“Are we weak and heavy laden? Cumbered with a load of care? Precious Savior still our refuge, take it to the Lord in prayer! Do thy friends despise, forsake thee? Take it to the Lord in prayer. In His arms He’ll take and shield thee. Thou wilt find a solace there!”

Many among us are carrying heavy burdens. Like Scriven, even as we bear the weight of our own suffering, we are also tasked with helping to shoulder the burdens of others. How can we manage to hold it all together? The answer: take it to the Lord in prayer! God is referenced all over the Bible as our refuge and strong tower. Prayer is our key to the doorway of the ‘secret place of the Most High’ where we find shelter, and rest, and renewal!

“Have we trials and temptations? Is there trouble anywhere? We should never be discouraged; take it to the Lord in prayer! Can we find a friend so faithful, who will all our sorrows share? Jesus knows our every weakness. Take it to the Lord in prayer!”

Joseph Scriven’s song is a personal testimony of God’s tender and faithful love. In his weakness, he found encouragement and steadfast friendship in Christ Jesus. What does it mean for Christ to ‘know our every weakness?’ What comfort and assurance does the Man of Sorrows/Suffering Servant have to offer us in our own suffering and weakness?

“What a friend we have in Jesus, all our sins and griefs to bear. What a privilege to carry everything to God in prayer! O what peace we often forfeit! O what needless pain we bear! All because we do not carry everything to God in prayer!”

Joseph Scriven had written this song as a poem to encourage his mother who was ill. But he, himself, had suffered 2 tragic losses, and faced physical ailments of his own. Yet despite all the sorrow he faced in his lifetime, his primary focus was serving others in need, and walking humbly with his God. For Scriven, prayer was an anchor in a very tumultuous sea! What inspiration can we draw from Scriven’s example? In John 15:15, Jesus said, “I have called you friends.” Are we living lives of prayerful intimacy with our Savior and friend? Are we truly taking everything to God in prayer?

This series began with a recognition that Paul’s letter to the Philippian Church is one of his most joyful and encouraging in the New Testament. Nowhere is this more apparent than in his famous command, “Rejoice in the Lord always; again I will say, Rejoice” (4:4 NRSV). As we’ve seen, Paul had a lot to be joyful for in the lives of his brothers and sisters in Philippi: a church that took root deeply in the love of Jesus, a community overflowing with generosity, and a family that stayed true to Paul when others fell away. Paul’s joy is well founded, and he wants the Philippians to carry that joy forward forever.

Today, as we celebrate what God is doing at Grace through the Reimagine Initiative, let us not only dream about what is to come, but rejoice with thanksgiving at what he has done through those who have come before. Like the Church in Philippi, let us build on the gifts of our forebears and “keep putting into practice all we learned and received from them” (4:9), even as we grow, dream, and adapt to the new realities God has called us into.

Commitment Sunday. Leave 10 minutes in service for filling out commitment cards. Response moment in service for making commitments.

Overview: As Paul considers the possible end of his life in an Ephesian jail, he wants the Philippians to understand that whether he lives or dies, he will “bring honor to Christ” (1:20). Why? Because if he dies, he will go to be with the Lord. But if he lives, he can live for Christ and even visit with the Philippians again to help them “grow and experience the joy of their faith” (1:25).

This mindset, of complete confidence that God is working, is one we must have as we lead Grace Church into the future. If we face hardships, we’ll experience God’s presence in the midst of them. If we face abundance, we’ll experience God’s blessing in new ways. Either way, let us not be ashamed of what God is doing at Grace, but renew our dedication to join God in his mission to heal this broken world!

Paul knew a thing or two about endurance. In his ministry he faced prison, shipwrecks, whips, bandits, snakebites, and, perhaps most painful of all, rejection from those he cared about. Out of this hardship Paul developed a commitment to “press on” until the very end. Writing to his dear friends in Philippi while in chains, Paul wants to make sure they share this mindset as they serve Jesus. “Pattern your lives after mine” (3:17).

There is much joy and excitement for Grace Church in the days ahead, as we see God’s hand at work in our midst. But there will also be challenges and obstacles in our way. Because of this, let us take Paul’s words to heart and renew our dedication to “press on to reach the end of the race” so we can see our community healed in Jesus’ name.

Throughout his letter to the Philippians, Paul shares his heart’s desire for the Philippian church, not knowing if he would ever see them again. In many ways, his advice reads like the last will and testament of a dying man. Ultimately, Paul longs for his brothers and sisters in Philippi to carry on the work which was started when he first preached the gospel to them. He pleads with them to “obey God,” “live clean, innocent lives,” “shine like bright lights,” and “hold firmly to the word of life.”

Grace Church was started with a commitment to jump in wherever the Holy Spirit was moving. As we continue to listen for the voice of God in this new generation and pool our resources to invest in what’s to come, let’s join the Philippians in “working hard to show the results of our salvation” so that the “ones” God has laid on our heart can come to know the love of Jesus as we have.

One of the clearest distinctives of the Philippian church to Paul was their constant and overwhelming generosity. From opening their homes to opening their wallets (coin pouches?), this community was dedicated to sharing their resources to see the mission of God continue. In fact, the likely occasion for this letter was Paul’s gratitude for the gifts the Philippian church had just sent with Epaphroditus to care for Paul in prison (4:18). In his thanksgiving, Paul reminds the Philippians that their generosity is more than just a tangible contribution; it is a sweet-smelling offering to God.

At Grace we dream of finding new ways to use our building to reach our community. We have ideas of new ministry expressions which will help our church family reach their “ones” with the love of Christ. And we would love to make our space more welcoming to all who are longing for community. With the Reimagine Initiative we have an opportunity to share generously of our resources to do just that, and to celebrate the joy of seeing what God can do with our humble offerings, just as he did with the Philippians’.

To better understand Paul’s overwhelming love and joy for the Philippian church, it is helpful to remember how their journey together began. Acts 16 tells the story of Paul’s first visit to Philippi and the rag-tag group of believers who founded the church: a middle-class cloth merchant who hosted the city’s first church gatherings in her home, a fortune-telling slave-girl delivered of demons, and a jailer spared from suicide by the graciousness of his Judean prisoners… Despite opposition in the city, Paul’s ministry there was fruitful, and gave him newfound confidence in God’s mission to bring salvation to the gentiles of Europe. Paul’s encouragement to these Philippian believers six years later, after these beautiful events had faded into memory, recall the joy and community of those early days. “Make me truly happy by agreeing wholeheartedly with each other, loving one another, and working together with one mind and purpose” (Phil. 2:2).

At Grace Church we too have fond memories of our early years, and yet our community must chart a new course through a world that has changed in many ways. As we consider what the path ahead holds for us, let us never forget what made us who we are: the fellowship, love, and compassion which knit our community together in the first place.

Paul composed his letter to the Philippian church from prison. Based on his words in the letter, Paul is suffering mightily and wondering if his death is near. If it is true, as some scholars now believe, that Paul was in prison in Ephesus when he wrote this letter (not Rome), this also would have been a time of deep pain and emotional turmoil for him as churches like the one in Corinth had all but turned their back on him. And yet, the opening words of his letter are filled with joy. “Every time I think of you, I give thanks to my God.” It is obvious Paul’s fond memories with and ongoing support from the Philippian Church were a balm to his soul during a very dark time. And thus, we see Paul’s heartfelt desires on display as he encourages the church in Philippi to carry the torch forward in his absence.

The Reimagine Initiative is an exciting opportunity for Grace Church to build on the tremendous legacy of those who have come before. As we improve our building and invest in our relationship with the “ones” God has laid on our heart, let us pray, along with Paul, that our community can “overflow more and more” with the love of Christ (1:9), and that God will continue his work among us that began over 30 years ago.