The LINK: 3/23
Dear Church Family,
Paul’s letter to the Philippian Christians is one of my favorite books in the Bible. Unlike other letters he writes, Paul is not dealing with heresy in the church nor is he writing a tightly woven theological essay. He is writing to people he is proud of, followers of Christ who are doing pretty well. To be sure, Paul does refer to some of the difficulties of the Christian life. Being persecuted for one's faith, for example, is addressed. But, on the whole, the tone of the letter is positive and filled with the joy that Paul feels for the congregation – a joy I echo when I think of our family of faith. One of the interesting characteristics of this joyful and uplifting letter is that Paul wrote it while in prison, awaiting a trial the outcome of which could result in his execution.
In the mid-first century, Philippi was an important city with a rich heritage and distinctive culture, and it is no surprise that Paul chose it as the base for his evangelistic work in the region known as Macedonia (northern Greece). We learn about Paul’s first visit to Philippi in the book of Acts. The church he established there included the wealthy merchant Lydia and her household, a jailer and his family, and perhaps an unnamed slave girl. Apparently the group was meeting in Lydia’s home. While this was clearly not a homogenous social group, God had called each believer from his or her place in society to be a part of this local group of believers. The Philippian church supported Paul’s missionary efforts in other towns and helped him in times of need, even when other churches were either unable or unwilling to assist him.
Affirming the faithful and encouraging our work in Christ is a pastoral responsibility that I enjoy in our congregation. My prayer for our church is from the first chapter of Philippians, verses ten and eleven: “May we understand what really matters, so that we may live pure and blameless lives until Christ returns. May we always be filled with the fruit of our salvation – those good things that are produced in our life by Jesus Christ – for this will bring much glory and praise to God.”
Yours in Christ,