I want to share a brief reflection on a good sermon one of our students preached in chapel this week. [Disclaimer: this is my interpretation of one of the points she made in her sermon—and, as anyone who preaches knows, it may or may not have anything to do with what she actually said, or meant to say!]
The sermon was on Philippians 3:13–4:1, and in particular, she focused on these verses:
Beloved, I do not consider that I have made it my own; but this one thing I do: forgetting what lies behind and straining forward to what lies ahead, I press on towards the goal for the prize of the heavenly call of God in Christ Jesus. Let those of us then who are mature be of the same mind; and if you think differently about anything, this too God will reveal to you. Only let us hold fast to what we have attained. [Phil. 3:13-16]
She reflected on the concept of “holding fast,” which she suggested translating as “grasping.” And, as a part of that, she talked about God’s “grasping” of us, as well as our “holding fast” to different things. In particular, she contrasted the experience of God grasping us, stopping us in our tracks with urgency and a plan for our future, with our own grasping of other things; and she encouraged us to ask ourselves what we are holding onto so tightly, especially what we are holding onto that prevents us from looking forward.
In this course of those reflections, she invited us to think about what we are holding onto that isn’t life-giving, what gets in the way of surrendering to God’s life-giving grasping, if you will, and the future-orientation that God intends for us.
I’ve been thinking a lot about that this week: What am I “grasping,” clinging to, that isn’t life-giving, and prevents me from leaning into God’s loving “grasp” of my life? And, even more pointedly, what do I consider to be “life-giving”?
What I realized is that so much of what I sometimes assume easily equates to “life-giving” doesn’t actually: life-giving doesn’t necessarily mean easy, uncomplicated, no stress, and no work.
And, even more to the point about “letting go,” pursuing what is life-giving doesn’t simply mean letting go of things that are unpleasant; life-giving doesn’t only mean fun. And, it doesn’t mean letting go of all things that are painful; life-giving doesn’t always mean pleasing. Life-giving things can be challenging, they can be frustrating, and they can cause us to stumble—even wound us sometimes.
As I reflected on all of this, I realized that many of the things that are live-giving, at least for me, have accompanied God’s calling, God’s grasping, and they show up along the path God is mapping out before me: relationships that invite me to stretch and grow; work that is rewarding and compelling; travel that is ever-new (and occasionally maddening!); and so many fresh faces and novel opportunities, along with the steadfastness of family and old friends. None of it is easy, much of it can be exhausting, and yet, so often it is exhilarating, too.
What else should we expect from our wise and determined God, who knows us better than we know ourselves, and who has gifted us with lives of such richness, complexity and meaning?
The sermon was a lovely encouragement to trust God’s grasping more than my own, and continue the ongoing discernment of letting go of those things that get in the way of the life and life abundant God desires for me.
Happy Lutheran 