Quotes & Sayings


We, and creation itself, actualize the possibilities of the God who sustains the world, towards becoming in the world in a fuller, more deeper way. - R.E. Slater

There is urgency in coming to see the world as a web of interrelated processes of which we are integral parts, so that all of our choices and actions have [consequential effects upon] the world around us. - Process Metaphysician Alfred North Whitehead

Kurt Gödel's Incompleteness Theorem says (i) all closed systems are unprovable within themselves and, that (ii) all open systems are rightly understood as incomplete. - R.E. Slater

The most true thing about you is what God has said to you in Christ, "You are My Beloved." - Tripp Fuller

The God among us is the God who refuses to be God without us, so great is God's Love. - Tripp Fuller

According to some Christian outlooks we were made for another world. Perhaps, rather, we were made for this world to recreate, reclaim, redeem, and renew unto God's future aspiration by the power of His Spirit. - R.E. Slater

Our eschatological ethos is to love. To stand with those who are oppressed. To stand against those who are oppressing. It is that simple. Love is our only calling and Christian Hope. - R.E. Slater

Secularization theory has been massively falsified. We don't live in an age of secularity. We live in an age of explosive, pervasive religiosity... an age of religious pluralism. - Peter L. Berger

Exploring the edge of life and faith in a post-everything world. - Todd Littleton

I don't need another reason to believe, your love is all around for me to see. – Anon

Thou art our need; and in giving us more of thyself thou givest us all. - Khalil Gibran, Prayer XXIII

Be careful what you pretend to be. You become what you pretend to be. - Kurt Vonnegut

Religious beliefs, far from being primary, are often shaped and adjusted by our social goals. - Jim Forest

We become who we are by what we believe and can justify. - R.E. Slater

People, even more than things, need to be restored, renewed, revived, reclaimed, and redeemed; never throw out anyone. – Anon

Certainly, God's love has made fools of us all. - R.E. Slater

An apocalyptic Christian faith doesn't wait for Jesus to come, but for Jesus to become in our midst. - R.E. Slater

Christian belief in God begins with the cross and resurrection of Jesus, not with rational apologetics. - Eberhard Jüngel, Jürgen Moltmann

Our knowledge of God is through the 'I-Thou' encounter, not in finding God at the end of a syllogism or argument. There is a grave danger in any Christian treatment of God as an object. The God of Jesus Christ and Scripture is irreducibly subject and never made as an object, a force, a power, or a principle that can be manipulated. - Emil Brunner

“Ehyeh Asher Ehyeh” means "I will be that who I have yet to become." - God (Ex 3.14) or, conversely, “I AM who I AM Becoming.”

Our job is to love others without stopping to inquire whether or not they are worthy. - Thomas Merton

The church is God's world-changing social experiment of bringing unlikes and differents to the Eucharist/Communion table to share life with one another as a new kind of family. When this happens, we show to the world what love, justice, peace, reconciliation, and life together is designed by God to be. The church is God's show-and-tell for the world to see how God wants us to live as a blended, global, polypluralistic family united with one will, by one Lord, and baptized by one Spirit. – Anon

The cross that is planted at the heart of the history of the world cannot be uprooted. - Jacques Ellul

The Unity in whose loving presence the universe unfolds is inside each person as a call to welcome the stranger, protect animals and the earth, respect the dignity of each person, think new thoughts, and help bring about ecological civilizations. - John Cobb & Farhan A. Shah

If you board the wrong train it is of no use running along the corridors of the train in the other direction. - Dietrich Bonhoeffer

God's justice is restorative rather than punitive; His discipline is merciful rather than punishing; His power is made perfect in weakness; and His grace is sufficient for all. – Anon

Our little [biblical] systems have their day; they have their day and cease to be. They are but broken lights of Thee, and Thou, O God art more than they. - Alfred Lord Tennyson

We can’t control God; God is uncontrollable. God can’t control us; God’s love is uncontrolling! - Thomas Jay Oord

Life in perspective but always in process... as we are relational beings in process to one another, so life events are in process in relation to each event... as God is to Self, is to world, is to us... like Father, like sons and daughters, like events... life in process yet always in perspective. - R.E. Slater

To promote societal transition to sustainable ways of living and a global society founded on a shared ethical framework which includes respect and care for the community of life, ecological integrity, universal human rights, respect for diversity, economic justice, democracy, and a culture of peace. - The Earth Charter Mission Statement

Christian humanism is the belief that human freedom, individual conscience, and unencumbered rational inquiry are compatible with the practice of Christianity or even intrinsic in its doctrine. It represents a philosophical union of Christian faith and classical humanist principles. - Scott Postma

It is never wise to have a self-appointed religious institution determine a nation's moral code. The opportunities for moral compromise and failure are high; the moral codes and creeds assuredly racist, discriminatory, or subjectively and religiously defined; and the pronouncement of inhumanitarian political objectives quite predictable. - R.E. Slater

God's love must both center and define the Christian faith and all religious or human faiths seeking human and ecological balance in worlds of subtraction, harm, tragedy, and evil. - R.E. Slater

In Whitehead’s process ontology, we can think of the experiential ground of reality as an eternal pulse whereby what is objectively public in one moment becomes subjectively prehended in the next, and whereby the subject that emerges from its feelings then perishes into public expression as an object (or “superject”) aiming for novelty. There is a rhythm of Being between object and subject, not an ontological division. This rhythm powers the creative growth of the universe from one occasion of experience to the next. This is the Whiteheadian mantra: “The many become one and are increased by one.” - Matthew Segall

Without Love there is no Truth. And True Truth is always Loving. There is no dichotomy between these terms but only seamless integration. This is the premier centering focus of a Processual Theology of Love. - R.E. Slater

-----

Note: Generally I do not respond to commentary. I may read the comments but wish to reserve my time to write (or write from the comments I read). Instead, I'd like to see our community help one another and in the helping encourage and exhort each of us towards Christian love in Christ Jesus our Lord and Savior. - re slater

Wednesday, August 20, 2025

SOAP 3/21 - Love's Harmonies (Philemon & Philippians)


SOAP 3/21
Love's Harmonies
Philemon & Philippians 4

by R.E. Slater & ChatGPT 5

For the next 21 days, let's commit to feeding yourself spiritually by reading and reflecting on a passage of Scripture each day using the S.O.A.P. method (Scripture, Observation, Application, Prayer). Keep a brief daily note of what you learn and how you might apply it, and at the end of the 21 days, share your biggest takeaway with someone else. 

An Appeal in Love
Philemon 4-9
Paul begins his brief letter to Philemon with thanksgiving and encouragement, praising his faith and love for the saints. But Paul’s purpose is more than gratitude: he is preparing to make a radical appeal regarding Onesimus, Philemon’s runaway slave. Rather than command obedience, Paul appeals “for love’s sake,” modeling how gospel relationships overturn systems of power through humility and persuasion.


Philemon 4-9 (NASB95)

4 I thank my God always, making mention of you in my prayers, 5 because I hear of your love and of the faith which you have toward the Lord Jesus and toward all the saints; 6 and I pray that the fellowship of your faith may become effective through the knowledge of every good thing which is in you for the sake of Christ. 7 For I have had great joy and comfort in your love, because the hearts of the saints have been refreshed through you, brother. 8 Therefore, though I have enough confidence in Christ to order you to do what is proper, 9 yet for love’s sake I rather appeal to you—since I am such a person as Paul, an old man, and now also a prisoner of Christ Jesus.


Historical Situation

Paul’s short letter to Philemon (around AD 60–62, written from prison, likely in Rome) addresses the situation of Onesimus, a runaway slave who had become a Christian through Paul’s ministry. Philemon, a wealthy Christian in Colossae, hosted a house church. Paul’s tactful letter interweaves gratitude, prayer, and appeal, urging Philemon to receive Onesimus back “no longer as a slave, but more than a slave—a beloved brother” (v. 16).

In verses 4–9, Paul opens with thanksgiving for Philemon’s faith and love, praising the way he refreshes the saints. Then, rather than command obedience, Paul appeals out of love and relationship. This sets the tone for a radical reimagining of relationships in Christ, subverting Roman household codes while affirming the gospel’s reconciling power.


Observation through Three Lenses

1. Traditional (Catholic / Orthodox / Protestant Mainstream)

Tradition sees the power of love over authority. Paul embodies pastoral humility: though he could command, he appeals in love. The thanksgiving frames Christian life as one of prayer, fellowship, and refreshment of the saints. Philemon is recognized for his virtues, yet called to an even higher obedience to Christ by receiving Onesimus not as property but as brother.

2. Evangelical (Conservative Protestant)

Evangelicals note Paul’s example of gospel-driven leadership. Spiritual authority is never domineering but servant-hearted. The fellowship of faith works itself out in practical obedience - welcoming, forgiving, and restoring relationships. Paul models how Christian leaders should correct and exhort: not with coercion but with love, grounded in Christ’s lordship.

3. Process Theological (Relational, Whiteheadian)

From a process lens, Paul’s approach reflects relational persuasion over coercion. God’s own action in the world is persuasive, never forceful - ever luring creation toward harmony. Paul mirrors this divine style, appealing to Philemon’s freedom and love rather than issuing a decree. The text also highlights the transformative power of relationships: faith becomes effective not in isolation but in fellowship that refreshes, restores, and co-creates a new community in Christ.


Application through Three Lenses

1. Traditional

Do I live my faith so that others are refreshed and built up? Prayer, fellowship, and love must flow together. Like Philemon, I am called to let love lead me beyond social convention into deeper communion, even when it challenges ingrained norms.

2. Evangelical

Am I willing to obey the gospel in hard relational choices? Paul shows that discipleship involves costly forgiveness and reconciliation. I am called to imitate Christ by receiving others not on worldly terms but as brothers and sisters in the Lord.

3. Process Theological

Do I embody persuasion, patience, and relational creativity? Love calls me to act not through control or force but through appeal, dialogue, and co-creation of new possibilities. Every relationship becomes a chance to reimagine community in ways that align with God’s lure toward justice and peace.


Prayer

Lord Jesus,

Thank you for the fellowship of faith that refreshes hearts and renews community. Teach me to lead not by force but by love, to forgive as You forgive, and to welcome others as brothers and sisters in Christ. Help me embody the gentle persuasion of Your Spirit, so that my life may become a living appeal to reconciliation and peace. Amen.


Rejoice and Be at Peace
Philippians 4.4-9
Near the end of his letter, Paul offers the Philippians a series of exhortations: to rejoice always, to be gentle, to pray instead of worry, to think on what is excellent, and to live out the example Paul set before them. These verses bring together joy, discipline, and peace as hallmarks of Christian life, reminding believers that God’s nearness transforms anxiety into thanksgiving and harmony.


Philippians 4.4-9 (NASB95)

4 Rejoice in the Lord always; again I will say, rejoice!
5 Let your gentle spirit be known to all people. The Lord is near.
6 Do not be anxious about anything, but in everything by prayer and pleading with thanksgiving let your requests be made known to God.
7 And the peace of God, which surpasses all comprehension, will guard your hearts and minds in Christ Jesus.
8 Finally, brothers and sisters, whatever is true, whatever is honorable, whatever is right, whatever is pure, whatever is lovely, whatever is commendable, if there is any excellence and if anything worthy of praise, think about these things.
9 As for the things you have learned and received and heard and seen in me, practice these things, and the God of peace will be with you.


Historical Situation

Paul wrote Philippians from prison (likely in Rome, ca. AD 60–62) to the Christian community in Philippi, a Roman colony in Macedonia. The church had supported Paul financially and spiritually, but they faced persecution, internal disagreements, and the temptation of anxiety in a hostile environment.

Philippians 4:4–9 comes as Paul’s final exhortation: urging joy, gentleness, prayer, and peace. These verses form a pastoral antidote to fear and division. Rather than being controlled by worry, the Philippians are to center their lives in prayer, thanksgiving, and the peace of God. The list of virtues (v. 8) echoes both Jewish wisdom and Greco-Roman moral philosophy, calling Christians to embody what is excellent and praiseworthy in their culture through Christ-centered living.


Observation through Three Lenses

1. Traditional (Catholic / Orthodox / Protestant Mainstream)

This passage highlights the disciplines of Christian life: rejoicing, gentleness, prayer, meditation on virtue, and imitation of apostolic example. Tradition sees these as the fruits of the Spirit’s presence, shaping the soul toward holiness. The “peace of God” here is sacramental, guarding heart and mind, and uniting believers to Christ.

2. Evangelical (Conservative Protestant)

Evangelicals read this text as a blueprint for victorious Christian living. Worry and fear are replaced with prayer and trust. The believer is called to fix their mind on truth, purity, and beauty rather than sin or distraction. Paul offers himself as a practical model: follow Christ by following the pattern of faithful discipleship. The focus is obedience and transformation through the Word and Spirit.

3. Process Theological (Relational, Whiteheadian)

From a process perspective, this passage reflects God’s persuasive presence guiding the soul toward harmony and peace. Prayer is not escape but a relational alignment with God’s lure, opening new possibilities in anxious situations. Meditating on what is true, pure, and lovely is a creative act that reshapes perception and contributes to the ongoing creation of beauty. The “peace of God” is not static but a living energy that grows as we co-participate in God’s work of renewal.


Application through Three Lenses

1. Traditional

Am I cultivating habits of rejoicing, prayer, and virtue? These disciplines guard my heart and draw me deeper into God’s peace. To rejoice always and to pray with thanksgiving is to enter the rhythm of God’s grace and prepare my soul for union with Him.

2. Evangelical

Do I respond to anxiety with prayer and trust? This passage calls me to cast my cares upon Christ and to discipline my thoughts toward what is true and pure. My life should visibly reflect gentleness, joy, and peace, so that others see the reality of Christ in me.

3. Process Theological

Am I aligning my inner life with God’s lure toward peace and beauty? Each anxious moment is an invitation to co-create new possibilities through prayer, gratitude, and attention to what is lovely and true. By practicing these things, I help weave peace into the fabric of community and creation.


Prayer

God of peace,

Teach me to rejoice in You always, to pray with thanksgiving, and to trust in Your nearness. Guard my heart and mind with the peace that surpasses understanding. Lead me to dwell on what is true, pure, and lovely, and to embody these virtues in my life. May I co-create with You a world marked by gentleness, hope, and peace. Amen.



No comments:

Post a Comment