Hey Y’all,

Today we get to hear one of my favorite songs in the Bible. And it’s a bit strange that my favorite Bible song isn’t in the “Song of Songs” or the “Book of Psalms”. Or course, these Bible books are synonymous with music, poetry and singing. But instead, my favorite song is found in a short letter to a Church in ancient Macedonia, modern day Greece. That Church was in Philippi. A town of about 10,000-15,000 in St. Paul’s day. It was a wealthy place, with a strong Roman identity in Paul’s time, due to the number of retired Roman military folks and traders who arrived on the Via Egnatia. And the fact that gold and silver were mined near the city also boosted the GDP.

Still with all this worldliness going for it, St. Paul was able to start a vibrant Church. But over time there was trouble in the Church in Philippi. Egos got in the way. Particularly between two of the leading ladies in the Church – Euodia and Syntyche were their names. St. Paul called them out for their gossipy, bad behavior.And he urged everyone to live in unity, and humility, remembering Jesus Christ. This is where the song comes in. So, Paul inserted a song, really a rhythmic set of lyrics which this Church must have known, into the text of his letter. I think this was an attempt to get the congregation of Philippi to think about their original conversion to Christ and apply it to their later less than perfect attitudes and treatment of each other.

So currently, our modern English translation, which doesn’t seem terribly singable, nor poetic is nevertheless powerful. And while modern day preachers will offer their congregations a hermeneutic that is all about following Christ’s example of humility, I also see this hymn in another way. (That word hermeneutic means “applying an interpretation”. So, in preaching, how the preacher applies the Scripture to something pertaining to life is a hermeneutic. And while I could maybe apply a corrective hermeneutic to our community of Saints Simon and Jude, I’m not going to call anybody out – like Euodia and Syntyche. I’ll let your own consciences and the Holy Spirit work on that conviction.)

So, I don’t disagree that we shouldn’t apply our second reading, Phillipians 2:6-11, to our need to humble ourselves. Embracing humility and avoid vainglory, or pride is an aspect of our on-going conversion. (Again conscience and Holy Spirit, have at it.) But that doesn’t capture my musical heart and poetic mind as much as just being awed by God. This “Song of Christ” or “Carmen Christi” as it is called in Latin is about God! And His love for us. And his Sacrifice for us. And His obedience to the Divine plan which required crucifixion but revealed a tender compassion which we couldn’t even imagine without His obedience. This song reveals something that should move our hearts and minds more than anything we could fathom. That’s why every knee must bend and every tongue must confess in profound worship.

So, on this Feast of the Exaltation of the Cross, let’s worship together, praising and thanking our God, Father, Son and Spirit, who is worthy of all of our songs and singing.

God bless y’all!