Title: “Our Spiritual Citizenship”
Scripture: Philippians 4:1-9
10/9/05 28th Sunday in Ordinary Time, Year A
Rev. Joy R. Haertig
If someone asked you where you held your citizenship I imagine that most of you would respond, “in the United States”, right? If we were to ask the Apostle Paul where his citizenship was held he would first respond by telling us that he is a citizen of God's realm on earth, and then he would tell us he was also a Roman citizen.
When enemies frightened a Roman citizen, the people would expect the emperor's forces to “save” them. The emperor was hailed as “Savior”. If Paul were frightened, his strength would come from God's realm made known to him in Jesus Christ.
With Paul there is no doubt where his first loyalty lies or from where he gets his sense of direction and strength. It is from God - not the Emperor- and for this, he is imprisoned, and while in prison he writes these incredible letters of encouragement to the young church communities he and his co-workers have formed. I suspect their members struggle to find the strength that Paul exhibits as they seek to be citizens of God's realm in the midst of a Roman colony.
Things have not changed all that much. It is difficult to be a citizen of God's realm in the United States too - not because we risk being thrown in prison so much (though it is possible) - but because there are so many distractions and other allegiances that demand our attention and loyalty. It is difficult to stay focused and grounded in God's realm when you can't see the forest for the trees. And sometimes it is difficult because the suffering and prejudices of our society and world seem overwhelming and feelings of despair soon slip into cynicism and hope into hopelessness.
We liberal types often deny our citizenship in God's realm because we don't want to be identified as “those Christians over there” and in doing so we sometimes trivialize or make light of our own faith commitments. As one author so aptly put it, out of fear of being labeled - instead of being the Light, we make light of our responsibility towards the world.
I certainly don't always see eye to eye with the Apostle Paul - but the intent and spirit of his letters are a powerful reminder of our citizenship in God's realm and can offer very specific suggestions on how to stay grounded there. Today's reading is a wonderful example of this.
The passage begins with Paul's challenge to “stand firm” in the faith. We should not be anxious about letting others know we are people of the Christian faith in the United Church of Christ. This is the “evangelical courage” that John Thomas, the President of the UCC talks about. We must not hide our commitment to Jesus Christ that is expressed through our extravagant welcome, our passion for speaking the truth and bringing about reconciliation. Paul assures us that God's peace will uphold us in our courage and I have witnessed that truth as well. The more we stand firm in who we are God will energize us as channels of reconciliation and love.
The second instruction I hear in Paul's letter is to keep our focus on what is “true, honorable and just”. So often our tendency is to focus on what is awful - what is painful - what is broken - what frightens us. Whether it is in our own personal lives or the life of the world; that is when cynicism or hopelessness can set in.
After the hurricane Katrina hit and turned the Gulf Coast upside down it seemed that all we heard was the horror of what went wrong - and a lot of things DID go wrong and must be addressed in the long run. But we also need to know about the small successes. This is what Paul focused his energy on, the small successes and how to keep them going because small successes keep the energy flowing. Baptists, UCC'ers, Episcopalians, Lutherans and no doubt many other groups have been in the heart of the storm, bringing shelter, food and relief to thousands of people in need. These people were often able to step in where the Red Cross could not because they knew where some of their members lived in places out of the way and were able to get to them. The stories they have to share are remarkable as they help this individual, that family, this child - one by one. Small successes - white and black together - poor and rich - side by side.
One United Methodist Pastor described it as “a blessed web of interactive relations.”
Another example is the continent of Africa. So much of the news we hear about Africa is also overwhelming - the AIDS epidemic alone is devastating, much less issues of poverty and war. The rebuilding of South Africa after decades of apartheid is overwhelming when looked at in the big picture - but what an energy giver it is to know the difference our little RBCC UCC Loaves and Fishes program is having in two communities and two schools. We recently received a thank you note from Patrick Nondikane, the Principle of Emfundweni Primary School. They not only joyfully received the math supplies we donated but they are also finding that more children are coming to school rather than staying home because they know that the school will provide them with at least a meal for the day. More children at school mean a more educated population, which means more improved and empowered lives.
We have also been told that the mothers who volunteer to serve the meals at Emfundweni Elementary and Bethelsdorp High School are feeling empowered by the experience - they have been given something positive they can do for their hungry children. And store owners are selling their fruits and breads at a lower cost to help the program succeed. One of the teachers has a locked bread box outside of her front door where the bread man leaves her fresh bread at a lower cost every morning for the feeding program! Don't underestimate the healing and reconciling power of one small feeding program.
The Apostle Paul knows that focusing on small successes - focusing on what is true, honorable and just will keep us grounded in our commitment to God's realm and can help steer us away from the temptation of cynicism and depression. My friends - if you are finding yourself in the midst of despair - turn off the news, put away the paper, go and serve someone some where. If you are in the midst of the nightmare of unemployment, go volunteer part time. If you spend too much time alone - go out and serve someone else - be company for someone else. Step out, be an active participant in God's realm.
Paul also encourages us to pray, rejoice, and connect with others.
It is Paul's way of saying “stay in relationship with God. Stay in touch with the Ultimate Source of Love and Justice - Keep your feet in the flow of God's goodness” and you will be given the strength you need.” Pray, meditate, read, look for God in the beauty of sunlight and in the cool of the rain. Touch God's compassion in the hug of a friend and the smile of a stranger.
“Rejoice”, Paul tells us - sing in the shower. Sing at church even if you sing out of tune, sing in your car even if the person in the next car sees you doing it. Laugh and hold someone's hand. Give someone an affirmation everyday - encourage yourself with gentle words instead of internal put-downs.
And finally, in order to uphold and strengthen our citizenship in God's realm Paul encourages us to work with others - even others that we might not expect to work with.
On Thursday this last week I attended a large breakfast gathering with Marcia Mclaughlin and Lois Harrison at the Lynnwood Convention Center to learn about a Christian transitional housing project for homeless women and children that is to be built in Shoreline beginning the fall of 2007. It was the kind of gathering where I was pretty sure we might be some of the only non-evangelicals in the bunch (as if this should even matter!) BUT there was not a doubt in my mind that these are just the kind of partnerships that have to be created in order to experience any success in healing homelessness in our city. Our theology or political viewpoints did not matter - what mattered were homes for single mothers and their children that might otherwise be on the streets of Shoreline. Here was an opportunity for a “blessed web of partnerships”.
Paul's citizenship was first and foremost in God's realm and he challenges us to stand firm in our spiritual citizenship as well. How might we do that in our world today?
By standing firm and proud in our commitment to the United Church of Christ and our commitment to extravagant welcome, telling the truth and working passionately for reconciliation in relationships, big and small.
Focusing our energy on what is true, honorable and just - keeping our eyes on the small successes so we do not give in to cynicism and depression. Stay in relationship with God, with the Ultimate Source of Love and Compassion. Pray, meditate, serve others and Rejoice! Sing in the shower! Sing in the car - Affirm someone, share out of your abundance. And finally, be willing to work with others - create “blessed webs of interactive relations” even with those you might least expect to. In God's true realm there are not small countries called Presbyterians or Quakers - Muslims or Jews - Buddhists or Christians - where we choose our particular brand of citizenship. God's realm is a community of co-workers where our dignity, identity and worth is not measured by what we manage on our own, but what we manage to create together on behalf of the common good.
Amen.