“Worried about Worry”
Philippians 4:1-9
Rev. Désirée H. Gold
St. Mark’s United Church of Christ, Baltimore, MD
Sunday, 12 October, 2008
Twenty-eighth Sunday in Ordinary Time
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 What are people worried about these days? ... The economy? ...The war? ...Global warming? ... The elections? This past week the economy has been front and center, the primary (or at least most publicized) cause for worry in our country. Stories about the financial crisis are plastered all over the news and when I’m waiting for the bus or walking around town I overhear conversations from worried citizens. What does the bailout mean? Are we heading toward a Great Depression? Will I be okay?
The “unknown” of it makes the economy an especially easy target for worry warts. I’m no economist, but even the people who are best versed in economics cannot entirely predict what will happen with the market. “The market” has a life of its own, based on the millions of people who make it tick. All we -- including the most high-powered investors -- know is how it looks at this particular moment and what the experts tell us about what this might mean. And at this particular moment we’re worried. Will life as we know it be pulled out from under our feet? We see home foreclosures and businesses closing and a higher rate of unemployment and banks failing. We break out in a cold sweat when we imagine where we could be headed.
We worry about the war and all the things attached to it. We worry about our planet and how poorly we have cared for it. We worry about the elections, and the thought that things could get even worse if [insert name of the candidate you don’t want] wins.
Then we have all our personal worries. We worry about our health, about our loved ones, about our relationships, about our flower garden, about how to tell our neighbor to turn down that annoying music without invoking too much of his wrath.
Even if every one of these things was somehow miraculously resolved -- the war over, the planet healthy, the economy back on its feet, our relationships perfect -- we would think of new things to worry about. That’s just how a lot of us are.
“Do not worry about anything, but in everything by prayer and supplication with thanksgiving let your requests be made known to God.”
....Oops! Two thousand years ago the Apostle Paul put out a little memo telling his followers not to worry. I don’t know about you, but I somehow missed that memo! All this time I’ve been worrying, which means I’ve been disobeying the instructions of this Christian leader, which must mean I have been sinning...and Oh, God, now I’m worried! What will become of me?! My pulse is starting to race just thinking about it! I’ve been worrying! Oh, God forgive me! ...And...oh, no, I’m doing it again! I’m worrying!
...Of all the commandments and instructions and lessons in the Bible, the ones about worrying are among the most difficult for me to follow. Jesus admonishes against worrying in both the Gospels of Matthew and Luke, and even when the words come from Jesus himself I am not much better at following them.
Here, in some of the closing words to his letter to the church at Philippi, the Apostle Paul mentions worrying as one among several final instructions to this church that is close to his heart. It is apparent that some disagreements have arisen in the church, because Paul reminds two female church leaders to be “of the same mind in Christ.” He encourages members of the church to keep on doing the good work they have been doing...and not to worry in the process. Getting along with one another seems easy compared to not worrying, as far as I’m concerned. Doing the hard work of founding a Christian community seems easy compared to not worrying.
So, how do we go about it? How do we find that “peace of God, which surpasses all understanding” and which is to guard our hearts? How do we “let go and let God”? How do we respond to this beautiful, yet worrisome, piece of scripture? I will say first that letting go of our worries does not mean forgetting about the concerns of the world. Yes, the economy is in turmoil right now. Yes, the Iraq war has been going for five years with no end in sight. Yes, the earth is unhealthy. Yes, the results of the presidential elections will bring change. We do have personal struggles. We have health problems, relationship issues, concerns at work. Our troubles will not suddenly go away if we stop worrying. ...But here’s the thing. Our problems will not get any better just because we worry about them either. In fact, I have been known to let a problem get worse because I worry so much about it that I become paralyzed and don’t do anything about the issue.
Why do you think Paul, and Jesus, tell us not to worry? We will certainly enjoy life more if we worry less. Some people argue that worrying means that we are doubting God. That may be true. But I think another real reason our Lord calls upon us to stop worrying is that when we worry we waste time that could be spent doing real work: praying, caring for those in need, worshiping God. When we worry we are less able to do those things to which we have been called as Christians. When we worry -- when our minds, bodies, and spirits tense up to the point of paralysis -- we are not able to, in Paul’s words, “keep on doing the things that you have learned and received and heard and seen.”
Do I believe that God is with us when we worry? Of course. Do I believe that God embraces us as we worry? Yes, I believe that God cares whenever God’s people are in distress. This is certainly true in the case of those who suffer from diagnosable anxiety disorders, whose “worry” is more the result of a chemical reaction in the body than it is a response to a life situation. That said, I believe that worry itself -- outside the realm of psychological conditions -- is a waste of time -- both ours and God’s.
Prayer is one way that we can try to decrease our worries. Prayer is never wasteful. Other simple stress management techniques, like taking deep breaths, exercising, doing yoga, getting enough sleep can help alleviate worry too. Talking our worries out with a friend or loved one -- therapists are always good too, of course -- may help.
Working to change the things about which we are worrying is important too. Worried about the economy? Help those who are worse off than you. Worried about the war? Protest it, or send care packages to service men and women, or do something. Worried about the election? Vote, for heaven’s sake! As for personal problems, take care of your body as well as you can. Nurture your relationships. Find a skillful way to ask your neighbor to turn down his radio.
Doing these things will not necessarily change the course of the world immediately. But doing something will help alleviate your worries. And, more importantly, it will make God’s world a better place.
There may be those among you who do not worry a whole lot -- my mother is blessed with that ability -- but I know that the rest of us find plenty to worry about these days. Take a deep breath and start doing something about your worries. Let’s start with prayer.
Now let us pray.
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