Philippians: The New international Commentary on the New Testament. Grand Rapids: Eerdmans Publishing Co. 1995. pp 385-413.

Bartlett, David and Taylor, Barbara Brown; eds. Feasting on the Word: Year A, Volume 4. Louisville: Westminster/John Knox Press. 2011. pp 158-163.

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