Philippians 4:10-13

21st Sunday after Pentecost

William S. Waxenberg, Pastor

Graceful living.  Do you know people who live gracefully?  Of course you do.  People who live gracefully, who live their lives in faithful response to God’s grace given in Jesus Christ.

Today we begin a five week stewardship journey under the overarching theme of “Stories to Tell; Gifts to Give.”

Today, and for the next three weeks, we’ll reflect on that theme from four different perspectives: Graceful Living, Grateful Living, Giving to the Church, and Living Sacrificially.  Then, on the fifth Sunday, on November 18th, we’ll bring it all together as we make our financial commitments for the work of ministry in 2008.

This morning our Graceful Living text comes from Paul’s letter to the Philippians, the fourth chapter:

“I rejoice in the Lord greatly,” Paul writes, “that now you
have revived your concern for me; indeed, you were concerned
for me but had no opportunity to show it.  Not that I am
referring to being in need, for I have learned to be content with whatever I have.  I know what it is to have little, and I know
what it is to have plenty.  In any and all circumstances I have
learned the secret of being well-fed and of going hungry, of
having plenty and of being in need. I can do all things
through (Christ) who strengthens me.”

Graceful Living: to live a grace-filled life in response to God’s amazing grace in Jesus.

For the apostle Paul, according to his letter this morning, that meant living gracefully regardless of his circumstances: whether he had plenty or had little, whether he was well-fed or had an empty belly.

It reminds me of the promises couples make when they marry.  They promise to stay together—regardless of circumstances—whether in joy or in sorrow, whether rich or poor, whether in good health or bad.

Indeed, folks who live gracefully have a steadfastness of faith that sees them through the changes and upheavals of life. 

My mother was one of those individuals.  I was reminded of that again this past week when I returned to the cemetery where she’s buried.  She chose to have the words “The Lord is my shepherd” inscribed on her headstone.  It’s a witness of her abiding faith that sustained her throughout the upheavals of her life.  And there were many, as there are for many of you.  Just before my mother’s seventh birthday, her mother died.  Then, a year-and-a-half later, her father.  She was supposed to go and live with an aunt and uncle who had no children, didn’t like children, and certainly didn’t want her.  Fortunately, her older brother rescued my mother, and she went to live with him and his wife.  God bless Uncle Bill!  Then, when she was in her twenties, my mother was engaged to be married but for some reason, unknown to me, she broke it off.  It wasn’t until she met my father in her thirties that she fell in love again.  They married, but my father was of a different faith. Mom was a Christian; Dad was Jewish. Tensions rose in my dad’s family; Mom was never fully accepted by some.  They were married only sixteen years, and when my father died, she was left to rear a ten-year old son by herself.  And yet, through it all, she maintained a sense of equilibrium, a steadfastness of faith that carried her through, even though she lived much of her life in “the valley of the shadow of death.”.  The Lord was her shepherd.  She knew that.  She relied on that.  Graceful Living.

Then, from Paul’s letter, we glean that Graceful Living is marked by heart-felt gratitude for what others had done for him.  Those Philippian Christians had showed great concern for Paul while he was in prison.  Not everyone to whom Paul witnessed did.  Given Paul’s quirky personality, there were undoubtedly some in Corinth or Galatia or in Thessalonica who would have just as soon seen Paul rot in jail!  But not so with the Philippians.  They sent him gifts—food, clothing, money perhaps, and Paul’s heart was filled with gratitude for their kindness and generosity, and he felt compelled to express his gratitude to them: “I rejoice in the Lord for your concern.” Thank you!

Graceful Living is not only being grateful for what others have done for us.  Graceful Living involves us in telling them so.  We’ve probably—hopefully!—known people like that.  They’re always expressing their appreciation.  Maybe we’re one of them!  We’re deeply grateful for the many ways people bless us—and we say so.

Helen is like that.  I say “is” because even after twenty-seven years, she’s still doing it.  Helen’s a member of the mission congregation I helped to start in Grapevine back in 1980.  One evening we had a gathering of folk on whose doors I had knocked and who had shown an interest in knowing more about this new Lutheran ministry.  I hadn’t knocked on Helen’s door but on her daughter’s, and she’d told Helen about our new church.  Helen was Lutheran but wasn’t currently active in a congregation.  She came to the coffee to find out what it was all about.  From the very beginning Helen was incredibly enthusiastic about our new mission, and she couldn’t wait to get involved.  That was almost thirty years ago, and today, now long retired, she’s remained as active in that congregation.  And, not only is Helen’s heart filled with gratitude for everything that congregation has meant to her, she continually expresses her appreciation to anyone who will listen.  In fact, every time I see Helen, she tells me again how grateful she is to have come to that coffee so long ago.  She tells me how grateful she is for all of the pastors who’ve served that congregation, all very different from one another, but all have been a blessing to her.  She tells me how grateful she is for all the people who make up Living Word Lutheran Church.  And she tells them!  Her heart is filled with gratitude—and she says so!  Graceful Living.

Then the apostle Paul shares with us his secret to living gracefully: “I can do all things through (Christ) who strengthens me.”

Now, remember: here was a man who went through a radical transformation in his own life.  Paul had been a persecutor of the early Church, throwing some of the earliest followers of Jesus into jail.  And now, here he was, the chief apostle of Christ and his gospel.

How could such a transformation have taken place?  It could happened only because the crucified and risen Lord had taken hold of Paul’s heart and poured out grace upon grace, which enabled Paul to respond in kind: to a life of Graceful Living.

At one point in his life, Paul had pleaded with God to remove some malady that was plaguing him greatly.  He calls it his “thorn in the flesh.” We have no idea what it was.  Paul never says.  Scholars and others have come up with all kinds of ideas, but no one knows for sure.  Paul tells us, however, that for whatever reason, the Lord didn’t remove it.  What the Lord did do, was to assure Paul that “my grace is sufficient for you.” And it was.  And Paul continued his life of Graceful Living (2 Corinthians 12:7-9).

I mentioned earlier that when my mother and father were married, they were of different religious faiths.  My mother was a Methodist, my father was Jewish.  When my father was about twelve years old, he was stricken with polio.  When he was in his early twenties, he was stricken a second time.  He was told he’d never walk again, but that was all he needed to hear.  He did walk, albeit with a leg brace, but walk he did.

When he died at age 48, our rabbi preached a sermon in which he referred to my father’s affliction.  And then he said, even with that disability, my father yet lived gracefully. 

Now, where did that Graceful Living come from?  Maybe it came from my mother.  Maybe it came from my father’s sense of well-being; or his sense of humor; or a strong, healthy ego.  Or maybe, maybe it was a gift from the Lord.

My father died when I was ten, so I don’t remember ever any kind of in-depth conversations about faith.  Maybe he knew, though, that his ability to survive and flourish in the midst of his disability was a gift from the Lord.  And even though I don’t imagine that he would have identified “the Lord” as Jesus—well, who knows?

One night last weekend, Carol and I were flipping channels on the TV—actually I was flipping channels much to her dismay—but we came across an old TV show from the 1950’s called “Life is Worth Living.” It was a Bible study led by a Roman Catholic bishop, Fulton J. Sheen.  And I remember that my parents—both my mother and father—watched that show every week.  It seemed to be important to both of them.  Now why did my Jewish father faithfully watch that Christian bishop?  I don’t know.  Maybe it was Bishop Sheen’s marvelous sense of humor.  Or maybe it was something else.  And maybe, whatever it was, maybe it helped my father to live gracefully.

For the Apostle Paul there was no doubt that is was Christ Jesus himself.  “I can do all things through (Christ) who strengthens me.” And it is Christ Jesus for us too.  Christ Jesus who helps us live faithfully in all circumstances. Christ Jesus who fills our hearts with gratitude for all that others do for us.  Christ Jesus who strengthens us in all things. 

And, when we know that, well, there are stories to tell.  And whenever there are stories to tell, there are always gifts to give.  That’s Graceful Living. 

Amen.