From our youth
Note from Fr Mark Schultz, Curate for Children, Youth & Family Ministry:
Earlier this year, Saint Philip’s Rite13 Youth (most of whom are in 7th, 8th, or 9th grade) embarked on a study of Paul’s letter to the Philippians. Together, we dove into Paul’s themes, his arguments, his proofs, his poetry, how he structures a letter and what that says about the letter and what Paul is trying to communicate.
From that study the youth created the collaborative epistle below. Our lead Biblical archaeologists were: Cecilia Appel, Karol Appel, Nathaniel Crawford, Colin Friesen, Nathaniel Friesen, and Claire Sugiyama.
I hope you’ll come away with a sense of the profound theological and scriptural understanding our young people have, a sense of the depth of their faith, and a knowledge of how blessed we are to share in the ministry with these amazing young people.
A Letter of Paul the Apostle and Rite13 Youth to the Philippian Church in Tucson
I. Greetings to you and peace from St Paul the Apostle and the Rite13 Youth Bible Study to the Community of Saint Philip’s in the Hills Episcopal Church, the Philippians in Tucson.
Thanks be to God for the eternally loving people of Saint Philip’s. Ever-supportive and endlessly kind: we say these things with a willing heart, for it is the truth. May Christ the true son of God bless you with wisdom and peace. This is our prayer for you:
O God our Father, who has made us one in the flesh of Jesus Christ mercifully grant us the wisdom, patience, and courage even in our isolation from one another, to speak out against all injustice, racism, hatred, and all who seek to divide, that we might be bringers of peace in a time of divide, through the mercy of Jesus Christ our Redeemer. Amen.
II. Dear Kindred, we would like to throw some light on how the last year has been an opportunity to live more fully in Christ.
Our patience is constantly being tried: by parents, by children, by siblings, by spouses, friends and strangers. However, the COVID-19 pandemic can almost be summarized as one long test of our patience as we wait: for life to return to normal, for our favorite restaurants and stores to re-open, for mask-wearing to become a thing of the past, and for the permission to once more embrace our loved ones, instead of holding them at arm’s length.
We also, I can say with certainty, have become more aware of the joys of community, now that our own has become fractured and estranged. We hold on as tight as we can: see each other’s faces, hear each other’s voices, and that is a good thing, but it is not the same, and never will be the same, as sitting down to coffee together to plan the next big event, or giving a heartfelt handshake to spread the peace, or hearing the sound of three hundred voices lifting up the same Alleluia…for we are an Easter people, and Alleluia is our song, and that song sounds very small and lonely and quiet when we sing it by ourselves. So when we can once more gather as we used to, we will look upon each familiar face, and we will rejoice at our healed community of love that is Saint Philip’s in the Hills.
In the meantime, we wish you to know, brothers and sisters, that our isolation is for Christ and one another. And while some speak of Christ with hatred and envy, others speak with knowledge, wisdom and good will. The latter do so out of love while the former out of greedy ambition, trying to hurt us in our seclusion. At least, in any way Christ is proclaimed, we rejoice. Joy is the greatest response to the adversity of the times.
Worship God that you have suffered for good and have joy at your afflictions. Though our isolation may seem adverse, God draws good from both bad and good, and hope remains of a future beyond our walls. Our sufferings bring unity though we are secluded, and compassion though far from a companion, and unity and compassion are the foundations of our faith. Praise God that your faith may increase through adversity as heat hardens clay.
III. For behold how it is that God can draw good from bad:
When God saw that the earth was corrupt and filled with violence, he ordered Noah to make an ark and take two of each animal on it. This way, all the animals survived, and Noah and his family did also, because Noah was righteous. Even in the midst of evil, God still was able to make something good from it; he didn’t just send a flood and destroy everything including the animals…he saved them.
Moreover, when Jesus was in front of a hungry crowd, he fed them. He only had five loaves of bread and two fish. There were 5,000 people needing to be fed. Jesus, though, looked up to heaven and gave thanks and all the people were satisfied. This shows that even when you think all might be lost, when you can’t feed the people, God in Jesus was able to take what was available and bring forth goodness.
And when Jesus came across sick people, he stopped and healed them. When these people thought that their lives were bad, Jesus came and gave them hope. He healed them. He brought good from bad.
Finally, when Jesus was killed, it was indeed very sad, but he brought good from it, even salvation and new life.
Goodness, sometimes it is difficult to tell what is good and what is bad. To have a true moral compass is rare and has been seen in Jesus and God. Jesus committed his life to bring happiness and joy to other people, he cured people of disease, and fed whole cities. And let's not forget that he sacrificed himself for us.
IV. So always work to be of one mind in your life in Christ. Be happy, for the Lord is with you. Be a people known for your gentleness and kindness. Do not hide your sorrows within you but give them openly to God for by doing so God will give you peace.
And do not dwell on what is dark and unwanted but think on those things which show nobility and grace, and do the good things which you have learned to do and the Spirit will be with you.
People of St. Philips, brothers and sisters in Christ, that is how you should stand firm in the Lord and rejoice and be glad in him.
We give thanks for your compassion and for the help you give for the needy. Greet each other with the love of Christ and in Christ may you find joy and comfort. Amen.