Whatsoever Things

 Link to this week's live-streamed service is here.

Recently, I had the pleasure of attending a 50th  anniversary party.  Popular opinion used to set the divorce rate at nearly 50% of all marriages. That was always an exaggeration and over the past fifty years the divorce rate in Canada has been declining.  Even so, fifty years is a milestone worth celebrating. We were so pleased to be invited, to share memories with our friends and to catch up with "the kids."

As part of their commemoration, the couple renewed their vows -- with their children in attendance. A bit different from the first time!

The ceremony included the reading of Philippians 4: 8. That's the bit about "whatsoever things are true, whatsoever things are honest . . . think on these things." It is one of my favourite passages of scripture but not one I had associated with weddings.

But, when I think about it, it seems a perfect accompaniment to the wedding vows. Fifty years ago, with stars in their eyes, my friends pledged their lives to each other. But "real life" is not one prolonged honeymoon. They have faced disappointments, struggles, separation (he was in the navy) and being uprooted from their home.

They could have spent the entire anniversary weekend listing the troubles they had endured. Psychologists call this ruminating. 

We all do it, repeating in our minds the events that hurt our feelings, composing  "I should have said. . ." sentences to inflict the hurt onto someone else. We can work ourselves into a proper state -- angry, resentful, hard-hearted. We can even destroy our relationships by refusing to let go of a perceived wrong.

How much better then to think on the things that are just, pure, lovely, have virtue and are worthy of praise.  How much happier we would be if we let go of negative feelings and  "ruminated" on joyful events instead -- like long and loving marriages.

Earlier verses in Philippians 4 remind us to "rejoice in the Lord always,"  to bring our requests before Him in prayer, and promises that 

 the peace of God, which passeth all understanding, shall keep your hearts and minds through Christ Jesus.

Pastor George has given us two sermons this summer on the "Be-attitudes." Paul's letter to the Philippians gives us plentiful examples of attitudes that enrich our lives and are pleasing to God. 

As we enjoy these last weeks of summer, let us "think on these things."