“…our citizenship is in heaven, from which we eagerly wait for a savior, the Lord Jesus Christ.” – Philippians 3:20

I attended seminary in Canada. I wanted an experience that was both international and interdenominational in scope. To be completely honest, it was also much more affordable than our American counterparts. I didn’t have the fear or trepidation I might have had if I had gone to seminary in Germany (where I could not speak the language), but I was still very much aware that I was a guest in a foreign land. I drove a beat-up old Datsun automobile that didn’t include metric speed markings on the speedometer, so I had to learn to convert the miles-per-hour (mph) scale to the metric scale used by our northern cousins. Fortunately, I learned quickly that the key figure is “6.” Multiply the kilometers-per-hour (kmph) speed limit by 6, drop the zero, and that’s roughly the mph (e.g. 80 kmph = 6×80 = 480, drop the 0, so 48 (or 50) mph).

St. Paul tells us “our citizenship is in heaven,” and (for me) the good news is that not only do we “eagerly await a savior,” but that we have a Savior who just as eagerly awaits for us. It doesn’t matter what scale is being used, for Jesus IS the scale. We don’t have to do any converting; Jesus is the One who converts US! Isn’t that amazing? And so it is well with my soul.

God, there is so much in life that can throw us for a loop. We strive to do good, to be good, to do right, to be right. Sometimes, though, we know well that we are out of our element; we live in a world that is increasingly foreign. We can fake it ‘til we make it, but I’ll feel so much better when I cross that border and find you are there to receive me, for then it will be truly well with my soul. Amen.
– Fr. Keith Axberg

“But our citizenship is in heaven, and it is from there that we are expecting a Savior, the Lord Jesus Christ. He will transform the body of our humiliation that it may be conformed to the body of his glory, by the power that also enables him to make all things subject to himself. Therefore, my brothers and sisters, whom I love and long for, my joy and crown, stand firm in the Lord in this way, my beloved.” – Philippians 3:20-4:1

Being a Christian is easy. Jesus, the Christ, does all the heavy lifting for us. “He will transform the body of our humiliation that it may be conformed to the body of his glory by the power that enables him to make all things subject to himself.”

Being a Christian is impossible. I and my ego keep getting in the way! There are so many ways I fall short in being and becoming a faithful follower of my Lord! Will I ever resolve that forgiveness issue that gnaws at me? Will I ever be more tolerant with folks who argue on the Wrong Side? Will I walk the extra mile, turn the other cheek, think of everyone as my neighbor? Will I ever just simply live the Golden Rule?

Sometimes I feel like an old car that needs so much repair work done that I will never get out of the mechanic’s shop.

But: “He will transform the body of our humiliation[c] that it may be conformed to the body of his glory.”

I’m counting on my Savior. He’s still saving.

Dear Lord, help me get the “me” out of your way to do your good work in the wonderful world you have placed me in. Amen.
-Tom Worrell

“Brothers and sisters, join in imitating me, and observe those who live according to the example you have in us.” – Philippians 3:17

One of the early lessons I learned in life was to imitate those whom I respected. First, it was my father, who exemplified living according to the principles of Christ and taught me to live accordingly. Then it was my two aunts, who were stalwarts of Franklin Avenue Methodist Church in Portsmouth, Ohio, and preserved much of the church’s memorabilia. Then it was the couple who acted as Christian mentors for us young adult Christians. And then there were more…

Dear God, I pray that I not only learned to imitate the Christian examples You provided, but also that I will in turn take the opportunities to help mentor others by providing good examples of the Christian life. You faithfully give me positive feedback when I do so! Amen.
-Barb Cheyney

“Their end is destruction; their god is the belly; and their glory is in their shame; their minds are set on earthly things.” –Philippians 3:19

Years ago when Carol and I were living in Boise, we made connections through the local Habitat for Humanity affiliate with a recently established Shia Muslim congregation. We received frequent invites to join them at their services, especially if some big event was taking place. The food was always amazing! One time we were invited to join the congregation in welcoming a visiting Imam from Texas, and I was given a place of honor next to him during the celebratory meal. As we were talking about our respective Abrahamic faiths, I remember turning to the Imam and saying, “You know, both Islam and Christianity share a similar threat: materialism.” He quietly nodded in agreement. Like Paul’s exhortation to the Philippians, the Imam’s message to his congregation was also to stand firm in the Lord and to not set their minds on earthly things.

Lord, my god is too often the belly, but with your help, I will never live as an enemy of the cross. I do believe my citizenship is in heaven, and that I will ultimately be conformed to the body of your glory. Amen.
-Michael Boss

“For there is no distinction between Jew and Greek; the same Lord is Lord of all and is generous to all who call on him.” – Romans 10:12

One of the big fights in Paul’s epistles and the Acts of the Apostles was whether or not Gentiles (in this case, Greeks) had to satisfy the Jewish rules first before they could become followers of “The Way”. (Acts 11:26 tells us that Christians were not called “Christians” until Paul reached Antioch.) Should Greek men have to undergo circumcision? Do the Greek converts have to keep kosher? Are the Jewish converts to Christianity somehow a higher level because Jesus was a Jew?

The statement that “there is no distinction between Jew and Greek; the same Lord is Lord of all” is comforting to me as a convert because it means that I’m “just as good” as cradle Episcopalians. I don’t have to do anything extra to prove that my faith is real, and I should not give in to the insecurity that I am somehow “less than” those who have spent their entire lives as Christians. My spiritual gifts are just as needed as everyone else’s, and I can feel confident in my quest to be the beloved child of God I was created to be!

We thank you, Lord, that you show no partiality and that you are the Lord of all and generous to all who call on You. Amen.
-Jen McCabe

“Whoever believes in [God] will not be disappointed.” – Romans 10:11

I’m struggling to find things to say for this Lenten series. The focus is “It is well with my soul,” and yet I don’t think it is. Although the country seems to be moving forward and sneaking out of pandemic life little by little, I’m stuck. Even when I am out and about, isolation and quarantine seem to accompany me. They’ve set up housekeeping in the quaint little dungeon that laughingly calls itself my brain or, to be more biblical, my heart. I want to “return home to Jerusalem ” like our biblical forebears heading home from their time in Babylon, and yet I find myself more in the company of foreboding than with forbearing. Still, there is a difference between what I feel and what is – between fact and feeling. There’s a wilderness of the soul where I find this struggle taking place.

I think I spend too much time wanting to be positive and aglow. I don’t know that I can really appreciate when life gets good without also embracing the times when life is dark, dismal, creepy, or unwell. I am an evangelical – a proclaimer of “good news,” but how can one rise into the glory of God unless one has experienced the slow slide beneath the waves aboard a sinking ship – a stinking ship?

I can’t. And yet … and yet God is there; God is always there in the deep darkness, the pits of hell, the foreign lands, and the house of sorrows. God is there to pull us out – the first and greatest of First Responders. Ultimately, then, I do not despair. It may not be well with my soul today, but it will be at another time, and that’s all I need to know.

God, it is not always well with my soul, but it is always well with you. Grab ahold of me and never let me go, I pray; I thank you God on this and every day. Amen.
-Fr. Keith Axberg