Grace and Peace to Philippi; Phil. 1:1-2

Delivered during the Evenfall service, 8/6/2023. In Paul's day, letter-writing was more than a skill-- it was an art. And as all other disciplines there were established forms and conventions that were followed in the writing of a letter like this Epistle to the Philippians. Therefore, every word of the letter was important-- even often-overlooked parts like the greeting. In this meditation we will focus entirely on Paul's greeting to the church at Philippi. By looking at both the words and the form of the greeting, we will realize that Paul is doing far more than just saying "hello". But rather, he is setting the tone for the rest of a letter that has often been called-- a love letter. Ultimately we will celebrate the fact that by extension, the church today (and therefore all of us!) is included in the blessing, when Paul pronounces grace and peace to Philippi.