Dwelling with Philippians
During my minister-in-residence tenure in Mexico with the Community Church of San Miguel, I led a Bible study on Paul’s letter to the Philippians. I plan to do the same with our congregation in Maryland. It was a great conversation with participants familiar with the Bible and those only beginning. I relied upon a couple of commentaries, including one that is like no other: “Dwelling with Philippians.” (See details below.) What kind of commentary combines poetry, art, prayer, exegetical comments and theological reflections along with liturgical insights to strengthen communal worship? Created by a team of skilled editors through the Calvin Institute of Christian Worship, one can yearn for the day when all commentaries would be this beautiful and edifying. There is a careful integration of text, image, prayer and reflection, with every detail designed to draw the reader into the riches of scripture, and a deeper communion with God. Is this a book of art, spanning centuries and numerous styles focused on themes of a biblical text or is it a theological commentary? Is it an exegetical study of words and images that emerge from careful study of Paul’s most intimate epistle?
You could read it slowly as a devotional, whose purpose is cultivating a life of Christian discipleship after the manner of the most famous of Philippians passages where Christ is described as the One who emptied himself of God to became a humble human servant. It’s introduction to vast company of saints down whose insights, hymns, prayers, poems and artwork encourage the Church seeking to walk in the way of Christ. The book fits all these descriptions and more. Wonder of wonders, it’s accessible for everyone.
The authors write, “This book is not a substitute for traditional Bible commentaries or study guides. But we are convinced that a book like this can be an instructive supplement to these kinds of studies harnessing the considerable power of artworks to help readers grasp Philippians’ gospel message.” They may be correct, but one who sits with this text will no longer be satisfied with commentaries that provide only information without a hint of imagination or questions to stir the heart’s desire and illuminate the mind. This book is designed to provide for preachers “ideas that knock one’s thinking sideways.” It’s hope is “to set the homiletical imagination on fire” without losing the precision of exegetical research and word studies necessary for preaching and teaching. It is an invitation to “Rest. Read. Look. Listen.” Dwelling is suggested by the title. This is an apt word for how best to use this book. In order to do this the authors have laid out a color coded legend that alerts the reader to sections in each chapter for praying, praising, scripture reading, reflecting and professing. At the end of each major section is a list of questions and suggestions that can be used with a group or even a congregation working together on this text.
What is more astonishing is the ecumenical range of contributions drawing upon centuries of Christian reflection and prayers from the first century to the present. On a single page for example is an African American spiritual with a Psalm alongside an image of contemporary art and a poem. All of which draws the reader toward a fresh understanding of the Apostle Paul’s greatest witness to joy at the heart of Christian discipleship.
Dwell with this book.
Dwelling with Philippians:
A Conversation with Scripture through Image and Word
Edited by Elizabeth Steele Halstead, Paul Detterman, Joyce Berger, and John Witvliet
William B. Eerdmans Publishing Company. Grand Rapids, MI. 288 pages