Psalm 106:1-3  Hallelujah! Give thanks to God, for God is good, for God’s mercy endures for ever. Who can declare the mighty acts of God or show forth all God’s praise? Happy are those who act with justice and always do what is right!

Introduction

We’re just ordinary people. We go through our days like so many other people starting first with Sunday and then heading (as fast as we can) to Thursday wherein we slow down a little as we approach Friday and Saturday. Then, we get up on Sunday and repeat the cycle. We go to work; we come home from work. We go to school; we come home from school. We drive to the store; we drive back from the store. Most days we shower, wash and conditioner our hair and get ready for the day. Some of us prefer to find ways to stand out each day; some of us desperately try to either blend in to the group or the wall. All in all, we’re ordinary people, going about our days, trying our best to go from point A to point B, sometimes doing it well and sometimes doing it …. not well. We’re basic people who sometimes look put together and sometimes not so put together. Sometimes we’re strong and sometimes we’re weak, and sometimes we’re weak in our strength and strong in our weakness. We make good choices and bad ones. Our emotional lives can be abstract and complex, but our day to day lives in the world are downright banal; even the most degreed-up of us are just meaty and fleshy bodies existing in the world, meat creatures who probably need to hydrate more.

None of this sounds very uplifting, I know. But would you believe me if I tell you it is the best news to stumble upon and accept? Because here’s the thing: The God who love us and whom we love, that God loves us as simple and basic as we are. No need to gussy up and change; God loves you. No need to make yourself important in the world to get God to love you; God just loves you. Basic, meaty, fleshy, simple: you’re the apple of God’s eye. How do I know? Well the bible tells me so. Specifically, the conclusions of Paul’s letters remind me that in the day in and day out, in the Sunday to Saturday, in the banality of the schedule from one week to another, God loves you as you are, where you are.

Philippians 4:1-9

So then, my beloved and greatly desired siblings, my joy and crowning glory; in this way persevere in the Lord, beloved…At all times, rejoice in the Lord; again, I say rejoice! Let your gentleness be known among all humanity. The Lord is near! Be anxious about nothing; but in all things by prayer and supplication with thanksgiving let your petitions be made known to God. The peace of God which surpasses all understanding will guard your hearts and minds in Christ Jesus. (Phil. 4:1,4-7)[1]

At the end of Philippians, Paul begins his final exhortations and places the real-life context of his readers in the mix. In this particular passage we see a reference to Euodia and Syntyche who are not getting along. After opening up with a warm reminder that the Philippians are his beloved, joy, and crowning glory, Paul exhorts these two women to get along or to share in the same judgment about (something). We do not know what it is they are disagreeing about, but the community’s general fellowship is important to Paul. Most likely, whoever wrote the letter to Paul is the one who mentioned this disagreement; so, Paul deals with it because these two women are his co-workers, with Clement and the rest of the fellow-workers—and together they have labored for the Gospel and they are joined together in companionship by faith and their community together should reflect this love and faith. He loves these people very much, and wants them to have peace, the type of peace that surpasses all understanding.

Then, Paul exhorts the entire congregation of Philippi to rejoice… in all things! Paul does not exhort them to rejoice in just the big things or just the miraculous things, but in all things. The day in and the day out, rejoice! In the regular and predictable, rejoice! In the simple and basic? Rejoice! What about the complex and abstract or the complicated and problematic? Again, I say rejoice! Why rejoice in all things? Well, it’s as simple as life is: God loves you as you are, where you are. So, Again, I say rejoice!

Siblings, lastly, as much is true, as much is honorable, as much is righteous, as much is holy, as much is acceptable, as much is laudable, whatever is good and whatever is praiseworthy, you consider these things. Both the things you learned and received and heard and perceived in me, do these things; and the God of peace will be with you. (Phil. 4:8-9)

Paul concludes by running head long into a litany of exhortations to this humble congregation emphasizing the vulnerability of being fleshy, meat creatures who are often underhydrated: be gentle, for God is near; be not anxious, instead pray to God; let your hearts and minds be guarded by God’s peace; and think on all the good things, the divine gifts of life, love, and liberation; finally, persist in growing and maturing in the faith (trust) in Christ and in love toward the neighbor.

None of these things is all that notable; they’re simple, humble, and unnoteworthy actions—especially according to the world’s standards. These are not the characteristics that get your name in lights, cause you to rise to the top position of your company, or will make you popular in the world. To live this way is to live simply. To live this way is to know who you are and accept who you are, it is the fruit of being justified by faith apart from any work, it is to truly trust that God loves you, that Jesus died on your behalf and was raised to bring you life, and that the Spirit of God is with you every day, in every way, in the depths of your simplicity.

Conclusion

If you’ve been feeling small and insignificant, please know you’re seen. If you’ve been feeling exhausted because of repetitive demands to prove you’re good enough, you’re seen. If you’ve been feeling worried because you no longer feel valued and important, please know you’re seen. You are seen. You are known. You are loved. The Lord is near…near to you. So, trust God who shows you this love in Christ by the power of the Holy Spirit. And then rejoice! In your simplicity, in your banality, in your day in and your day out, in the “normal”, in the “meh”, in the “ho-hum,” in the up and down, rejoice!

You are the beloved, as you are and where you are. Again, I say Rejoice!

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[1] Translation mine unless otherwise noted