Latest / Belin Memorial UMC / Pastor Pige Wolfe - "Trash Talk"
Transcript
- Belin Memorial UMC: So our scripture reading for today comes from the book of Philippians. This is one of Paul's letters and we are going to start from chapter three. If someone else thinks that they have reasons to put confidence in the flesh, I have more, circumcised on the eighth day of the people of Israel of the tribe of Benjamin, a Hebrew of Hebrews, in regard to the law, a Pharisee, as for zeal, persecuting the church, as for righteousness based on the law, faultless. But whatever were gains to me, I now consider loss for the sake of Christ. What is more, I consider everything a loss because of the surpassing worth of knowledge Christ Jesus my Lord, for whose sake I have lost all things. I consider them garbage, that I may gain Christ and be found in him. Not having a righteousness of my own that comes from the law, but that which is through faith in Christ. The righteousness that righteousness that comes from God on the basis of faith. I want to know Christ. Yes, to know the power of his resurrection and participation in his sufferings, becoming like him in his death, and so somehow I Attaining to the resurrection from the dead. Not that I have already obtained all of this or have already arrived at my goal, but I press on to take hold of that which Christ Jesus took hold of me. Brothers and sisters, I do not consider myself yet to have taken hold of it, but one thing I do. Forgetting what is behind and straining toward what is ahead, I press on toward the goal to win the prize for which God has called me heavenward in Christ Jesus. This is the word of God for the people of God. Well, as I said earlier, I want to start off by thanking you for having me. It is wonderful to be in worship with you all. Just driving down the road. I have oftentimes appreciated and admired the beauty of Blaine from the outside. And so now I get the wonderful opportunity to see the beauty of Blaine on the inside with you all. With this being my first time here. You've already done some work getting to know me. We are getting acquainted with one another. I've had the pleasure of getting to meet some of you before worship. And of course, we had that nice introduction from Reverend Howe. But I want to ask you a question. Have you ever been to a church for the first time and they share your bio with everyone there? Maybe they tell you tell everyone that you went to Wafford and Candler. Maybe they tell everyone you're an ordained deacon. All of this is helpful information, I'm sure. But I also have to say it can feel a little awkward. When you write a bio, you have to pick out and highlight bite-sized pieces of your background. It gives the audience your credentials and a starting point for getting to know you. Before the first words came out of my mouth, you had already started your first impressions, and maybe you already started to form an opinion of me. Would things have been different? Had I shared that I grew up right by Clemson University? Would things have been different if I shared that I would rather spend a day at the mountains than a day at the beach. The ways we identify ourselves are important. Today, in this section of Paul's letter to the Philippians, Paul focuses on identity. Earlier in the letter, he gives a greeting, thanking God for the people of Philippi. He shares that although he is writing from jail, these circumstances have actually helped him to spread the gospel. As Paul continues to write, We get to this section where he gives his credentials. He is an Israelite from the tribe of Benjamin, circumcised on the eighth day, a strict adherent to God's law, a defender of the purity of religion, and a meticulous observer of the law. It may not seem like much to us, but in his context, this list is It almost seems like he's bragging. These are the reasons for his status. Paul's bio tells us he has the credentials that matter. Although Paul shares this extensive list, that's not where he stops. Paul goes on to say, Yes, I've got all these things that we add up to consider valuable, but it means nothing. This list, my humble brag, is garbage. It's rubbish. Put aside all of these qualifications. Put aside these accomplishments because our identity does not rest on these things. So if these things don't matter, what does? What matters is Christ. What matters to Paul? What matters to the people of Philippi? What matters to us? What matters is our identity in Christ. When I was in my sophomore year of college, Wafford had an activity fair where you could go around and get information on different clubs and activities and learn how to get involved. Being a sophomore, I was already involved in some groups on campus, but I wanted to find out other things that might be going on. As I went from table to table collecting information, I ran into an acquaintance. This acquaintance and I were in a club together, but we really didn't know each other that well. She walked straight up to me, and the first words out of her mouth were, Are you a Christian? To be honest, this simple question shocked me. I grew up in church, was involved in the Methodist student group on campus, and considered being United Methodist as an important part of my identity. Could she not tell that I was a Christian? No one had ever asked me that question so bluntly. While I take a different approach to evangelism, I learned something from that encounter. There is power in this question and what it implies. Are you our Christian? In other words, is your identity in Christ? In some ways, it would be easy to say yes and move on. But once again, that is not where Paul ends. Paul tells the Philippians and us about pressing on toward the goal of becoming like Christ. John Wesley might have called it sanctification. Another way to say it, see it is as continually working at following Christ. Once we put away our own achievements and We can claim our identity in Christ and make it our own. Following Christ is not an intellectual activity, it's more. Following Christ is something we do. It shapes who we are and who we are becoming. If you've ever been involved in local or international missions, you can probably imagine what Paul is talking about here. A steady faith in Christ lived out in every moment. Years ago, I had the opportunity to travel to Cuba on a mission trip with United Methodist Volunteers in Mission. Our purpose was to assist with the construction of a church. Groups had come out to work on the church over time, and we were one of the final construction crews. The church building had three different levels. The sanctuary was on the grounds level. There was living space, a kitchen, and a dining room on the second level, and the top was a flat roof. When our group came to work, The pastor and his family moved out of their living spaces and gave them to us. Women of the church spent hours in the kitchen every day preparing our meals. The people of the church welcomed us with hugs, smiles and songs. The people of that church were generous and loving in every single aspect of their encounters with us. Most of the time we communicated with one another using a translator. Even though we didn't speak the same language, it was clear through their hospitality, their generosity, and their love that their identity was in Christ. It was a lived example of righteousness from God based on faith. If you go back to the letter, Paul talks in terms of a race. Now, this race he refers to is not a tr race with a traditional finish line. It's a race lived in everyday moments, like stewing beans for dinner, showing hospitality to visitors of the fall harvest festival, and even being with your family. Some might even call it a journey. We have all come here from different places with different experiences. Some of you may have grown up in the United Methodist Church. Some of you may have found Blaine after moving to the area. Some of you might be still figuring out how this faith thing fits into your life. Paul is speaking to the Philippians. Like a mentor might speak to his mentees. He has figured out for himself that he is grounded in the faith of the one who came on this earth to show us a new way. And he extends this invitation to readers of the letter to consider if their identity is also in Christ. The invitation was for them, and the invitation Is for us. Part of the journey, the race, is that it's a a question we have to continually ask ourselves. Are we living as followers of Christ? Today is World Communion Sunday. It's a day where followers of Christ from around the world will gather around the table and remember what it means to be the body of Christ. Today is a day we celebrate with those friends I made in Cuba and the people that some of you might have served alongside in Mexico and Guatemala. It's a day we celebrate with friends in this space, those worshiping across the street, in our community, and all around the world. Even in our differences, we all have something in common. We are all beloved children of God, called to claim our identity in Christ, an identity rooted in love. In this letter, Paul uses himself as an example for us all to follow. It's my hope and prayer that these words will be an encouragement to you wherever you are in your walk with Christ. Please know you don't have to hold all the answers to claim this identity. We are imperfect people striving to live like Christ. Claiming your identity in Christ is just the beginning. It can be much easier to share the parts of ourselves that the world expects to hear. It can be easier to strive for those goals that look good on a resume or bio. Words on a page cannot capture the fullness of who you are. Some might even call those words rubbish. Just because Paul says these things don't matter doesn't mean that you don't matter. Remember this, you are loved and important. You are a beloved child of God, invited to claim your identity in Christ, ever striving to live it out. Let us pray. Gracious and loving God, I give thanks for every person that is gathered here in worship today. We each have come to this place on our own journey, knowing that you continually walk with us. Thank you for leading us here. Remind us, Lord, of our place in your story. Of how we are loved and chosen, of how we can claim our identity in you. Give us strength in the race, that we may ever draw near to you and who you call us to be. Amen.