Reflection on Philippians 4:1-9
(Adapted from a sermon preached March 22, 2011)
Joanna Harader

As a Mennonite, being “people of God’s peace” is a big deal. And we like to tell stories of contentious objectors, war protests, and radical acts of restorative justice. Which is all great stuff. But being people of God’s peace isn’t just about these dramatic anti-violence actions. Being people of God’s peace is about living in peace, working to create peace, wherever we are, in whatever situations we find ourselves. And this everyday pacifism can be a lot trickier than taking an anti-war stance.

In his letter to the church in Philippi, probably the first church Paul established in Europe, Paul is not concerned with the people’s relationship to the state or their participation in the military; Paul is concerned with the quality of the relationships within the church. He calls out two of the church leaders by name–Euodia and Syntyche. We don’t know what was going on between these two women, but we can assume they were having a disagreement of some sort. Something was going on to cause Paul to urge them to “be of the same mind in the Lord.”

As I was studying this passage this week, I noticed that most of the writing and sermons on it either dealt with Euodia and Syntyche or with the other part of the passage; you remember, rejoice! think happy thoughts! Lots of sermons about thinking happy thoughts. And a few about Euodia and Syntyche–about their feud and the general idea that Christians should try to get along. Which, of course, we should.

But what I’m wondering is what happens when we read Philippians 4:1-9 as a complete passage instead of breaking it up between the disagreeing women and the exhortations to rejoice. What help does this passage give us for being people of God’s peace with each other in community?

First, rejoice in the Lord always. I know this sounds naive, like a “don’t worry be happy” mentality. But I don’t think that’s what Paul means. Because he writes to the church in Rome that they should rejoice with those who rejoice and mourn with those who mourn. Paul does not want us to ignore sorrow and suffering.

Yet we are to rejoice in the Lord. We should remember that our ultimate security, hope, joy, rests in our relationship with God through Jesus Christ. And in our community we should look for excuses to rejoice, to celebrate, to give thanks to God and each other. We should be happy about the contributions that others make to the community and not be bitter about things that don’t get done or money that isn’t given.

I think that rejoicing is one of the more challenging spiritual practice in our hyper-productive culture where skepticism and criticism are viewed as signs of sophistication and intelligence.

“Rejoice in the Lord always. I will say it again: Rejoice!”

And let your gentleness be evident to all. According to William Barclay, the Greek word translated here as “gentleness” has to do with moderation in administering justice, with flexibility in applying the law, remaining sensitive to the complexities of human life.

When a friend’s 94-year-old mother-in-law went into emergency surgery, my friend asked her if she had any advice to give. Her mother-in-law said that they should never judge anyone harshly because you never know what people have been through in their lives.

That is gentleness. And we need it if we want to live in peace within community. We need to remember that people are more than their political opinions, more than their mistakes, more than their annoying habits, more than their kindnesses and more than their cruelties.

“Let your gentleness be evident to all.”

Do not be anxious about anything, but in every situation, by prayer and petition, with thanksgiving, present your requests to God.

We know, of course, that when our anxiety is high–when we are really worried and stressed out–we are not our best selves. I, for example, have been known to snap at my children without much provocation if I am working on a deadline.

And when we live in community–say a family or a congregation–anxiety is contagious. We pick it up from each other. One person’s anxiety gets out of control and pretty soon the whole family is arguing at the dinner table; the whole congregation is taking sides and picking fights.

It seems to go without saying, but I’ll say it anyway: anxiety is not good for peace. Of course, anxiety is not something we seek; I don’t know anyone who tries to be stressed out and anxious. So the question is how to avoid anxiety. There are lots of steps we can take and lots of therapists and doctors and books out there to help us take them.

Paul’s advice, it seems to me, is a good place to start: pray. If you are worried about something, pray about it. Tell God what you want, and do it with thanksgiving. Sounds kind of like that part about rejoicing, doesn’t it? For every stressful situation in our lives, there is also something to be thankful for. Each time we pray, we can recognize the gift it is to be in relationship with our Creator who loves us and hears our prayers.

Anxiety and stress can become serious problems, not just for the health of a family and congregation, but also for the physical and mental health of individuals. Prayer may not be the only thing you do to lessen your anxiety, but it is a good, a godly place to start.

“Present your requests to God. And the peace of God, which transcends all understanding, will guard your hearts and your minds in Christ Jesus.”

I suppose the metaphor of guards might be a bit militaristic when we’re talking about peace, but I like the metaphor anyway. The idea of the peace of God guarding my heart and my mind. Because I know how easily my heart can slip into violence. How easily my mind can justify the bitterness and judgment and anxiety that lead me away from peace.

Having a peaceful spirit is difficult, and I welcome the promise of God’s peace guarding my heart, guarding my mind. So that my feelings, my thoughts, and therefore my words and actions might show me to be a person of God’s peace.

I rejoice to be part of a faith community that seeks to be people of God’s peace. Our witness against war, against the death penalty, against other forms of state-sanctioned violence is an important part of our identity as Mennonites.

But those watching us don’t just look at our position statements and protest attendance; they also look to see how we treat each other every day. How do we speak to each other? How do we listen? Do our daily lives show forth the peace that we proclaim?

It is not easy to be people of God’s peace. Think about the challenges you face as you try to live out the peace of Christ each day. Maybe it would do your spirit good to rejoice more. Maybe you need to treat others with more gentleness, more understanding for the complexities of life. Maybe you should consider presenting your anxiety to God in prayer.

Maybe Euodia and Syntche took Paul’s letter to heart and did all of these things. I hope they were able to work out their differences, whatever they were. I hope they were able to heed Paul’s advice:

Finally, siblings,
whatever is true,
whatever is noble,
whatever is right,
whatever is pure,
whatever is lovely,
whatever is admirable
—if anything is excellent or praiseworthy—
think about such things.
Whatever you have learned or received or heard from me, or seen in me
—put it into practice.
And the God of peace will be with you.

Amen