Philippians 1:3 – 8 (NRSV)

“I thank my God that every time I remember you, constantly praying with joy in every one of my prayers for all of you, because of your sharing in the gospel from the first day until now. I am confident of this, that the one who began a good work among you will bring it to completion by the day of Jesus Christ. It is right for me to think this way about all of you, because you hold me in your hearts, so all of you share in God’s grace with me, both in my imprisonment and in the defense and confirmation of the gospel. For God is my witness, how I long for you with all the compassion of Jesus Christ. “

Such joy and thanksgiving in Paul’s writing to the Christians of Philippi! Whenever I read this passage I am filled to overflowing with thanks to God for Christ’s followers. That sounds pretty flowery for my usual talk – well, maybe that is because I am writing not speaking face to face, but it is true. Not that any one of us is a saint in the perfect sense. However, each of us is a saint in Paul’s sense – a believer.

To think that Paul, though imprisoned, could write with such joy and confidence! Surely Paul’s words reflect the truth in his heart and life seen in a part of another of today’s lectionary readings, Psalm 31:14-15a, “I trust in you O Lord: I say, You are my God. My times are in your hands.” I know that in my own life, I often do not think or act in the sense of those words, trusting in the Lord. But I also know that the more I hear and read of others whose lives show trust in God, the more I am aware of the possibility of living in such trust myself.

Hearing the personal experiences from Beloveds and in sermons of others meets such a powerful need I and perhaps all of us have, I ache for Paul and those today who long for the fellowship and live worship but are unable to be present. Thus it is that I am so thankful for the opportunity of Christian community on each Sunday.

May Paul’s prayer, Philippians 1:9, be our prayer – that our love may overflow more and more with knowledge and depth of insight to be able to discern what is best (NRSV & NIV adapted), and may we share that love and insight and discernment with one another.

-Nancy Sales