Philippians 4:1-9
Verse 8: Whatever is is true, whatever is noble, whatever is right, whatever is pure, whatever is lovely, whatever is admirable – if anything is excellent or praiseworthy – think about such things.
There’s power in prayer, there’s the power of positive thinking. I am a person who tries to stay positive and yet, we all have our days! In Philippians 4: 1-9 we are directed to seek out, find, take notice of, and attend to the beauty of all that surrounds us, the beauty of this life.
James Howell offers a few connections with this verse in his blog that are captivating. He offers ways to reconnect on a basic level with who we are in relationship to Christ, who we find ourselves to be in the midst of creation. Who are we? Well, surrounded by the wonder and loveliness and graciousness of God, who and what can we be?
He quotes a verse from the singer Jewel that goes like this:
It doesn’t take talent to be mean/ Please be careful with me/
I’m sensitive and I’d like to stay that way/
I have this theory that if we’re told we’re bad/
then that’s the only idea we’ll ever have/
But maybe if we are surrounded in beauty/
some day we will become what we see.
To start to see ourselves as part of the wonder, praiseworthy of that which God shares, well, that’s something we might see as aspirational. We are full of self-anxiety. We worry about our world and what we, ourselves, have done and left undone. Whatever we are focused on seems to color our lives, that little else makes it’s way in. We want to see what it is God is offering. So is it a matter of doing differently so we will have a different view of self? Or is it a matter of seeing differently, seeing more clearly what and Who surrounds us, what beauty we are offered in the course of a day?
I leave this to you to perhaps explore within your prayer time this week.
Our NCC theme for this year is Graceful Surrender. When we gather for Charge Conferences, we will talk about what it means to surrender and why it is helpful to us as children of God. As I listen to the music selections on “Pray As You Go,” I often find a sweet moment, a true posture of soaking in scripture as it is sung. In that moment, I recognized a bit of what it is like to surrender myself – to let go, to sink into God’s word, to allow the music to fill me – body, mind, and spirit. Do you have a place, a time, a “cue” that helps you to surrender yourself fully to God? Could a moment of surrender adjust our eyes and our spirit to see more clearly what surrounds us?
We will continue to ponder this notion of surrender, letting go, and giving ourselves over to God throughout the appointment year (through June 2024). I wonder what we may find as we surrender, even if for a moment, to the God of us all who loves us like no other.
I look forward to being with you in your local churches for worship, Charge Conference in small clusters, and joining you for programs offered within the life of the community! I give thanks to God for you. Many blessings to you as we seek to surrender our lives to God, waiting with wonder upon the Lord!
Peace,
Tara