"Beloved... Shine Like Stars in the World."

"As Holy Week continues, I ask for the grace to pray and meditate on behalf of my community of faith.  May we learn patience, tolerance, compassion and empathy.  May we abstain from anger, anxiety, compulsive behaviour, discouragement, arrogance, ignorance, self-centeredness and greed.  May we know and follow Jesus more closely as he approaches the cross.  May we seek justice, love kindness and walk humbly."

Philippians 2:12-15

12 Therefore, my beloved, just as you have always obeyed me, not only in my presence, but much more now in my absence, work out your own salvation with fear and trembling; ¹³for it is God who is at work in you, enabling you both to will and to work for his good pleasure.
14 Do all things without murmuring and arguing, ¹⁵so that you may be blameless and innocent, children of God without blemish in the midst of a crooked and perverse generation, in which you shine like stars in the world.

1)  "...my beloved;" "...with fear and trembling;" "...God... is at work in you;" "...his good pleasure;" "...without murmuring and arguing;" "...a crooked and perverse generation;" "...shine like stars in the world."  "...work out your own salvation;" "...for it is God who is at work in you, enabling you both to do and to will for [God's] good pleasure;"

2) If only we did shine like stars in the world.  Do we do all things without murmuring and arguing?  Do we let God work in us, enabling us to will and to work for God's good pleasure?  Are we intentional about working out our own salvation with fear and trembling?  Or do we subscribe to "cheap grace" that has not consequences or expectations.  God's grace has no conditions, but truly receiving God's grace entails living justly, kindly, humbly.  When I 'm murmuring and arguing, I'm not receiving God's grace.  I don't know about ever being "blameless and innocent, children of God without blemish in the midst of a crooked and perverse generation."  But I do know about returning daily to the challenge of living more simply, choosing hope over despair, and seeking meaning without demeaning others.

3) What is the invitation in all this?  To spend more time with Bonhoeffer and contemplating "cheap and costly grace."  To continue my own daily examine and testifying/witnessing to that journey.  To witness this "crooked and perverse generation," acknowledge my part in it and continue to follow Christ.

Holy One, shine like the stars in the world and lead on."

Breathprayer: "Beloved... shine like stars in the world."