Philippians 3:4b-14;
When is the last time you updated your résumé? Those of you who have retired are probably thinking your last update WAS your last update. The Apostle Paul might suggest you not be so hasty.
Paul sent the Philippi church his faith résumé. On paper it was impeccable. Paul was circumcised on the eight day, born of Hebrew parents, he was a member of the tribe of Benjamin. He was a Pharisee who had proved his zeal by persecuting members of the early church. As for righteousness, according to the law, Paul was blameless.
What else could Paul say? In terms of his past, he had done everything right. He was intelligent, loyal, diligent, and trustworthy. Yet his résumé was woefully lacking. It said nothing of his future.
Résumés are often nothing more than a stepping stone to your next job. It lists who you have been, not who you are becoming. Eight years ago I was interviewed for this job. I was asked a couple questions about what I done in the past but the committee was more interested in who we might become if I was offered the opportunity to serve you. I had the credentials, the track record and a bunch of great references. But none guaranteed I had the energy and drive to take on a new adventure. Résumés don’t predict your future, they just celebrate your past.
In Philippians 3 Paul took a long hard look at his resume and declared, “Whatever gains I had, I now regard as loss.” Personal catharsis might be good for the soul, but it would seem to be counterproductive in terms of winning the hearts of the good church members in Philippi. I think something else was on Paul’s mind.
The folks in Philippi knew Paul. They knew his history. They were aware he had persecuted Christians but now all was forgiven. Paul had proven himself to be the leader of the Christian community. He was a hero and his story was celebrated. Fearing his success was overshadowing the message, Paul undermines his own résumé by insisting nothing but Christ matters.
What a radical thought! Except for being old and white, what do we have in common? I suspect very little. Some of us are from the South, drink Coca-Cola, and eat sweet potato pie. Others are from the North, drink pop, and eat pumpkin pie. Some of you listen to Mozart and Bach and insist Zeppelin was an inflatable airship. Some of you argue the classical age of music began with Roll over Beethoven. Some of you are Republicans, some of you are Democrats, and a lot of us are just worn out. We come from different places, with different stories, and different expectations. We think differently, eat differently, recreate differently, and have different priorities. So what do we have in common?
We all claim to believe in God. As soon as I say this many of you are thinking about how your understanding of God is fundamentally different than the person sharing your virtual pew. I would not disagree. I have never served a more theological diverse congregation. Some of us grew up in churches where we learned the Apostle’s Creed before we could say our A, B, C’s. Some of you come from churches which did not have a Creedal tradition. Many of you grew up with Creeds and only to discover they do not parallel your personal faith journey.
That is one of the many things I love about Rockfish. We expect both freedom of expression and the expectation that every voice be heard. I find that refreshingly delightful. But I still insist our primary motivation for being here is a belief in something bigger than ourselves. Against all the facts, scientific and otherwise, we remain confident that God will offer a path which will transform our past. We believe, God has always been in the habit of doing a new thing, an astounding thing, a liberating thing. Paul witnessed this liberation in the death and resurrection of Christ. Paul saw this event, this cosmic interruption of history, as something that had never happened before and would never happen again. God became flesh and walked among us once, and for all time. What Paul had done in the past was outmaneuvered by what God was now doing in the future. Paul wanted to be part of this new adventure. He writes, “Forgetting what lies behind and straining to what lies ahead, I press on toward the goal of God in Christ Jesus.”
Our God doesn’t circle the wagons. Our God is always moving forward toward a radical act of liberation. I know our vision is limited. I know we get tired. I know we become discouraged. I know sometimes we want to pull out our resume and claim we have done enough.
News Flash! God is not interested in what we have done. God is only interested in what we are about to do. God is not interested in where we have been. God is only interested in where we u are going. Liberation can never be stagnant. When dare to live in the light of God, each day is a new beginning. When we dare to approach life with this attitude, everything changes.
My favorite song writer is Guy Clark. He is a poet’s poet who writes about nothing and makes it come alive. Guy claimed not to be religious but his songs have transformed my faith. Allow me to share one with you.
The Cape
Eight years old with a flour sack cape tied all around his neck.
He climbed up on the garage, figurin’ what the heck.
He screws his courage up so tight the whole thing came unwound.
He got a runnin’ start and bless his heart, he headed for the ground.
Well he’s one of those who knows that life is just a leap of faith,
Spread your arms and hold your breath; always trust your cape.
All grown up with a flour sack cape tied all around his dreams.
He’s full of piss and vinegar, he’s bustin’ at the seams.
He licked his finger and checked the wind; it’s gonna be do or die.
He wasn’t scared of nothing boys, he was pretty sure he could fly.
Well he’s one of those who knows that life is just a leap of faith,
Spread your arms and hold your breath; always trust your cape.
Old and grey with a flour sack cape tied all around his head.
Still jumpin’ off the garage, and will be till he’s dead.
All these years the people said he’s actin’ like a kid.
He did not know he could not fly; so he did
Well he’s one of those who knows that life is just a leap of faith,
Spread your arms and hold your breath; always trust your cape.
Spread your arms and hold your breath; always trust your faith.
Amen
