Reasons For Rejoicing
Sermon
Sermons On The Second Readings
Series II, Cycle A
Object:
We Christians can disagree over some of the smallest, most ordinary things. Group therapy is now available for congregations who want to learn skills for getting along peaceably within the body of Christ. A congregational therapist tells the story of a church that almost split over the issue of mashed potatoes. I know it sounds a little trivial, but to the people involved, it was a most significant matter.
The problem at hand was a proposed change at church fellowship dinners -- whether to continue making mashed potatoes the old-fashioned way or to begin using instant potatoes. One faction declared that the only real mashed potatoes were the ones you lugged back from the supermarket in huge mesh bags, scrubbed, pealed, cut up, boiled, drained, and then mashed while you were adding milk, butter, salt, and pepper.
The other group declared freedom, that a new day had dawned, and there was no longer time for so much preparation. The twenty-first century is a time to rejoice and give thanks for tasks made easier. Just boil water in the microwave, measure and pour potato flakes, stir, and, voila, mashed potatoes in minutes. And they most certainly are real. It says so right there on the box, "Real Mashed Potatoes." So, what is all the fuss about?
Some of our disagreements would probably sound every bit as foolish to another congregation as the mashed potato episode, but nothing with the potential of tearing a church apart is ever frivolous. It is very real to those involved and of the utmost concern. Mashed potatoes may prove to be the little snowball that triggers a deadly avalanche within the congregation.
The apostle Paul experienced conflict and strong opinions in the early churches he ministered to, so in that area, nothing much has changed in 2,000 years. Paul gives us a glimpse into the everyday lives and concerns of Philippian Christians, a congregation that is dear to him.
The Philippian church is the first one that Pastor Paul planted on the European continent in this prominent Roman city in northern Greece. The church at Philippi is a small, persecuted group of believers on the fringe of the vast pagan Roman Empire. Philippi is a transportation hub on the great northern highway joining East to West. New ideas and religions naturally proliferate in a region such as this, which hosts so many international visitors.
Due to the esteemed pagan goddesses who have been traditionally worshiped in Philippi, women living in Philippi are more privileged than in most other locations in the ancient world.1 Lydia, a prominent businesswoman, had been Paul's very first convert in Philippi. Her home became the gathering place for new Christians in the city. Lydia's leadership and support of the congregation have remained constant (Acts 16:14-16).
The women of Philippi are respected leaders in both church and society. Pastor Paul is especially concerned about a conflict between Euodia and Syntyche, two leaders at First Church, Philippi. Independent and assertive women, Euodia and Syntyche are pillars of this new church, dynamic leaders in and of their own right. Paul addresses Euodia and Syntyche in a respectful manner, imploring them to reconcile. He comes to them as a colleague in ministry and as a peacemaker between them.2
A crucial area of Pastor Paul's ministry is in mediating congregational bickering and ministering to personality conflicts. He may have been the original congregational therapist. Making peace between Euodia and Syntyche is paramount with Pastor Paul, as he reminds them of the good times they have all shared in the past. Paul does not avoid conflict, nor does he take sides. Paul instructs his converts in coping skills and relational methods. He reminds them and us to seek the mind of Christ, the source of true joy and of inner peace.
There will never be peace on earth until we are able to get along with our parents and children, our spouses and siblings; until we can interact amicably with the other employees and bosses in our workplace; until we can coexist peaceably in the classroom and on the playground; until neighbors can be tolerant of differences; or until we can worship amicably with other believers. Peace begins first with those we relate to on a regular basis.
Each of us has experienced conflict and broken relationships, and we have tasted the bitterness of discord. We know how it feels to be on the outside looking in. One important fact to remember is that I am the only person I can truly effect a change in. Likewise, the only person you can change is you. We are strengthened and nurtured by maintaining healthy personal relationships that we can rejoice in.
Dorotheos of Gaza was a genial and insightful sixth-century monk. The brothers in his monastery were grumbling that they could not love God properly because they had to put up with one another's ordinary, irritating habits. Dorotheos asked them to visualize the world as a great circle whose center is God and upon whose surface lie human lives. It is as if we are on a bicycle tire, moving along the spokes toward the hub of the wheel. "Imagine straight lines connecting all human lives to God at the center. Can't you see that there is no way to move toward God without drawing closer to other people, and no way to approach others without coming near to God?"3
Communication is a key factor in conflict resolution, and it begins with confrontation. That's the hard part, the part we try to avoid. It is so much easer for Euodia to gather some sympathetic friends and gripe to them rather than to sit down with Syntyche and try to resolve the problem. If Syntyche does the same thing, grumbling to others about Euodia, the church at Philippi soon will have two warring factions with the potential of polarizing the congregation. Pastor Paul would advise us to go to the throne, not to the phone.
We can only guess at what this disagreement is about, but a quarrel between two church leaders can potentially split a church right down the middle. People begin to take sides with one or the other, and draw their lines in the sand. It's obvious that Paul is concerned. He even addresses this issue, which all the Philippians must know about, in a letter to the entire congregation. It must have been a significant threat to the unity of the church at Philippi.
Addressing his concern in a congregational letter is not for the purpose of embarrassing the women, but because Paul understands church conflict and expects the entire congregation to be involved in the healing of this relationship. Here are two women who have struggled side by side with Paul in order to build a fellowship for the spreading of the gospel. Surely, two good Christians can mend their differences and be like-minded. Paul is anxious for them to come to a consensus about this divisive issue.
We hate to admit it, but we often quarrel in the family of God and we do need mediators to help us become like-minded. Congregations consisting of emotionally mature individuals can aid in the healing of rifts such as this, when the members at odds are also mature enough to accept the congregation's help.
The ministry of reconciliation is a crucial one in this day of dissent and divisiveness. I would certainly hate for another Christian church to be reading about my mashed-potato debacle 2,000 years from now. Visitors and church members alike are turned off by bickering within the body of Christ. Ideally, churches should be filled with the sort of sacred fellowship that turns a house of worship into a place of rejoicing.
A Boy Scout camp hosts a well-publicized tug-of-war every spring. Scout troops train and prepare to pull together on their end of the rope to win the competition, hoping to avoid being pulled into the mud pit between the two teams. Competition frequently becomes intense.
As Christian believers, we often face the challenge of learning how to pull together. Self-interests, personal agendas, and power struggles inhibit genuine ministry and sacred fellowship, and block the work of Christ we are trying to accomplish. Friction between individuals or groups creates a roadblock to spiritual service and pulls the church apart. When we pull together, we work for the honor of our Lord. The church is not a place for a tug-of-war. Let's look for common ground and pull together, lest we end up in the mud and mire, or the mashed potatoes.
You've heard the saying, "You are what you eat." I believe it is also true that you are what you "think." To understand, we "stand under" another. Behavior is what we do. Attitude is why we do it. Abraham Lincoln once said, "Most people are just about as happy as they make up their minds to be." Pastor Paul urges the Philippians and us to embrace the mind of Christ. And, to think noble thoughts: "Whatever is true, whatever is honorable, whatever is just, whatever is pure, whatever is pleasing, whatever is commendable" (Philippians 4:8).
Church hoppers and church shoppers are looking for the perfect, conflict-free church, which does not exist. Where two or more are gathered, there are at least three opinions. Conflict in and of itself is not harmful. It's our improper responses to the conflict that damage the body of Christ. Never give Christ a reason to say, "This is my body, broken by you."
Scripture is full of stories about conflict. In making an appeal to church members who were at odds with one another, John Wesley said, "Though we may not think alike, may we not all love alike?" Wesley's phrase, "In essentials, unity; in non-essentials, liberty; in all things, charity" is an apt aphorism today.
Pastor Paul is in prison as he writes to the Philippians, urging them to "rejoice in the Lord always." Isn't it odd that he has more to say from prison about joy and rejoicing than at any other time? He continually rejoices in the relationships he has had with the church in Philippi and in the assistance they have given him. For Paul, joy and contentment are what Christianity is all about.
In the movie, Sister Act, Whoopi Goldberg plays Deloris, a singer with a questionable past. Deloris becomes a nun, Sister Mary Clarence, in a loosely constructed witness protection program. Police deposit her at the convent, where she discovers immediately that she is a fish out of water. To keep her out of trouble, the Mother Superior puts her in charge of the convent's choir, an uninspiring lot of off-key singers.
Whoopi is dismayed at the miniscule numbers who attend worship, but she quickly finds a cure for that by completely changing the musical style. Soon, even the dourest of nuns is singing wholeheartedly and enjoying it. By attracting worshipers from the streets, Whoopi and the choir brings new life to the church. There is such a remarkable change in the convent and church that even the Pope travels to see it firsthand. The nuns are finally acting out what they have believed all along, that there is great joy in the abiding presence of God. The spirit of joy and rejoicing is contagious among them. It can be that way for us, too.
Jesus has given his church on earth a mandate to go fishing. "Go fish for people." Instead, the church spends an inordinate amount of time fighting over various issues. Let's fish, not fight. Then, we can be on our way, rejoicing every step of our journey. Amen.
____________
1. Holland Hendrix, "Philippi," Anchor Bible Dictionary, Vol. 5 (Garden City, New York: Doubleday, 1992), p. 316.
2. "Euodia & Syntyche: Quarrels Among Sisters," Mathetria, Vol. 1:3, http://members.aol.com/LadyMercy/Euodia.html, [Accessed June 1, 2006].
3. Roberta C. Bondi, Memories of God (Nashville: Abingdon Press, 1994), p. 201.
The problem at hand was a proposed change at church fellowship dinners -- whether to continue making mashed potatoes the old-fashioned way or to begin using instant potatoes. One faction declared that the only real mashed potatoes were the ones you lugged back from the supermarket in huge mesh bags, scrubbed, pealed, cut up, boiled, drained, and then mashed while you were adding milk, butter, salt, and pepper.
The other group declared freedom, that a new day had dawned, and there was no longer time for so much preparation. The twenty-first century is a time to rejoice and give thanks for tasks made easier. Just boil water in the microwave, measure and pour potato flakes, stir, and, voila, mashed potatoes in minutes. And they most certainly are real. It says so right there on the box, "Real Mashed Potatoes." So, what is all the fuss about?
Some of our disagreements would probably sound every bit as foolish to another congregation as the mashed potato episode, but nothing with the potential of tearing a church apart is ever frivolous. It is very real to those involved and of the utmost concern. Mashed potatoes may prove to be the little snowball that triggers a deadly avalanche within the congregation.
The apostle Paul experienced conflict and strong opinions in the early churches he ministered to, so in that area, nothing much has changed in 2,000 years. Paul gives us a glimpse into the everyday lives and concerns of Philippian Christians, a congregation that is dear to him.
The Philippian church is the first one that Pastor Paul planted on the European continent in this prominent Roman city in northern Greece. The church at Philippi is a small, persecuted group of believers on the fringe of the vast pagan Roman Empire. Philippi is a transportation hub on the great northern highway joining East to West. New ideas and religions naturally proliferate in a region such as this, which hosts so many international visitors.
Due to the esteemed pagan goddesses who have been traditionally worshiped in Philippi, women living in Philippi are more privileged than in most other locations in the ancient world.1 Lydia, a prominent businesswoman, had been Paul's very first convert in Philippi. Her home became the gathering place for new Christians in the city. Lydia's leadership and support of the congregation have remained constant (Acts 16:14-16).
The women of Philippi are respected leaders in both church and society. Pastor Paul is especially concerned about a conflict between Euodia and Syntyche, two leaders at First Church, Philippi. Independent and assertive women, Euodia and Syntyche are pillars of this new church, dynamic leaders in and of their own right. Paul addresses Euodia and Syntyche in a respectful manner, imploring them to reconcile. He comes to them as a colleague in ministry and as a peacemaker between them.2
A crucial area of Pastor Paul's ministry is in mediating congregational bickering and ministering to personality conflicts. He may have been the original congregational therapist. Making peace between Euodia and Syntyche is paramount with Pastor Paul, as he reminds them of the good times they have all shared in the past. Paul does not avoid conflict, nor does he take sides. Paul instructs his converts in coping skills and relational methods. He reminds them and us to seek the mind of Christ, the source of true joy and of inner peace.
There will never be peace on earth until we are able to get along with our parents and children, our spouses and siblings; until we can interact amicably with the other employees and bosses in our workplace; until we can coexist peaceably in the classroom and on the playground; until neighbors can be tolerant of differences; or until we can worship amicably with other believers. Peace begins first with those we relate to on a regular basis.
Each of us has experienced conflict and broken relationships, and we have tasted the bitterness of discord. We know how it feels to be on the outside looking in. One important fact to remember is that I am the only person I can truly effect a change in. Likewise, the only person you can change is you. We are strengthened and nurtured by maintaining healthy personal relationships that we can rejoice in.
Dorotheos of Gaza was a genial and insightful sixth-century monk. The brothers in his monastery were grumbling that they could not love God properly because they had to put up with one another's ordinary, irritating habits. Dorotheos asked them to visualize the world as a great circle whose center is God and upon whose surface lie human lives. It is as if we are on a bicycle tire, moving along the spokes toward the hub of the wheel. "Imagine straight lines connecting all human lives to God at the center. Can't you see that there is no way to move toward God without drawing closer to other people, and no way to approach others without coming near to God?"3
Communication is a key factor in conflict resolution, and it begins with confrontation. That's the hard part, the part we try to avoid. It is so much easer for Euodia to gather some sympathetic friends and gripe to them rather than to sit down with Syntyche and try to resolve the problem. If Syntyche does the same thing, grumbling to others about Euodia, the church at Philippi soon will have two warring factions with the potential of polarizing the congregation. Pastor Paul would advise us to go to the throne, not to the phone.
We can only guess at what this disagreement is about, but a quarrel between two church leaders can potentially split a church right down the middle. People begin to take sides with one or the other, and draw their lines in the sand. It's obvious that Paul is concerned. He even addresses this issue, which all the Philippians must know about, in a letter to the entire congregation. It must have been a significant threat to the unity of the church at Philippi.
Addressing his concern in a congregational letter is not for the purpose of embarrassing the women, but because Paul understands church conflict and expects the entire congregation to be involved in the healing of this relationship. Here are two women who have struggled side by side with Paul in order to build a fellowship for the spreading of the gospel. Surely, two good Christians can mend their differences and be like-minded. Paul is anxious for them to come to a consensus about this divisive issue.
We hate to admit it, but we often quarrel in the family of God and we do need mediators to help us become like-minded. Congregations consisting of emotionally mature individuals can aid in the healing of rifts such as this, when the members at odds are also mature enough to accept the congregation's help.
The ministry of reconciliation is a crucial one in this day of dissent and divisiveness. I would certainly hate for another Christian church to be reading about my mashed-potato debacle 2,000 years from now. Visitors and church members alike are turned off by bickering within the body of Christ. Ideally, churches should be filled with the sort of sacred fellowship that turns a house of worship into a place of rejoicing.
A Boy Scout camp hosts a well-publicized tug-of-war every spring. Scout troops train and prepare to pull together on their end of the rope to win the competition, hoping to avoid being pulled into the mud pit between the two teams. Competition frequently becomes intense.
As Christian believers, we often face the challenge of learning how to pull together. Self-interests, personal agendas, and power struggles inhibit genuine ministry and sacred fellowship, and block the work of Christ we are trying to accomplish. Friction between individuals or groups creates a roadblock to spiritual service and pulls the church apart. When we pull together, we work for the honor of our Lord. The church is not a place for a tug-of-war. Let's look for common ground and pull together, lest we end up in the mud and mire, or the mashed potatoes.
You've heard the saying, "You are what you eat." I believe it is also true that you are what you "think." To understand, we "stand under" another. Behavior is what we do. Attitude is why we do it. Abraham Lincoln once said, "Most people are just about as happy as they make up their minds to be." Pastor Paul urges the Philippians and us to embrace the mind of Christ. And, to think noble thoughts: "Whatever is true, whatever is honorable, whatever is just, whatever is pure, whatever is pleasing, whatever is commendable" (Philippians 4:8).
Church hoppers and church shoppers are looking for the perfect, conflict-free church, which does not exist. Where two or more are gathered, there are at least three opinions. Conflict in and of itself is not harmful. It's our improper responses to the conflict that damage the body of Christ. Never give Christ a reason to say, "This is my body, broken by you."
Scripture is full of stories about conflict. In making an appeal to church members who were at odds with one another, John Wesley said, "Though we may not think alike, may we not all love alike?" Wesley's phrase, "In essentials, unity; in non-essentials, liberty; in all things, charity" is an apt aphorism today.
Pastor Paul is in prison as he writes to the Philippians, urging them to "rejoice in the Lord always." Isn't it odd that he has more to say from prison about joy and rejoicing than at any other time? He continually rejoices in the relationships he has had with the church in Philippi and in the assistance they have given him. For Paul, joy and contentment are what Christianity is all about.
In the movie, Sister Act, Whoopi Goldberg plays Deloris, a singer with a questionable past. Deloris becomes a nun, Sister Mary Clarence, in a loosely constructed witness protection program. Police deposit her at the convent, where she discovers immediately that she is a fish out of water. To keep her out of trouble, the Mother Superior puts her in charge of the convent's choir, an uninspiring lot of off-key singers.
Whoopi is dismayed at the miniscule numbers who attend worship, but she quickly finds a cure for that by completely changing the musical style. Soon, even the dourest of nuns is singing wholeheartedly and enjoying it. By attracting worshipers from the streets, Whoopi and the choir brings new life to the church. There is such a remarkable change in the convent and church that even the Pope travels to see it firsthand. The nuns are finally acting out what they have believed all along, that there is great joy in the abiding presence of God. The spirit of joy and rejoicing is contagious among them. It can be that way for us, too.
Jesus has given his church on earth a mandate to go fishing. "Go fish for people." Instead, the church spends an inordinate amount of time fighting over various issues. Let's fish, not fight. Then, we can be on our way, rejoicing every step of our journey. Amen.
____________
1. Holland Hendrix, "Philippi," Anchor Bible Dictionary, Vol. 5 (Garden City, New York: Doubleday, 1992), p. 316.
2. "Euodia & Syntyche: Quarrels Among Sisters," Mathetria, Vol. 1:3, http://members.aol.com/LadyMercy/Euodia.html, [Accessed June 1, 2006].
3. Roberta C. Bondi, Memories of God (Nashville: Abingdon Press, 1994), p. 201.
