Advent 2
Devotional
Water From the Rock
Lectionary Devotional for Cycle C
Object:
... because of your sharing in the gospel from the first day until now.
-- Philippians 1:5
Paul greeted the Philippians with an affirmation of his relationship with them, a relationship that was sustained by his memory even while he experienced separation from them. "I thank my God every time I remember you...." If the center of the Christian faith is our relationship with God and each other, as Jesus reminds us in the giving of the Great Commandment, then the embodiment of that faith is in the community of faith. We pay too little attention to the role of memory in our faith.
Many people are separated from the faith because of a memory of a painful experience in the church. Others are drawn back to the church after years of separation because of a fond memory of experiences earlier in their life. Paul's memory was one filled with joy "because of your sharing in the gospel from the first day until now." The Greek word translated as sharing is koinonia and becomes one of the key words for a description of the church. Koinonia occurs again in 2:1 in which Paul spoke of "sharing in the Spirit," and in 3:10 where he spoke of the "sharing of the sufferings" of Christ.
In our passage a version of the word koinonia occurs in verse 7 where Paul spoke of his mutual affection for them because they "share in God's grace" with him, both in his imprisonment and in his defense and confirmation of the gospel. During Advent it would be appropriate for a church to reflect on its own history and reflect on the memories of how the members have shared both the good and bad times together. It is through such memories that we gain confidence "that the one who began a good work among (us) will bring it to completion by the day of Jesus Christ."
-- Philippians 1:5
Paul greeted the Philippians with an affirmation of his relationship with them, a relationship that was sustained by his memory even while he experienced separation from them. "I thank my God every time I remember you...." If the center of the Christian faith is our relationship with God and each other, as Jesus reminds us in the giving of the Great Commandment, then the embodiment of that faith is in the community of faith. We pay too little attention to the role of memory in our faith.
Many people are separated from the faith because of a memory of a painful experience in the church. Others are drawn back to the church after years of separation because of a fond memory of experiences earlier in their life. Paul's memory was one filled with joy "because of your sharing in the gospel from the first day until now." The Greek word translated as sharing is koinonia and becomes one of the key words for a description of the church. Koinonia occurs again in 2:1 in which Paul spoke of "sharing in the Spirit," and in 3:10 where he spoke of the "sharing of the sufferings" of Christ.
In our passage a version of the word koinonia occurs in verse 7 where Paul spoke of his mutual affection for them because they "share in God's grace" with him, both in his imprisonment and in his defense and confirmation of the gospel. During Advent it would be appropriate for a church to reflect on its own history and reflect on the memories of how the members have shared both the good and bad times together. It is through such memories that we gain confidence "that the one who began a good work among (us) will bring it to completion by the day of Jesus Christ."
