Yesterday. Today. Tomorrow. This is the journey of Advent.
For many of us, as we get older, we become reflective. We reflect upon where we have been . . . where we are . . . and on what the future might still hold for us. We remember old friends mingled among our present acquaintances, friends, and family as we wonder who is yet to come into our lives. We understand that the past touches the present and guides us into the future. Through it all we come to realize that none of us have gotten to this point in our lives alone. There has always been someone journeying with us.
So are the reflections of the Apostle Paul. In our reading this morning it appears that Paul is writing this letter from his prison cell . . . an isolated and lonely place . . . separated from his ministry and the people he loves. He is reflective of his situation and life as he offers a prayer to his friends in the Philippian congregation. He begins with these words: “I thank my God every time I remember you.”
It is apparent from the words Paul writes that the people in Philippi have made a deep impact upon the apostle. “In all my prayers for all of you, I always pray with joy . . .” These have been the people that he has been standing with sharing the gospel . . . working and building the Kingdom of God. These are the fellow sojourners who have stood by him through the good days and the bad days . . . through the laughter and the tears. And now he is no longer present in their lives . . . no longer a physical part of their journey and ministries, and yet, he remembers and prays for them. In this way he is still a part of the journey. In his prayer he encourages them to remember the past . . . to focus on the present . . . and to have faith for the future that God’s will shall succeed.
In doing this Paul knows that they will complete the journey and that they will grow into who God created them to be as the children of God. Paul understands that none of us . . . past, present, or future . . . makes the journey alone. The journey is always shared.
This past Thursday evening, Dana and I went to see the musical The Simon and Garfunkel Story at the Alberta Bair Theater in Billings. As I looked at the audience that had gathered, I was surprised at how old everyone looked . . . all that gray hair! It looked like a rally for AARP. Then I realized that I was one of them . . . that these were my people! You know, folks, none of us are spring chickens anymore. We are where we are at after long and glorious pasts hoping for a few more years down the road. We need to be aware of our past . . . conscious of our present . . . and hopeful for our tomorrows. And we need to understand that none of us got here by ourselves . . . there were many who have shared the journey with us.
The season of Advent is meant to be a time of reflection on the past, present, and future . . . what was, what is, and what is yet to come. It is a time to know and understand the journey . . . a journey none of us has made alone. Like the apostle we need to be thankful for those who have walked beside us in our journeys . . . to remember those who have shared in our lives . . . those who have been with us through thick and thin, good and bad, happy and sad. To remember the impact they have had on our lives in the past, how they shaped us to who we are today, and how they pointed us to the future. And, likewise, us for them.
Think of those people in your life. Who were those people who touched your life . . . made a difference . . . and chose to walk with you even if it only for a little while? Who were those people who touched your heart and because of that they never leave you no matter how far the distance . . . they are with you?
Thus we remember. As the apostle sat in that jail cell he rejoiced in the remembrance of his friends. He was filled with joy. Paul writes them: “It is right for me to feel this way about all of you, since I have you in my heart, whether I am in chains or defending and confirming the gospel, all of you share in God’s grace with me.” We never forget them . . . “God can testify how I long for all of you with the affection of Christ Jesus.”
Sadly, we do not do this enough. Oh sure, we remember, but we don’t say “thank you” to those who journey with us through life and faith. We don’t thank them and bless them wishing for all the grace and love of God on the journey that remains. We assume—wrongly—that they will always be with us and that there is plenty of time down the road to acknowledge and thank them for their presence on the journey. We know better. Life is fragile . . . more often than not, we wait too long and then it becomes too late.
Here is the deal . . . we are all on this journey right now. Because of this there is no better time to get down to this business of remembrance, gratitude, and hope. Life is the journey . . . Advent is life. Henri Nouwen writes: “The Lord is coming, always coming. When you have ears to hear and eyes to see, you will recognize him at any moment in your life. Life is Advent; life is recognizing the coming of the Lord.”
God has blessed us with fellow sojourners . . . companions along the way. We need to remember them . . . tell the stories . . . acknowledge the impact . . . and to rejoice in knowing that none of us makes this journey alone. Because of this we should also have a grateful heart and a willingness to thank these fellow sojourners . . . to offer to them blessing. Paul understood this connection . . . this “partnership” as he referred to is as. To these friends, these fellow sojourners, he offered traveling mercies . . . blessings for the journey.
Paul writes: “And this is my prayer: that your love may abound more and more in knowledge and depth of insight, so that you may be able to discern what is best and may be pure and blameless for the day of Christ, filled with the fruit of righteousness that comes through Jesus Christ—to the glory and praise of God.”
Paul offers “traveling mercies” . . . that the journey might be safe, that growth in faith will be realized, and that the goal will be achieved. The apostle understood that no journey is ever made alone . . . understood that the goal could never be achieved without companions along the way. The journey is not a solitary activity to be done alone, but an act of community for the betterment of all of God’s children. Together the dream is realized. Together the kingdom comes.
Yesterday . . . the experiences we have had have made us who we are and brought us to where we are today. We need to remember. We need to reflect . . . and, in our reflections, we need to give thanks. Thanks for who we have become . . . thanks for those who journeyed with us . . . and thanks for the hope of what is yet to come. In the darkness of Advent let us rejoice as we remember and let us hope for that which we journey towards. We are not alone. The journey is shared.
As the Apostle Paul writes: “I thank God every time I remember you. In all my prayers for all of you, I always pray with joy because of your partnership in the gospel from the first day until now, being confident of this, that he who began a good work in you will carry it on to completion until the day of Christ Jesus.”
Yesterday. Today. Tomorrow. The journey is shared. Let us never forget. Amen.
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