Dear Caldwell,
I pray this finds you well today as spring continues to poke out its head.
I’d love to hear from you as we travel from Sunday to Sunday this week, specifically as we pause between the first half (2:6-8) of the “Christ Hymn” in Philippians and the second (2:8-11).
You may recall from yesterday’s sermon that we dealt with the first half of this V-shaped poem. We considered how Christ chose to step away from his divinity, lowered his humanity and thus emptied himself, all as an example the apostle Paul believes we can follow.
What questions or thoughts does any of that raise for you, from yesterday’s sermon or otherwise? Do you have any thoughts or questions as we turn this coming Sunday to consider how Christ was then exalted?
Paul wrote to the Philippians:
If then there is any encouragement in Christ, any consolation from love, any sharing in the Spirit, any compassion and sympathy, make my joy complete: be of the same mind, having the same love, being in full accord and of one mind. Do nothing from selfish ambition or conceit, but in humility regard others as better than yourselves. Let each of you look not to your own interests, but to the interests of others.
Can we imitate Christ, as Paul encouraged in this letter and others? What part of that seems within reach? What’s not? Where do you see others imitating Christ in the world? What encouragement, if any” does that give you? Does humility, as Paul commends, come easy or with difficulty? Can you see the JOY Paul wants for us from imitating Christ? Or is it just all too heavy?
How does any of this shape your Lenten journey as we think about emptying ourselves?
I’d love to hear your thoughts, feedback and questions as I think about the second half of this ancient poem.
You can write me at jcleghorn@caldwellpresby.org or pop over to the Facebook Caldwell Conversations page and open up the conversation there.
Hope to see you at Wednesday noon worship here with the Elizabeth Communities of Faith.
In Christ,
John