Whatsoever Things are Purple are True

October 5, 1999 Whatsoever things are purple are true Phillippians 4:1-9 October 10, 1999 21st Sunday after Pentecost year A Fall is finally here. The leaves are starting to turn, the air is crisp, its not really cold, just cool enough to have to dress warmly. I am not a sports fan, but the always get excited about this time of year because this is the time to go to football games. I don't know how to play football. As a matter of fact I have no idea of how anyone else plays football. Don't worry, because no matter how much you explain the game to me, it still won't make any sense. But when I was in college, I would love to go to the games. I just wanted to be with the people, to be able to cheer when my team would win. To see the crowd have something to cheer about and to be happy. The last time that I checked, it seemed that it was business as usual for my college team, the Northwestern wildcats. I think we are 3 and 0. they have played 3 games and won none. Isn't that what 3 and 0 means? I know that we played Indiana University yesterday and lost the game 34 to 14. I remember that routine very well. We would go to the games, we would cheer for our team anyway .We cheer because our team is wearing our colors, purple and white. You didn't expect them to win, you just expected them to play. That's all right, that's okay, your gonna work for us some day. You can hear that from the stands at any game. We would throw marshmallows at each other, and shake our keys whenever the quarterback was about the make a punt. And sometimes they would have these really cute male cheerleaders, that was so much fun. The last time I went to the games as an alumni, I couldn't believe that all that they would do was just sit and watch the game. I can't comprehend why anyone would pay twenty dollars just to sit and watch a bunch of guys run around on the grass trying to catch a ball. Especially when you know the outcome of the game before you get there. You know they were going to lose. It was much better to be a student, besides they let us in for free. Another thing that I remember about football games was that we would sing the Northwestern fight song. Hail to purple, hail to white, hail to thee Northwestern. I don't remember to much more of the song. Actually I think that the song is kind of sad and solemn. Whenever I hear it, it always puts me in a state of deep contemplation about some serious matters. Sort of a prayerful state, in which I deal with the meaning of life and my place in it. It makes me think about the things in life that are most important to me. The values that have been instilled in me to be used in making a living and to be passed on to others in whatever things I find myself doing in life. Whenever I think of my college days, and the football games I think of that important lesson to be learned. To make sure that whatever we do in life, make sure that it makes a difference to society and to make sure that it has meaning. Whatsoever things are purple, think on these things. The vision statement of Northwestern says: Whatsoever things are true, whatsoever things are honest, whatsoever things are just, whatsoever things are pure, whatsoever things are lovely, whatsoever things are of good report, of there be any virtue and if there be any praise, think on these things. Quequmque sunt vera, that is whatsoever things are true in Latin. You will find that statement on anything with Northwestern University's name on it. It is even on the school seal, which has a Bible open, with these words written in Greek. That is the vision that the university runs by. You might recognize it as the eighth verse of Phillippians. I was drawn to that passage for today's sermon. And as I thought about it, I have often wondered why Paul would need to tell the Phillippian church such a thing. Those are wonderful virtues, but what do they have to do with the spiritual life. What do they have to do with being a Christian? As a matter of fact, all of those virtues are things that are lifted up in Greek philosophy. It would seem to me that to Paul that those would be worldly values that he would be trying to get the church up to walk away from. It reminds me of the dilemma that the church will have with the new character counts program. If you have not heard of it yet, you will. There are several organizations in Aurora which will be launching this program in all sectors of the community. In businesses, schools, the park district, the government, and any body else who is willing to be a part of the program. If you have not heard of it yet, it is a program which is designed to ask all adults to model the behavior that we expect in our children. The ultimate attempt is to take the time to teach children how to live by a sense of values so that they will not be influenced to get involved of drug related, violent, or delinquent behavior. There are six pillars, or values of the program. Trustworthiness, respect, responsibility, fairness, caring and citizenship. It has been decided that these values go beyond all religions and cultures, and are things that all people want to teach their kids. In other words, it is safe for the state to teach these things to everybody. I found it interesting that in the presentation to the clergy group of Aurora, one pastor did not understand why he was the only pastor nationally who had gone through the program. After all, these are all things that we as Christians would want our young people to learn. That is very true, but we don't want to teach our children to go beyond their faith in order to use them. In a world where there is so much vying for our young people's attention, it is tantamount that the church ultimately teach each other what it means to be a Christian. That was Paul's struggle in Phillipi. Yet, Though it is true that the Phillippian church was struggling to set itself apart from the Greek society that it was a part of. and though it is true that Paul was trying to help the Phillipian church understand what it meant to be Christian in a world with so many other different types of values, I think that it is important to look at two other points that Paul was trying to make, before he gives his message. In Phillippians 4:1-9 Paul is addresses the disagreement that has come up in the church. Euodia and Syntyche are members of the church, yet they are at odds with one another. And their disagreement is affecting everyone in the church. Stand firm and to maintain the mind of Christ. To have the mind of Christ means to do things the way that Christ would do them and would have us to do then as his followers. As members of the church, we are the body of Christ. As a physical body, we must do the things that Christ wants done for the world. and any body must also have a mind. A mind thinks and feels and gives direction and purpose to the body. A mind can't be divided and going in different directions, it can't argue with itself and resent itself, if it does, then it will never get anything done. This is why in the midst of the disagreements in the church, Paul reminds the Phillippians to have the mind of Christ. But Paul gives the church some more advice of what it means to have the mind of Christ that I think are important. he tells us to let our gentleness be known to everyone, to rejoice in the lord always and let your request be known to God always in prayer and supplication. the gift that we receive from doing this, A peace from God which surpasses all understanding. In a world where there are constantly things to do, a world where assertiveness seems to be the key to getting everything that you want in life, and where there are always some people who try us, that seems like a very difficult thing to do. For instance in traffic, we have all had the experience of being cut off, or tailgated. And I think that many of us do not do anything anymore, because of the fear of what might happen to us. Well I heard of a story of a man who was trying to exit off on to a freeway, and a car cut him off. So of course in revenge, he raced with the car, and yelled and shook his fist. and finally they both got of at the same stop and the man had a chance to yell and express his anger. And the other man simply apologized, said that the man was right and gracefully got out of an argument. When it was all over, the passenger recognized the man, and told his friend that he had just argued with the lightweight boxing champion of the world. If the fight had actually come to blows, he would have been hurt pretty seriously. Yet the boxing champion was practicing what Paul tells us - let your gentleness be known in everything that you do. Imagine what the world would be like if we all could avert violence and revenge with grace. To have the mind of Christ, means also to have a mind for constant prayer. I mind in which instead of giving a harsh word, we say a word to Christ first. A mind where we look to the peace of God instead of the craziness of the world. What is it that sets us apart from the rest of the world. What is that makes us look at the ordinary events and beliefs of this world in a new way. It is the peace of God. If we depend upon God to answer our prayers in every situation, then we are living a life that is lived the assurance that we are always loved, that we are always listened to and that there is a way out of all situations. I would think that would give us the reason to rejoice in everything. If we live a life of prayer in everything that we do, then everything becomes a part of God's world. so when Paul told the Phillippians to think on the things that are true, that are honest, just and pure. He was asking them to think on the things of Christ. The body of Christ, also has the mind of Christ. and in the mind of Christ, all things are for true, honest and pure. Paul's concern was not the virtues of the Greek philosophy of the say, but on the we in which we as Christians are to think on these things. It is our thoughts that make things different. Because are thoughts are on the gentleness and peace of God. Our thought are from the mind of Christ. the mind of Christ is a united mind, a forgiving mind, a mind filled with truth, honor, purity and peace. And yes, in today's world, we do want our children to value trustworthiness, respect, responsibility, fairness, caring and citizenship. But most importantly, we want them to understand why they are important. We want them to understand that if they think upon these things within the united mind of Christ, then they will still stand apart. they and we, must bring our faith, our gentleness, our joy, our peace to the table. If Christ is in the center of they way they think about those things, then those things are worthy. Whatsoever things are true, as Christians, think on these things. It is your faith that makes them real. Amen.