by Wendy Morical
Over this pandemic period of lay leadership, I have been the recipient of notes and cards expressing appreciation for the role I have played at Pilgrim. The notes I have received, which are collected in a sheaf on my desk, have sustained me through times when the joy of serving our community of faith has faltered. They have been read and reread in times of despondency or isolation. Several have brought tears of gratitude to my eyes. They are cherished as affirmation of my positive intent when I may feel I am falling short of my goals.
In the early days of Christianity, the apostle Paul traveled widely, spreading information about the life of Jesus and encouraging the growth of the Christian movement. Through his letters, he reached out to inspire the early followers of Jesus. In general, these writings to the citizens of Corinth, Philippi, Ephesus, and other hubs of faithful “saints” tell them that he’s thinking of them, give them reminders of how to live faithful lives, and clarify what he had taught and shared. They all end with final greetings of peace and love to the people who love Christ and requests for the letters to be widely shared. While some of the content is admonitory and focuses on specific, archaic tenets of early Christianity, overall, the message Paul sends is positive: Love one another. Stay faithful. Be your best.
I like to think of a striving but perhaps fractious group of average people in Philippi trying to reshape themselves in this new image. Imagine the impact a letter from a dear teacher would have as they struggle to learn to work together and support one another:
Rejoice in the Lord always. I will say it again: Rejoice! Let your gentleness be evident to all. The Lord is near. Do not be anxious about anything, but in everything, by prayer and petition, with thanksgiving, present your requests to God. And the peace of God, which transcends all understanding, will guard your hearts and your minds in Christ Jesus.
Finally, brothers, whatever is true, whatever is noble, whatever is right, whatever is pure, whatever is lovely, whatever is admirable – if anything is excellent or praiseworthy – think about such things. (Philippians 4:4-8, NIV)
Further down the Aegean coastline, citizens of Ephesus heard from Paul with a reminder of what their focus should be as they, too, strove to put these new ideas into practice:
I pray that out of his glorious riches he may strengthen you with power through his Spirit in your inner being, so that Christ may dwell in your hearts through faith. And I pray that you, being rooted and established in love, may have power, together with all the saints, to grasp how wide and long and high and deep is the love of Christ, and to know this love that surpasses knowledge – that you may be filled to the measure of all the fullness of God. (Ephesians 3:16 – 19, NIV)
The people of Thessalonica got perhaps Paul’s most succinct guidelines for living lives of faith:
Be joyful always; pray continually; give thanks in all circumstances, for this is God’s will for you in Christ Jesus. (1 Thessalonians 5:18, NIV)
During our recent times of distance and isolation, we all worked to hold together our fellowship of brothers and sisters in Christ. In many instances, people made calls and sent notes to connect with and support one another. Now that we’re together again, we can hear the testament of people saying how much they or their family member valued the loving outreach from others.
What great power we have in how we talk to and support one another! We are bound in a community of love and nurture; our covenant is to support each other on our individual spiritual paths. As we grow together in the coming months and work to rebuild our church, let’s bring our best, most devoted selves. It’s our sacred duty to celebrate our diversity, which is a source of strength, by affirming and appreciating one another through our words and actions. We can commit to looking for the ‘noble, lovely and admirable’ in our life together, as Paul reminds us to do, and always give thanks for the joy we share.
I close my letter with these last words:
Be happy.
Grow in Christ.
Pay attention to what I have said.
Live in harmony and peace.
And may the God of love and peace be with you. (2 Corinthians, 13:11, The Living Bible)