That's What She Said

Bottle episode: Philemon, Onesimus, Paul. Two names appear in the epistles of both Colossians and Philemon: Epaphras and Onesimus. They are the carriers of both correspondences on the author’s behalf. What do we learn from Philemon about the trajectory of biblical theology concerning the rigorous hierarchy of enslavement?

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Comportment for Community. In the typical movement for epistles, the author moves from theological explication to ethical exhortation by means of a single “therefore” (v. 1). What does the Christ-subsumed life look like on the ground? Egalitarian…mutual…forgiving…in the name of love, practiced in worship…

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This is you. Our author may not have met the Colossian Christians, but the only identity he’s interested in is their baptized identity. This is in contrast to troublemakers who want to assess additional requirements for the super-religious; there is no “leveling up” from a simple, wholehearted commitment to “walk in Jesus” (v. 6).

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This is me. Our author has not met the church to which he writes, so he introduces himself. He is primarily a servant (slave) of God, and a steward of the divine mystery of God’s inclusion of the Gentiles, making the gospel universal (for “every human being”, v. 28) rather than a localized expression of Judaism.

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In whom all the Fullness was pleased to dwell. Riffing on an ancient Christological hymn, humble Jesus of Nazareth is acclaimed as the cosmic Reconciler/Peacemaker, and his ignominious death converts to a glorious reversal of the world’s deep brokenness.

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Thanks be to God for you! Selections from Colossians come up in the RCL for this season. Why not double-dog dare ourselves to read every word of this (perhaps) Pauline epistle? The letter begins by placing all of us in the context of God, the Source of all knowledge and wisdom – everything we need to know for the saintly life we’re called to live. “This is Who God is.”

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Chronic anxiety vs. an economy of abundance. Capitalism depends on our anxiety. Our fear of not having enough is fuel for Pharaoh’s economy. The narratives we ingest reinforce our perceived deprivation. How can we replace the story of “if I only had a little bit more…” with a trustworthy story of God’s sufficient gifts?

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Violence reinforcing exceptionalism vs. the normalization of equity. Violence (whether militaristic, personal, relational, economic, verbal, etc.) is the tool that equips our impulse to take what we want at the expense of others. God’s dream is the cessation of violence – “no one shall make them afraid” – because everyone has what they need, no more, no less.

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Exploitation/extraction vs. earth care. The good creation is responsive not only to God’s ideals, conforming to God’s vision for the cosmos and humanity that inhabits it) but also to humanity’s less-than-good treatment of the creation. How does it change our ethics to count God’s good earth as one of the “beings” in our consideration of what’s just and merciful?

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Power that fragments, exploits, excludes vs. power for the sake of community. God is the Original Seeker of spiritual refugees – going out to find those who have been scattered, ravaged and butted by other sheep. So the church empowered by God’s missional priorities becomes the “rich pasture” and “good grazing” for found sheep. How does that become true in our life together?

To tell us your thoughts on this sermon, click through to the web posting and leave us a comment. Or, find us on social media: Facebook, Twitter, and Instagram. Or, email us the old-fashioned way: [email protected]. To contribute financially to the ongoing ministry of Galileo Church, find us on Venmo, Patreon, or PayPal, or just send a check to 6563 Teague Rd., Fort Worth, TX 76140.