Something to Think About

Somethings to think about October 12, 2008 Philippians 4:1-9 Phone a thon call Last Thursday I got a phone call from a student at my alma mater, Northwestern University. I thought it was cute that this freshman, younger than my son, scrambled to find what we had in common, so that he could have a conversation with me. We talked about teachers, and favorite classes. And the conversation got around to the football team. He started bragging that Northwestern was undefeated and that was one of the assets of the school, was a winning team. Northwestern’s records I had to chuckle to myself, because any alumni would know that Northwestern has rarely been a winning team. And yet we were always die hard wildcat fans – that’s allright, that’s okay, your gonna work for us some day. There was that year in 1995-96 when we went to the rose bowl – we hadn’t been to the rose bowl since the 1940’s when this campaign came out – northwestern expects victory – they thought about it and thought about it that year – and it paid off- . We’ve made it to some bowl games since – but I never heard anyone call the wildcats a winning team. My favorite things I told the student that this is the time in the three year lectionary when I get the preach on Philippians. And that Sunday we are talking about my absolute favorite verse in the whole Bible – Philippians 4:8 – 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. Northwestern’s hymn Why is this my favorite verse in the bible – because it is Northwestern’s school motto – Quacumce sunt vera – We even have a school hymn with those words. I love that verse, because I love my school – losing football team and all. Boxes So this is s sermon about two of my favorite things, Northwestern and boxes. If you look in my office you will see boxes, but those boxes are filled with prayers for the church. If you come to my house you will see lots of boxes – all different shapes – all empty. I don’t know why I am so fascinated with boxes – but for me they represent potential. If I leave them empty – then there is always endless possibilities of things that I could put into the box. The problem with boxes is that it is also possible to get stuck in them. Once you get in them, you think that is just how life is- there is all that there is but this box and what I see in front of me inside of this box. In life, we all get stuck on our way of thinking – just like being stuck in a box. Review of Philippians I don’t know how true the story is – but when we were touring the ruins of Philippi on our tour of Greece. The tour guide showed us several churches in this mile by mile radius. I always wondered that if denomonations had not been invented yet, why would such a small town need so many different churches. The tour guide showed us church A – Paul had told the Philippians to think with the mind of Christ, that life in anything else except Christ was loss, that Christ was all of life. And they took Paul seriously – Christ was the only thing that mattered to them. So they decided they would build this church only using biblical principles. The principles of architecture and math were greek knowledge, pagan knowledge, not of Christ. So they ignored it. They built the church, and the church fell down. They built it again and it fell down again. And finally Paul came to them and preached this verse – whatsoever things are true, honorable and just – think on these things. They could use the universal principles of architecture – that was the only sound knowledge for building a church. Even though it didn’t come out of Christ’s mouth – it was still sound knowledge of God. That was Paul’s way of telling them that it was okay to think outside of the box. How many times in life are we so stuck on what we think we know – that we cant learn anything new. We are convinced that this is the way things are – and things will never be any different. No matter how many games Northwestern wins – in my mind Northwestern will always be a losing team – and yet this freshman showed me that there is a new way of thinking. The wildcats lost their run for being an undefeated team yesterday –they are now 5 and 1 – but for this freshman they are still a winning team. In verse 9 Paul says keep on doing the things that you have learned and receive and heard and seen in me. In other words he is saying that it is okay to keep what you have learned – but to think also on the pure virtues of God truth, purity, honor excellence – and you will find wonderful new knowledge everywhere you go. Some versions of 4:8 say meditate – some say comptemplete, but in other words think long and hard on the things of God. Because when youre brain is occupied with thinking – that leaves little room for misery. This is the last chapter of Philipians – I really do think that this is one of the most important books of the bible – because it tells us how to be a Christian in very small terms. He reminds us as a community to put our differnces aside, to be a united community. To empty ourselves of personal pride and to be humble to support one another and others, to live in joy and rejoice for the gifts that God has given us, and to take the time to think – reflect on the virtues of God. John and Nina thought of their neighbors as their second parents. So when Mr Coleman died – they were just as devastated as Mrs. Coleman. They went to her house to comfort her and noticed that as she got the tea – she seemed to be struggling a bit –her arthritis, she said. They talked about Mr. Coleman’s life – they talked about the good things and the bad, they talked about the struggles they had overcome as a couple, finally John asked Mrs. Coleman was doing in the midst of all of this – and she smiled and said that she was doing fine. She had been reading the bible – and the verses told her that no matter what God was with her – and that was worth her rejoicing and thinking about the beauty of God. Left with today When we rejoice for what we have and we honestly take the time to reflect and really think about the goodness of God – there is little room in our minds to focus on misery.