December 24, 2006 - Advent 3C
Philippians 4: 4-7
The Rev. Stephanie E. Parker


So, here is a tension I wonder if any of you have encountered this holiday season...We turn on the T.V. and the images that blink from the screen explode with a violence and bloody carnage, they virtually penetrate our souls and leave us staggering with angst ---And here's the real kicker---- that was just an image from an advertisement for the latest, must have video game, released just in time for the shopping rush.

Then, if we go ahead and turn over to the news we can hear about the wreckage of war, the failing economy, and hear the predictions that persistent sickness and poverty is the destiny of the world. And then, during the next commercial break, we are inundated with images of perfect families---perfect families with perfect lives, all exhorting us to buy something that is guaranteed to help us have the perfect holiday.

It's enough to leave us feeling jangled and disoriented in the worst possible way and it seems to elevate our anxiety and worry in direct opposition to a season that is supposed to be marked by peace and joy.

But, this morning Paul shows us another path we might take this holiday season-the path of God's peace, a peace that no product in the world can offer us. He tells us not to worry. During this Advent season as many are already overwhelmed by unrealistic expectations of what the holiday should hold, and good souls everywhere are worrying themselves into panic attacks or deep depression, we can choose another way. The path of worry and anxiety over the holidays is a dead end route. Worry of this kind is a toxic kind of worry that consumes us and Paul reminds us this morning that it is just not necessary.

Virginia Pomeroy, a lay preacher and Licensed Clinical Social Worker, has reflected on toxic worry in light of the promises of Christ and she concedes that sometimes worry is realistic. Worry can tell us that something is wrong and alert us to real danger. Normal worry is just good self-protection. She reminds us that this kind of worry helps us wake up, face our fears, and develop a plan. --- A toxic worry, however, is very different. ---This kind of worry has been called, "a disease of the imagination."1

Pomeroy goes on to describe how worry, for some, can become a bad habit. It is like an alarm clock that won't shut off. When we are afraid of something we often expand it in our imaginations and then fill it with emotion. ***Worry like this begins to have a life of its own that can eclipse our joy. I'm reminded of Mark Twain's wonderful wisdom about worry: "Worrying about something that may never happen is like paying interest on a debt you never owed." Who among us would ever choose to do that?

So how do we free ourselves from the ravages of incessant worry ---especially during this holiday season? Paul tells us to be joyful. We are to rejoice! We are to show a gentle attitude toward everyone. We are not to worry. We are to pray and to ask God for what we need, and we are to ask God with a thankful heart.

It is interesting to note that Paul is writing these hopeful words to the church in Philippi from prison. He is not a stranger to hardship or anxiety. He does not write to these faithful, but struggling Christians from a place of certainty and safety. But Paul has learned that true peace is not found in finding a perfect place of safety-a place where we can be insulated from the challenges and heartaches that sometimes visit our lives---there is, as of yet, no such place, except perhaps in our imaginations.

But he does know that those who surrender their toxic worry and choose to live from the heart of Christ can be joyful no matter where the stresses of life might find us. He says, "Do not worry about anything, but in everything by prayer and supplication with thanksgiving let your request be made known to God." And then he shares this lovely phrase, "And the peace of God which surpasses all understanding, will guide your hearts and minds in Christ Jesus."

This peace of God is not a form of magical or wishful thinking. If you have ever experienced it, you know that it is as real as the sunrise. I know that when I found out my mother was dying in my first year of seminary and that I had to go through finals with the horrible and certain knowledge that not only would my mother not ever see me graduate or be ordained; that in fact she might die before I could get home to say goodbye.

My Mom and the rest of my family were very clear that they did not want me to leave school, but how in the world could I stay and do what I had to do in these circumstances? These two things seemed utterly irreconcilable. But Paul tells us how they can coexist and how a place of potential devastation can also be a place of deep peace---a place of deep peace rich with God's presence. The answer is found in that wonderful phrase, "the peace of God will guard your hearts and your minds in Christ Jesus. More accurately, the phrase is translated, "The peace of God will stand sentry watch over your hearts and minds. X2

Think of it, this image of God's peace standing watch over us. Have you ever sat vigil with a sick loved one, standing just such a watch? Think how attentive you are, how tuned to every nuance of breathing or expression that will alert you to exercise your care. *****Now hold this image of God in Christ sitting that watch over each and every one of us in times of fear and worry.

The peace of God is not an antidote to our grief or pain, but it is a loving force that stands watch over us when we are most vulnerable and afraid. And because this is a deep truth of our lives in Christ we need never to be poisoned by unnecessary worry ever again. Because God's peace is on duty, we do not, in times of distress, have to continue to scan the horizon for signs of new threats.2 We can instead persevere with a hope that cannot be taken away from us by fear, grief or pain. No matter what our circumstances are, Paul tells us, we can be joyful if we hold Christ in our hearts.

This is so important to hold on to in this holiday season. This is a time in which we are called into great joy and celebration. But for many, it is also the very time that old pain and present failures are thrown into sharp relief by the demands we place on ourselves to have the "perfect" holiday. So, if you are lonely, grief stricken or in financial distress, this cultural demand for perfect happiness during the holidays can feel overwhelming and anything but celebratory. This is the paradox for those of us who follow Christ in this modern age.

So in this potentially tender time let us all remember with great joy that Advent is the season of new life. It is a time when we are invited to make new choices. This day, this hour, this very minute we can choose to claim the peace of Christ for ourselves amid all that drives us into worry during this blessed season.

Whether our stress and worry is as simple as not getting our shopping done or our Christmas cards mailed--- or as painful as the renewed ache of grief for a loved one we've lost and we miss, Paul reminds us we can stop our worrying. He reminds us that through prayer we can stop the noise that fuels our panic. When we pray, we open our hearts and minds to God and we pour out words of our both our hopes and our fears.

These are not words or thoughts uttered into empty space, these are words that go directly to the heart of God in Christ, whose peace stands sentry watch over us when we are in distress. Prayer is the answer to our worry. Prayer is the way we wake up, face our fears, and let God lead us into new life and new joy.3

So wherever you find yourself on this spectrum this third Sunday of Advent, as we prepare to celebrate the mystery of the Christ child's birth, rejoice in the Lord always; again I will say rejoice. Let your gentleness be known to everyone. The Lord is near. Do not worry about anything, but in everything, by prayer and supplication with thanksgiving let your requests be made know to God. And the peace of God, which surpasses all understanding, will guard your hearts and minds in Christ Jesus.


Let us pray:
Eternal God, help us to turn from the noise and confusion of life to the peace that can only be found in your presence. Still our restlessness and free us from confusion. Teach us how to turn to you in times of turmoil so that we might find peace. Save us from worry and weariness, from irritation over things that really do not matter, and from the restless striving after pointless goals. By your gracious Spirit touch our hearts that all of life may come alive with new meaning and new purpose; through Jesus Christ our Lord. Amen.



1 V. Pomeroy, Lectionary Homiletics
2 Fred Craddock, Interpretation
3 Pomeroy