Daily Scripture: Philippians 4:6 Don’t worry about anything; on the contrary, make your requests known to God by prayer and petition, with thanksgiving. 7 Then God’s shalom, passing all understanding, will keep your hearts and minds safe in union with the Messiah Yeshua. 8 In conclusion, brothers, focus your thoughts on what is true, noble, righteous, pure, lovable or admirable, on some virtue or on something praiseworthy. 9 Keep doing what you have learned and received from me, what you have heard and seen me doing; then the God who gives shalom will be with you.
Reflection Questions:
Paul wrote this letter in prison (cf. Philippians 1:13-14). He might be executed—or freed (cf. Philippians 1:20-26). Picture that dank Roman dungeon, and the uncertainty about whether and when guards might come to end his life. Clearly Paul’s words were much more than just religious “happy talk.” With every reason to be anxious, he wrote about prayer, peace and a focus on the good and beautiful in life.
- What did Paul say results from presenting your requests to God in prayer? Do you ever wish he’d said, “Bring up all of your requests to God in your prayers and petitions—and God will make sure everything comes out the way you want”? What made the gift of God’s peace more precious for the apostle, unsure if he faced execution or not, than any other gift?
- Paul wrote that God’s peace “exceeds all understanding.” In what ways does our wish for total understanding, to figure everything out logically, at times rob us of peace? How can we value our minds, yet not expect or demand merely human explanations of all spiritual realities?
Lord Jesus, I want to walk every day in your peace. I want to focus on the excellent, on the admirable, even if the latest scandal or conflict obsesses everyone around me. Keep my heart safe in your hands. Amen.Insights from Darren Lippe
Darren Lippe helps facilitate Journey 101 “Loving God” classes, guides a 7th-grade Sunday school class, is a member of a small group & a men’s group, and serves on the Curriculum team.
Peace has been in the news as of late or rather the lack of peace has been newsworthy. On one hand, earlier this month we commemorated the 150th anniversary of General Lee’s surrender to General Grant at the Appomattox Court House in Virginia, which marked the beginning of the end of the Civil War, while on the other hand we have violent conflicts raging in Iraq, Yemen, Afghanistan, Ukraine, Libya, etc.
Of course, the idea of peace extends beyond geo-political conflicts. For example, we struggle to achieve financial peace. Like the story of the Dad calling his newly independent daughter & asking how her budget was going. She responded, “I must be doing pretty well, all my bills say they are outstanding.”
We also strive to find peace within our relationships, like the old Preacher story of the girl who was going to break up with her boyfriend because of his obsession with the musical group, The Monkees1. The young man said, “I was doubtful at first, And Then I Saw Her Face…” (Just how old was this preacher? – Editor. In hindsight, he wasn’t particularly old, but his jokes were – DL.)
And we even have to work at familial peace. Like the Dad, who wanting to have some family time, turns off the home’s Wi-Fi & waits comfortably by the router as everyone gathers.
We exert a great deal of energy seeking peace; we try yoga, meditation, breathing routines, nature walks, yet still find it to be elusive. But in today’s passage, Paul talks about a peace that is readily available to all. What might he be trying to tell us?
Last Friday, our family celebrated the life of my beloved Uncle Ralph. He had been on abusiness trip when he fell ill. He flew home early & when he landed he complained that his lungs felt like he was drowning. My Aunt took him to the emergency room – and 90 minutes later he was on a ventilator at 100% oxygen & in a medically induced coma. The Doctors ran a battery of tests to see what was going on with his lungs, but all tests came back negative. After 7 days in ICU & a roller coaster of good news/bad news, my 64-year-old Uncle’s body finally gave out.
The funeral opened with one of my favorite hymns, “How Great Thou Art,” but it was hard to sing, much less hum along with the melody. The speakers reminded us of Ralph’s childhood in Admire, Kansas, his fun-loving nature, his penchant for joke telling, his devotion to family, &, most importantly, his love of God. A long-time member of his church choir, he contended the toughest hymn to sing was “Christ the Lord is Risen Today” – because it was so tempting to shout the lyrics. He & my Aunt were in a Couples Small Group for 20+ years & he was a regular at a Friday morning Men’s Bible Study. (While laughing at a story, probably his own, my Uncle pounded the table so hard he spilled his coffee on several of his friend’s Bibles – so the next week they brought Saran Wrap to cover their Bibles.) The service, which had begun with grieving the loss of life, had somehow been transformed into a celebration of a life well lived. As the service concluded, I found myself singing along with the final stanza of the hymn, “Great is Thy Faithfulness.”
What had just happened in those 75 minutes? Was I still grieving? Absolutely. Did I still miss my Uncle? Most definitely. But. There was a sense of peace that with Christ’s awesome assistance that, using my Uncle’s lingo, he had beaten the system & had pulled a fast one on death.
Perhaps this is the idea Paul was trying to capture when he wrote of a “peace that transcends all understanding.” Lasting peace isn’t something that can be accomplished via human hands – it is impossible. But when we choose to invite God into our midst, when we welcome the Holy Spirit into hearts, when we say, “Yes, Jesus,” we can begin to experience a peace that is beyond logic & reason. May it be so for each of us this day.
The United Methodist Church of the Resurrection
13720 Roe Avenue
Peace has been in the news as of late or rather the lack of peace has been newsworthy. On one hand, earlier this month we commemorated the 150th anniversary of General Lee’s surrender to General Grant at the Appomattox Court House in Virginia, which marked the beginning of the end of the Civil War, while on the other hand we have violent conflicts raging in Iraq, Yemen, Afghanistan, Ukraine, Libya, etc.
Of course, the idea of peace extends beyond geo-political conflicts. For example, we struggle to achieve financial peace. Like the story of the Dad calling his newly independent daughter & asking how her budget was going. She responded, “I must be doing pretty well, all my bills say they are outstanding.”
We also strive to find peace within our relationships, like the old Preacher story of the girl who was going to break up with her boyfriend because of his obsession with the musical group, The Monkees1. The young man said, “I was doubtful at first, And Then I Saw Her Face…” (Just how old was this preacher? – Editor. In hindsight, he wasn’t particularly old, but his jokes were – DL.)
And we even have to work at familial peace. Like the Dad, who wanting to have some family time, turns off the home’s Wi-Fi & waits comfortably by the router as everyone gathers.
We exert a great deal of energy seeking peace; we try yoga, meditation, breathing routines, nature walks, yet still find it to be elusive. But in today’s passage, Paul talks about a peace that is readily available to all. What might he be trying to tell us?
Last Friday, our family celebrated the life of my beloved Uncle Ralph. He had been on abusiness trip when he fell ill. He flew home early & when he landed he complained that his lungs felt like he was drowning. My Aunt took him to the emergency room – and 90 minutes later he was on a ventilator at 100% oxygen & in a medically induced coma. The Doctors ran a battery of tests to see what was going on with his lungs, but all tests came back negative. After 7 days in ICU & a roller coaster of good news/bad news, my 64-year-old Uncle’s body finally gave out.
The funeral opened with one of my favorite hymns, “How Great Thou Art,” but it was hard to sing, much less hum along with the melody. The speakers reminded us of Ralph’s childhood in Admire, Kansas, his fun-loving nature, his penchant for joke telling, his devotion to family, &, most importantly, his love of God. A long-time member of his church choir, he contended the toughest hymn to sing was “Christ the Lord is Risen Today” – because it was so tempting to shout the lyrics. He & my Aunt were in a Couples Small Group for 20+ years & he was a regular at a Friday morning Men’s Bible Study. (While laughing at a story, probably his own, my Uncle pounded the table so hard he spilled his coffee on several of his friend’s Bibles – so the next week they brought Saran Wrap to cover their Bibles.) The service, which had begun with grieving the loss of life, had somehow been transformed into a celebration of a life well lived. As the service concluded, I found myself singing along with the final stanza of the hymn, “Great is Thy Faithfulness.”
What had just happened in those 75 minutes? Was I still grieving? Absolutely. Did I still miss my Uncle? Most definitely. But. There was a sense of peace that with Christ’s awesome assistance that, using my Uncle’s lingo, he had beaten the system & had pulled a fast one on death.
Perhaps this is the idea Paul was trying to capture when he wrote of a “peace that transcends all understanding.” Lasting peace isn’t something that can be accomplished via human hands – it is impossible. But when we choose to invite God into our midst, when we welcome the Holy Spirit into hearts, when we say, “Yes, Jesus,” we can begin to experience a peace that is beyond logic & reason. May it be so for each of us this day.
1 For our younger readers, The Monkees was a late 1960’s television show about a fictional band. As the show’s popularity grew, The Monkees began to record their own songs, including the #1 Billboard Hit, “I’m A Believer,” with the lyrics, “And then I saw her face, I’m a believer” – hence the humor attempt at humor (Editor).
13720 Roe Avenue
Leawood, Kansas 66224 United States
913.897.0120
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