Rev. Rebecca M. Heilman-Campbell
Philippians 2: 12 – 18
We continue in the letter to the Philippians, the new congregants in the city of Philippi. And what I love about Paul’s letters is that we have to piece it together like a puzzle. It would be easy to read all of Paul’s letters from beginning to end, thinking it’s in chronological order. Brush off our hands. We’re done. We know the story! Throughout Paul’s letters, we build on context of other letters and the book of Acts to understand the underlying historical context and the congregations Paul is writing to and the cities themselves. The city of Philippi and the congregation established there is under Roman occupation, which means it enables its citizens to be free from taxation, to buy and sell property, and to be protected by Roman law. All is well for the Roman gentile citizens. However, for the newly Christian citizens, it’s much more challenging of a place to live. We know for certain that the congregation of Philippi is primarily gentile and it’s believed the first converts and leaders were women. The book of Acts, as we just read, shares an amazing account of those in Philippi. Acts reports that on the Sabbath a couple of women gather “outside the gate by the river” to pray and the only person named in this account is Lydia, “a worshiper of God” as Acts writes. Lydia is a fascinating woman. She is financially secure, a dealer of purple cloth in Philippi and as we know, purple in the ancient days was a hard color to produce, making it more valuable and luxurious for the wealthy and elite to wear. Because of this, she is the woman of her household, meaning she owns her own home, creating a hub for the new congregation of Philippi. Women played a predominantly important role in the Christian community of Philippi. They, alongside Clement and Epaphroditus keep the congregation grounded in their new faith. You have to understand; they are not in a vacuum. The people of Philippi are raised in paganism, exposed to many Roman deities, types of worship, Roman leadership and practices. They are influenced to survive in a Roman culture – living how they need to live, worshipping how they need to worship so they are not targets to the Roman Empire, one of the many reasons Paul is imprison as he writes this letter. And so, there is a threat to their belief. They must walk carefully and yet confidently in their faith. The leaders, like Lydia, are challenged to keep this new religion afloat and their members balanced in their Christian faith.
And here in our small passage today, Paul squeezes in a big message for them, caring for them and motivating them from afar. First, he calls them beloved, an intimate name for a community he cares for and then names all the hard work and care they have done in his presence and absence. He names the dedication and fortitude of the community as they live amongst old ways and embrace new ways. Something, we today, are challenged by, aren’t we? He then invites them to work out their own salvation, which initially sounds harsh to our modern ear,but in context, it’s beautiful. It’s not an individualistic call for them to think about their own salvation. It’s not a selfish act. It’s a call to the community. Paul is inviting the community to work in its wholeness, togetherness, faithfulness and hopefulness in God to be a foundation of faith for those around them. To hold steady, hold fast as we will hear, to hold firm in their beliefs. And it’s not up the leaders, the pastors, the Scribes to provide them with THEIR salvation. It’s not about self or waiting on someone else to do it for you, it’s about the whole community working together, lifting each other up. The whole, everyone is responsible for the life of the community, the life of its ministries. Think about it this way. In worship each week, you may wonder why we say the Call to Worship, Prayer of Confession and Affirmation of Faith together out loud, in front of each other? Each week, we bring our humanness to worship. We confess out loud together because there are actions we have done as humankind, to the whole of God’s creation and love. There are systems and actions that contribute to the way society is set up that is to the detriment of the beloved community. We acknowledge them and how we have contributed to them individually and as a whole. And each week, what immediately follows our confession? The love and grace of God and God working through us to be God’s people for the new week ahead. Same with the Affirmation of Faith. Yes, the Apostles Creed it’s a ritual and comfort to us, but more so we name out loud and to each other our belief and trust in God the Father Mighty. Here, Paul is inviting the Philippians to do the same, reminding them that God is at work among them. IN YOU, Paul says, God who is at work in you, plural you. As Charles Cousar writes, on the one hand, the first part of Paul’s request is for “the community to struggle for unity and integrity in its life in the world, even when it faces opposition….on the other hand, [the second part of the sentence] [clearly] affirms…divine grace. God is the empowering presence who enables the community to do God’s will.”[1] We do not act alone, but with God in our hands and feet and heart. Thanks be to God for that. Cousar continues, “As [the Philippians] stand side by side and [try] for the unity of the faith, [they] can be assured that “the real Accomplisher of all…salvation” is at work among them… Good deeds are the result of God’s activity in the Christian community, God’s pushing and shoving us to accomplish what [God] has intended us to be and to do.”[2]
And so in the next couple lines, when Paul invites the community “to shine as luminaries in the world, holding forth the word of life” he’s invites them to not burden individuals but to empower a community entrusted with God’s love and grace and presence. They do not carry that responsibility alone. Once again, God’s people are called to be the light of the world in a time of darkness, BUT the Greek gives us more than that simple comforting interpretation. As Cousar studied, “The [Greek] participle…can be translated as “holding fast to” or “holding forth.”” The idea that they are to extend and offer something to someone else. To hold the light and the word when others may not be able to. I couldn’t help but think of lighthouse keepers when reading this passage. It’s a brutal job. Men, women, families entrusted to keep the lamps of the lighthouse burning from dawn until dusk, twenty-four hours a day, for ships unseen. It is a huge responsibility with hundreds of thousands of people’s lives in the hands of the keepers, in the hands of the light they are to hold. According to The Morris Island Lighthouse on Folly Beach, South Carolina, “In the late 1800s and early 1900s,…keepers would climb multiple flights of stairs to extinguish the beacon’s flame after sunrise, inspect the lamp, and clean the glass lens, often with painstaking precision. These lenses…magnified light in remarkable ways, and any smudge could reduce their effectiveness. [You] can imagine the daily routine like a real-life puzzle: winding stairs, oil lamps to refill, weather records to keep, equipment to maintain, and sometimes even rescues to perform. There were no days off, and certainly no sleeping in. Life was guided by [uncontrollable] tides, weather patterns, and the constant hum of duty [and light].”[3] But these keeper of lights held fast to their light, knowing the importance of it. They had no choice but to hold fast to the source that saved life around them. It was a huge responsibility.
As it is for us metaphorically today. Paul tells the Philippians to shine like stars in the world and hold on the word of life. Be keepers of the light and word. Hold on to it when others may not be able to. But how are we supposed to do that? Gosh, you all know how. Nick and I stand here each week preaching to you, but it’s so ingrained into who you are, Trinity. It’s woven into your gatherings, mission, prayers and even Session meetings. You care for each other. We’ve had several heart-wrenching memorial services this year. You have shown up, brought food, sent cards, made phone calls, checked in, you have cared for each other. I’m reminded of a member who had a loved one in the hospital during Covid. No one could come to visit beyond them and yet, every day, when this member was in the throes of fear, they could look out and see Trinity’s steeple from the hospital room, a beacon of light holding fast to the word of hope in their unknown state. You know what to do, Trinity. How to do God’s work in this world. You showed up to the Nations Ford School area during the ICE and border control catastrophe last October and November. You stood with neon vests, bright red whistles and signs in Spanish naming that we were there to care for and watch out for their children as they went to school. The amount of comfort that brought to families, teachers, and schools in crises is life changing in itself. You held fast to the light and word of God during those months when others could not. You know what to do, Trinity. With questions about the future of the church, wondering what might come next, you have prayerfully gathered a group to explore options and then you have listened to them and continued to prayerfully wonder what steps you may need to take. You know your faith, Trinity. Since I’ve been here, I’ve heard stories of pain, change, fear and unknown, and you have held fast to the light and word of God, nestling it close to your hearts and shining it into the world and to others when they may struggle for light.
This small passage from Paul, carries a big message, a simple message. Hold on to your light and to God’s word. Hold it for others when they may not be able to see the light. Shine God’s word into this world and know that when you do, God is right there with you, for God is the one who is at work among you, says Paul. You do not live this life alone.
Pray with me. Loving God, we believe, help out unbelief. Amen.
[1] Cousar, Charles B.. Philippians and Philemon (2009): A Commentary (New Testament Library) (p. 61). (Function). Kindle Edition.
[2] Cousar, Charles B.. Philippians and Philemon (2009): A Commentary (New Testament Library) (p. 61). (Function). Kindle Edition.
[3] https://savethelight.org/blog/a-day-in-the-life-of-a-lighthouse-keeper/