Meditations on a Lectio Divina: Philippians 4: 4-9
“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 you requests be made know 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.”
“Rejoice in the Lord always; Again I will say, Rejoice”
Each week I get to rejoice in the Lord’s creation and I get to share that joy with volunteers who have come to help rebuild the city. On Wednesday nights I take them out to Bayou Sauvage and show them why what they do at home with their water matters here. ( to see more check back here for my post on the NOLA YAV site). I love my job, I get to do good work, and I rejoice in that.
“Let your gentleness be known to everyone”
Riiiggghhhttt, well since I recently had a longtime friend describe me as a teddy bear. Covered in Anthrax. Wrapped in razor wire. Comfort with emotional vulnerability might be something that I’m called to work on right now. I now refer to emotional stuff as ‘emotional goo’ as opposed to the more…creative…phrases I’ve used in the past (baby steps right?)But seriously you might find me choosing to be more emotionally vulnerable in this blog then I would be face to face- hey, I said baby steps!
“The Lord is near”
Yeah, dude better be. They warned us in orientation that emotionally gooey stuff we thought we had dealt with may come back- which is possibly a whole post. Also this month the Lord was near when they finally figured out what was wrong with the cuz and the Lord was certainly near my home church First Presbyterian Rockford.
“Do not worry about anything, but in everything by prayer and supplication with thanksgiving let you requests be made known to God”
Parker- enough said. My best friend’s child was born this month. It was a difficult delivery for both mother and child, all are doing well now, but I spent that night- the next day- the next week in prayer. Every breath supplication, trying not to worry about what was not within my ability to FIX, to control. Wanting to be there- not here, and feeling terrified and impotent- and so I prayed and let my requests be known to God and eventually – joyfully- my prayers of supplication turned to prayers of thanksgiving.
“And the peace of God , which surpasses all understanding, will guard your heats and your minds in Christ Jesus”
As terrified as I was, there was peace in faith. Faith in the doctors, in the prayers of our family and friends, our churches and communities. Peace in the knowledge of God’s grace and healing. It still stunk.
“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”
True, honorable, just, pure, pleasing, commendable, excellent, laudable and yet when I think on these what comes to mind is Psalm 139:14. A scripture that has haunted me, it has come up 3 times in the past month and twice on the day Parker was born. “I praise you, for I am fearfully and wonderfully made. Magnificent are thy works. This I know well” -just something to think on.
“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.”
Right- got it- do the thing. Creation Care, peace and justice- Because you never could ask for a lot could you God? Just me, just my life – just your peace
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