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When I was in school, I worked for a husband/wife chiropractor’s office. They were Mennonites who highly valued calm, peaceful, gentle and healthy living. Many in the Amish community who did not have medical insurance or primary care doctors came to our office for their only medical care. Occasionally, a patient came into the office who was loud, rude, obnoxious, depressed, or in some way disturbed the peace. You could literally feel the air change when those patients came in. After they were treated by the doctors and left the office, one of the doctors often came out and sprayed a natural scent air-freshener throughout the rooms. They said it re-stabilized the energy in the office. I am allergic to many perfumes and scents – but this was non-scented and was truly an energy changer! It worked. We all could feel the change in the room!

Have you ever met someone so bitter about life that they are like a black hole sucking away all the positive energy around them? Whether we call them pessimists, those who see the glass half-empty, or some other euphemism, they can be a drag to be around. So focused on everything negative, they cannot see the ways that they have been given gifts of blessings and hope.

While there are plenty of things in life to be justifiable annoyed, angry, or hurt about, that doesn’t mean that we need to give those things power in our lives, we can choose to focus on all that is lovely, good and positive. As Christians it is better to fill our souls with hope, joy, optimism, and love. During a sabbatical in 2002, I did a study on people who lived their lives who allowed joy to flow uninhibitedly from them in spite of the hardships they suffered.

My teachers of happiness consciously chose to adopt certain attitudes that led them to positive mental habits. They made a decision to frame life with grateful, joyful, hopeful spirits. They, like plants, turned toward the light.

Our scripture text for today says it this way:
If, then, there is any comfort in Christ, any consolation from love, any partnership in the Spirit, any tender affection and sympathy, make my joy complete: be of the same mind, having the same love, being in full accord and of one mind.

Do nothing from selfish ambition or empty conceit, but in humility regard others as better than yourselves. Let each of you look not to your own interests but to the interests of others.  Let the same mind be in you that was in Christ Jesus.

Therefore, my beloved, just as you have always obeyed me, not only in my presence but much more now in my absence, work on your own salvation with fear and trembling, for it is God who is at work in you, enabling you both to will and to work for his good pleasure.

Do all things without murmuring and arguing, so that you may be blameless and innocent, children of God without blemish in the midst of a crooked and perverse generation, in which you shine like stars in the world, holding forth the word of life so that I can boast on the day of Christ that I did not run in vain or labor in vain. Philippians 2: 1-4 and 12-16

These verses are known as the Philippian Hymn. Verses 5-11 are a song whose origins were pre-Jesus. These same words are found in various document of the ancient world and repeated in various forms. Paul, who is credited with writing Philippians, added his own theology to this existing song.

Here is the most intriguing part of the Philippian story – Philippi was a city about eight miles north of the seaport of Neapolis and was the site of Paul’s first European congregation. It was established about 49 CE. The congregation at Philippi was mostly Gentiles who had converted to the faith – not former Jews. When Paul wrote this letter to the church at Philippi, he was in prison in Rome or in Ephesus. In fact, in the verses just before our reading today, Paul says that he expects acquittal at an upcoming trial, although we know from other sources that his imprisonment at the time of this writing had already been a considerable time. Speedy, expeditious trials were not the law in the ancient Roman Empire. The prisons were not air-conditioned, carpeted, or equipped with any amenities, either.

Paul is writing this encouraging, uplifting letter from a dark, dank cave-like prison cell while he awaited trial for the crime of treason. Paul was a Roman citizen, but as a convert to the new Jesus follower faith, he was a traitor. Of all the times one could make a case for being depressed, anxious, hostile, or hopeless, this was it!

Yet he writes, with deep conviction, some of his most uplifting and joyous words of hope! “Be energetic in your life… do everything readily and cheerfully – no second-guessing allowed! God out into the world as a breath of fresh air… provide people with a glimpse of good living and of the living God.”

These words give us a challenge to look at our own attitudes about life and death:

* How often do we celebrate life as a gift from God?

* Do we speak of faith as a wonderful, exciting part of our lives?

* Are we so excited about expressing joy that others want to be around us?

* Are we good representatives of Jesus’ teachings?

* Do we exhibit the passion, energy, and cheerful disposition becoming to God?

* Are we energetic, breaths of fresh air… Are we even breathing?

Did you know that there is something called “low-energy syndrome”? It describes a low energy church this way: the core malady is not conflict but lethargy. The members enjoy being together and get along fine. The church’s members are loyal, pleasant, caring, and as relaxed as a bowl of pasta.”

So what do you do if you personally – or the church corporately, are low energy, or negative energy? An older Messenger from the Christian Church in Kansas and the letter to the Philippians suggest these ideas:

1. Spiritual Development. Instead of relying on our own ingenuity, we need to dig deeply into Bible study and prayer. If our members are attending more meetings about fixing the roof and paying the bills than they are attending uplifting and spiritually enriching sessions, we will lose energy.

2. Vision and Imagination. Churches that are energized have big dreams! Goals, plans, and hope for the future create energy in a church. If we don’t have a clue about what we are being called to do, we spend our energy running around in circles instead of moving into the future.

3. Joy. Effective people transmit joy and excitement. You can feel it; you can see it. Every attitude, facial expression, spoken and written word is filled with enthusiasm and spirit! Effective churches transmit joy and excitement. You can feel it; you can see it. Every attitude, facial expression, spoken and written word from the church needs to be filled with enthusiasm and spirit.

4. Self-Esteem. The legendary chief executive officer of Hershey Food said that the most successful CEO’s have a very positive outlook “Every CEO has to be a cheerleader.” A big part of our role as church members is to create and maintain a sens of optimism that re-charges self-esteem. We need to celebrate every achievement and success.I would like to add two more suggestions:

5. Invest Yourself. Being part of the church is not “one more thing to do.” it’s something you want to do. If you are looking for spiritual renewal in your life, don’t wait for it to fall from the sky, get involved; invest yourself in your church.

6. Do Something Good for Someone Else. This isn’t something I originated. I think it is from Jesus’s teachings: “do to others what you would have them do to you.” If you are looking for joy and spiritual renewal, look around and see someone else who needs uplifting. Do something for them – send a note, make a call, drop off a flower, offer your shoulder for crying or a hand for helping, bake them cookies, sing a song for them… and you will find that you receive much more than you gave.

We can be spiritual wastelands – black holes that suck the life and energy from everyone around. Or, we can be full of spiritual energy, focused on the joy of being alive and the endless possibilities of God’s future.