Worry in the World [Proper 23A - Philippians 4:1-9]
The Rt. Rev. Jeremiah Williamson
Philippians 4:1-9
Worry in the World
Grace, Cherry Valley
How could Paul say this?! And to you?! Especially right now?! “Do not worry about anything?” Does he not understand that Fr. Kyle just retired? And that you, Grace Church, also St. Mary’s,
also a little bit St. John’s, just entered into a season of clergy
transition? As you know, I work with a
lot of churches in transition. And so I
know that you know that I know transition time is an anxious time. Paul telling you not to worry is probably not
super helpful; it might not even be working.
Now in his defense, this morning in Cherry Valley, New York
was likely not on Paul’s mind when he put ink to parchment almost two thousand
years ago. But it is still a striking
phrase, of an impossible expectation – even after all these years.
It is difficult to imagine living in this world, in these
times, without a worry. We do live in
anxious times. We have all heard about
the challenges the Church is facing in this country, in this moment. We hear stories of decline – often
accompanied by depressing charts. We
hear anecdotal tales of clergy shortages.
We never seem to have quite enough money or people. Sunday morning is forever being squeezed into
the margins of our society.
And so worry feels natural.
We love the Church. We love this
church. And we want to see a thriving
future – a future even better than the peaks of the past. But nothing feels guaranteed. And even our biggest hopes do not entirely
rule out some worry. I worry about the
Church. And our diocese. And our churches. Of course I do – it is kind of part of my
job. And so when Paul says, “Do not
worry about anything” it stings. And I am
sure I am failing to live up to his high standard.
But it’s not just the Church.
Worry goes beyond the walls of the church, I am afraid. Like, have you seen the news lately? Again, I would posit that it is difficult not
to worry given the state of our world.
There are wars raging. Violence,
hatred, and cruelty rend the human family.
Injustice and greed destroy lives, of both victim and perpetrator. Relationships are broken. Creation is groaning. People are suffering.
And those are the things we know; and those things are plenty
anxiety-inducing. But we also live with
tremendous uncertainty. I recently
returned from the Fall meeting of the House of Bishops. We spent much of our time considering the
future – of the Church and of the world.
I can tell you that topic invoked many feelings – and one of those
feelings was definitely the flutter of worry.
We talked about AI and the uncertainty that new and developing
technology is introducing to our world and the future of our species.
We also were joined by a futurist named Bob Johansen, from
the Institute for the Future. He talked
to us about the state of the world – a world experts from the political,
military, economic, and technological realms are now calling a BANI world. Not bonny in the Scottish sense, but
B-A-N-I. The letters stand for Brittle,
Anxious, Nonlinear, and Incomprehensible.
So much for “Do not worry about anything.” Anxiety is one of the defining features of
our time.
And of course it is.
The headlines are upsetting; the times are changing; the future is
unsettled. And AI chatbots are writing
hit pop songs. We live in strange times.
But perhaps we always have.
And we live in anxious times. But
perhaps we always have. Moses made
anxious arguments to a burning bush that wanted him to save a nation of
suffering people by walking them through a sea.
Gideon worried about victory until God trimmed his army to the bare
minimum of soldiers armed with candles.
Angels tried to reassure Joseph and Mary about an unplanned pregnancy
and a murderous tyrant. Peter worried
about walking on the waves and about being found out on Maundy Thursday and
about his strange dreams of Gentile delicacies.
And Paul wrote “Do not worry about anything” from a prison
cell as he awaited sentencing.
It is not that there is nothing to worry about. There is – and always has been. And yet the story of our faith tells us that
the peace of God can hold the worries of the world.
God loves us. God
loves you. And God knows you worry –
about the church, about the world, about money and family, about diet and
exercise, about two and a half hours a day on average according to a recent
study.[1]
But the story of our faith tells us that in the strangest of
times, when hope feels fragile and the future uncertain, God is present; God is
listening; God is close.
We don’t have to worry because our God is faithful and God
loves us. But we will worry because we
are human. And that is OK. Even when we worry God is faithful and God
loves us.
It is an anxious time in the Church and in the world, and
probably even in your brain, but remember what Paul said, another thing Paul
said, to the Philippians, while he was in prison, “the God of peace will be
with you.”
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