Rejoice in the Lord Always!

Sermon preached at St. Mark’s, Honey Brook, PA

by The Rev. Thomas C. Pumphrey, October 12, 2008

The Twenty Second Sunday after Pentecost (Proper 23, year A): Philippians 4:1-9

(Exodus 32:1-14, Matthew 22:1-14)

Philippians 4:1-9 (NRSV) Therefore, my brothers and sisters, whom I love and long for, my joy and crown, stand firm in the Lord in this way, my beloved. I urge Euodia and I urge Syntyche to be of the same mind in the Lord. Yes, and I ask you also, my loyal companion, help these women, for they have struggled beside me in the work of the gospel, together with Clement and the rest of my co-workers, whose names are in the book of life. 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 your requests be made known 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.

In this morning’s New Testament reading, St. Paul urges us to Rejoice in the Lord always, again, he says, rejoice! We also hear stories of feasting in Jesus’ parable of the wedding feast, or in the revelry of the children of Israel around the golden calf. There seems to be a difference here between one kind of feasting and revelry, and the joy in the Lord that Paul writes about, and that the master invites us to in the wedding feast.

When I was in college, I was part of a small group that gathered for Bible Study. One day, we brought up the topic of “fun.” “Fun” is a major influence in college—fun seems to be the measure of making any choice—will this class be fun, will this party be fun? Interestingly enough, the Bible didn’t say much about fun. But the Bible does say a lot about “Joy.”

Of course, “fun” can be an excuse for all sorts of self-destructive activities, physically or emotionally exploitative of others, or even finding entertainment in violence or vandalism. Certainly, TV and film seem to try to entertain us with mean talk show confrontation or in cruelty.

The Exodus reading this morning shows the children of Israel having fun in particularly self-destructive ways. Though God saved them from slavery in Egypt and brought them through the wilderness, they decide that, while Moses is away for the weekend, they’ll make a golden calf to worship, and have a sacrifice and a big feast. This is all about selfishness, forgetting the God who freed them and gave them life in the wilderness. Paul writes in First Corinthians that love does not rejoice in evil, but rejoices in the truth. Jesus, in the parable of the wedding feast, depicts a guest who is not there to honor the bride and groom and join in the celebration, but only to fill his belly.

Paul seems to note the difference in joy in these passages. Paul calls us not simply ot have joy, but to rejoice in the Lord always. This is joy form God, joy in building up the body of Christ rather than tearing down ourselves or others.

So can we rejoice today? Can we rejoice when the stock market has crashed and the credit crunch is on, amid financial market fears and risk to our income or our jobs?

One of the benefits of the discipline of worshipping God together each week is a reminder of who God is and who is NOT God. The economy is not God. Available credit is not God. Our Mutual Funds are not God. They cannot save us—they never could. These things have an impact on our lives, but they do not have to control our lives or describe our lives altogether.

We may not be able to rejoice in the stock market, but we can rejoice in the Lord. We may not be able to rejoice in our own losses or struggles or failures, but we can rejoice in the Lord. God is with us even in our losses, even in our struggles and even in our failures. God is even with us in a credit crunch!

As we come together to worship God together, we remind each other of how greatly God has blessed us and we rejoice in God’s blessings to us. In contrast to the grim tone of the news, we hear and share what God is doing among us, and that joy builds us up.

We take joy in God’s healing power in the life of Addison and Riley

God’s healing power in the life of Bill Wertley and Dennis Jones.

We take joy in God calling us together in this community.

We take joy in God’s wisdom shared at a women’s Bible Study.

We take joy in God’s insight offered by a child in Sunday School.

We take joy in God’s abundance shared with others through Operation Christmas Child.

We take joy in God’s power to changes lives—lives transformed by the love of God:

Lives free from the power of sin;

Lives free from gripping sorrow,

Free from addiction, free from fear,

free to give and receive God’s love;

free to live passionately and joyfully,

Free to rejoice in the Lord always!

Do you know where Paul is when he wrote this letter? Paul is in prison--in chains for preaching the good news of God in Christ. Listen to what Paul writes:

Therefore, my brothers and sisters, whom I love and long for, my joy and crown, stand firm in the Lord in this way, my beloved. I urge [you] to be of the same mind in the Lord. Yes, and I ask you also, my loyal companion[s], help [them], for they have struggled beside me in the work of the gospel, together with … the rest of my co-workers, whose names are in the book of life. 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 your requests be made known 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.