My War to Rescue 'Deconstruction'

 

I am waging a small and enjoyable war to retain the meaning of the word 'deconstruction'.

It does not mean 'dismantling', or 'tearing down'. (See here.) If the word were simply another, more impressive-because-you're-using-a-big-word synonym for dismantling, it would be supremely uninteresting and self-promoting.

Here it is, from the OED: to analyze (a text or a linguistic or conceptual system) by deconstruction, typically in order to expose its hidden internal assumptions and contradictions and subvert its apparent significance or unity. For example,

"She likes to deconstruct the texts, to uncover what they are not saying."

That's it! With several implications to follow.

The Many Benefits of Thankfulness

Gratitude is greater than bitterness. Thankfulness is better than resentment. 

Colossians 3:15 says:

Let the peace of Christ keep you in tune with each other, in step with each other. None of this going off and doing your own thing. And cultivate thankfulness. Let the Word of Christ—the Message—have the run of the house. Give it plenty of room in your lives. Instruct and direct one another using good common sense. And sing, sing your hearts out to God! Let every detail in your lives—words, actions, whatever—be done in the name of the Master, Jesus, thanking God the Father every step of the way.

A heart of thankfulness positively affects one’s entire being. Some scientific studies confirm this. Here are some of them.

From “Giving Thanks Can Make You Happier” (Harvard Medical School)

• “Gratitude helps people feel more positive emotions, relish good experiences, improve their health, deal with adversity, and build strong relationships.”
• Dr. Martin Seligman (University of Pennsylvania) says most studies on showing gratitude to others support an association between gratitude and an individual’s well-being.
• Gratitude can improve relationships. “For example, a study of couples found that individuals who took time to express gratitude for their partner not only felt more positive toward the other person but also felt more comfortable expressing concerns about their relationship.”
• Gratitude is associated with emotional maturity.
• “Gratitude is a way for people to appreciate what they have instead of always reaching for something new in the hopes it will make them happier, or thinking they can’t feel satisfied until every physical and material need is met. Gratitude helps people refocus on what they have instead of what they lack. And, although it may feel contrived at first, this mental state grows stronger with use and practice.”

Here are some ways to cultivate gratitude on a regular basis.

·        Write a thank-you note.

·        Thank someone mentally. (“It may help just to think about someone who has done something nice for you, and mentally thank the individual.”)

·        Keep a gratitude journal. I make lists of things I am thankful for and carry them with me.

·        Count your blessings.

·        Pray. “People who are religious can use prayer to cultivate gratitude.”

From “7 Scientifically Proven Benefits of Gratitude that Will Motivate You to Give Thanks Year-Round” (Forbes)

Research reveals that gratitude can have these benefits.

• ·        Gratitude opens the door to more relationships.
• ·        Gratitude improves physical health. “Grateful people experience fewer aches and pains and they report feeling healthier than other people, according to a 2012 study published in Personality and Individual Differences.”
• ·        Gratitude improves psychological health. “Gratitude reduces a multitude of toxic emotions, ranging from envy and resentment to frustration and regret. Robert A. Emmons, Ph.D., a leading gratitude researcher, has conducted multiple studies on the link between gratitude and well-being. His research confirms that gratitude effectively increases happiness and reduces depression.”
• ·        Gratitude enhances empathy and reduces aggression. “Grateful people are more likely to behave in a prosocial manner, even when others behave less kind, according to a 2012 study by the University of Kentucky. Study participants who ranked higher on gratitude scales were less likely to retaliate against others, even when given negative feedback. They experienced more sensitivity and empathy toward other people and a decreased desire to seek revenge.”
• ·        Grateful people sleep better. “Writing in a gratitude journal improves sleep, according to a 2011 study published in Applied Psychology: Health and Well-Being. Spend just 15 minutes jotting down a few grateful sentiments before bed, and you may sleep better and longer." 
• ·        Gratitude improves self-esteem.(Acc. to a 2014 study published in the Journal of Applied Sport Psychology.)
• ·        Gratitude increases mental strength. (Acc. to a 2006 study in Behavior Research and Therapy, and a 2003 study in the Journal of Personality and social Psychology.

From “Giving Thanks: The Benefits of Gratitude” (Psychology Today)

·        

Psychologists Robert Emmons and Michael McCullough “point out the benefits of expressing gratitude as ranging from better physical health to improved mental alertness. People who express gratitude also are more likely to offer emotional support to others.”

·        “Expressing gratitude in your daily life might even have a protective effect on staving off certain forms of psychological disorders. In a review article published this past March (see below), researchers found that habitually focusing on and appreciating the positive aspects of life is related to a generally higher level of psychological well-being and a lower risk of certain forms of psychopathology.”

·        Increase your gratitude-ability by looking for small things to be thankful for.

From “Expanding the Science and Practice of Gratitude” (University of Berkeley)

·        It’s easy to take gratitude for granted. “That might be why so many people have dismissed gratitude as simple, obvious, and unworthy of serious attention. But that’s starting to change. Recently scientists have begun to chart a course of research aimed at understanding gratitude and the circumstances in which it flourishes or diminishes.”

·        Recent studies on people who practice thankfulness consistently report a number of benefits:

·        Stronger immune systems and lower blood pressure;

·        Higher levels of positive emotions;

·        More joy, optimism, and happiness;

·        Acting with more generosity and compassion;

·        Feeling less lonely and isolated.

From “Thanksgiving, Gratitude, and Mental Health” (Psychiatry Advisor)

Gratitude can have a positive effect on a person’s emotions in four significant ways.

·        First, gratitude magnifies positive emotions by helping us to appreciate the value in something; thus gaining more benefit from it.  

·        Second, it blocks toxic, negative emotions, such as envy, resentment, and regret - emotions that can destroy happiness.  

·        Third, gratitude fosters resiliency.

·        And lastly, gratitude promotes self worth. 

From “5 Proven Health Benefits of Gratitude” (Shape)

·        

• Gratitude is good for your heart. “According to a recent study at the University of California, San Diego, being mindful of the things you're thankful for each day actually lowers inflammation in the heart and improves rhythm. Researchers looked at a group of adults with existing heart issues and had some keep a gratitude journal. After just two months, they found that the grateful group actually showed improved heart health.”
• ·        You’ll smarten up. “Teens who actively practiced an attitude of gratitude had higher GPAs than their ungrateful counterparts, says research published in the Journal of Happiness Studies.”
• ·         It’s good for your relationships. “Expressing gratitude instead of frustration will do more than just smooth things over—it will actually help your emotional health. Expressing and attitude of gratitude raises levels of empathy and abolishes any desire to get even, found researchers at the University of Kentucky.”
• ·        You’ll sleep more soundly. “ Writing in a gratitude journal before turning in will help you get a longer, deeper night's sleep, says a study published in Applied Psychology: Health and Well-Being.”

See also:

• “Thank You. No, Thank You.” (Wall Street Journal)
• “10 Ways to Become More Grateful.” (U. of Berkeley)
• Take the University of Cal-Berkeley’s “Gratitude Quiz.”

A Loving Church Does Not Welcome Everything

 

                                                                      (Our back yard)

In Matthew 22 Jesus gives the parable of the wedding banquet. It concludes like this.

11 “But when the king came in to see the guests, he noticed a man there who was not wearing wedding clothes. 12 He asked, ‘How did you get in here without wedding clothes, friend?’ The man was speechless.

13 “Then the king told the attendants, ‘Tie him hand and foot, and throw him outside, into the darkness, where there will be weeping and gnashing of teeth.’

14 “For many are invited, but few are chosen.”

Klyne Snodgrass, in what might be the most thorough study of Jesus' parables, writes:

"We must reflect again on judgment. This theme appears repeatedly in Jesus’ teaching, and we are always uncomfortable with it. Couldn’t God just be a nice God and not hold anyone accountable?... 

Without the concept of judgment one does not even need salvation, and any urgency about life and its importance, about justice, or even about God is, if not lost, at least greatly diminished. Grace is only grace if the outcome should have been otherwise, and the significance of life depends on accountability for life. We may not like judgment, but it is a central and necessary message of both Testaments and especially of Jesus’ teaching." (Snodgrass, Stories with Intent: A Comprehensive Guide to the Parables of Jesus. Wm. B. Eerdmans Publishing Co.. Kindle Edition.) 

The Greek word for judgment is krino. Its root meaning is 'to cut', 'to make a separation'. Either you are for Jesus and a follower, or you refuse the invitation and are against him.  All persons who accept the invitation are with him; to refuse the terms of the invitation will mean being without him. Finally, in the end, the door is closed. This concept permeates Jesus' teachings.

When I was a campus pastor at Michigan State University Linda and I taught a Sunday morning class. As many as sixty university students attended. One Sunday a man in his thirties showed up and came to my class. He was not a student. We decided to welcome him and allow him to attend the class.

That morning, during class, the older man started softly giggling, with a smile on his face. He was looking around the circle of students.  This made some of our students uncomfortable. After class, I met with him. I asked about the giggling, and the smile. He told me this: "I am looking at the girls and undressing them in my mind." I asked if he wanted help with this behavior. He said, "No, because I am not hurting anyone as I do this." I told him he could not come to the student class any more. I offered to get him help, but he refused. I was willing to welcome this man, but I did not welcome his lusting after our female students. I shut the door to our Sunday class, while opening a door to possible healing.

The parable teaches "that we cannot have the kingdom on our own terms. The invitation of grace brings with it demand. At stake is the issue of a person’s identity. It is not enough to wear the right label (“the invited one”); rather, the kingdom must shape identity so that one has a whole different set of concerns." (Ib.)

Such "concerns" include doctrinal issues. 1 Timothy 1:3-7 says,

3 As I urged you when I went into Macedonia, stay there in Ephesus so that you may command certain people not to teach false doctrines any longer 4 or to devote themselves to myths and endless genealogies. Such things promote controversial speculations rather than advancing God’s work—which is by faith. 5 The goal of this command is love, which comes from a pure heart and a good conscience and a sincere faith. 6 Some have departed from these and have turned to meaningless talk. 7 They want to be teachers of the law, but they do not know what they are talking about or what they so confidently affirm.

As you read 1 & 2 Timothy, and Titus, you see the focal point is: Do not welcome teachers of false doctrines into the church. This cuts both ways. For example, "cancel culture" bans certain speakers for teaching "false ideas." Examples of universities doing this abound. (E.g., Jonathan Haidt, The Coddling of the American Mind.) 

"Boundaries" have to do with keeping certain beliefs and behaviors in, and not allowing certain outside beliefs and behaviors in. Everyone has boundaries. Many need more, or better, boundaries. Boundaries include and exclude.

Everyone, including you, my dear reader, has physical and cognitive beliefs and behaviors that welcome, and that exclude. In fact, truth excludes. Even if that truth is not true. Here's one more example.

Years ago I purchased, on Amazon, Ryan T. Anderson's book When Harry Became Sally: Responding to the Transgender Moment. I thought it was clear, well-written, excellent. Shortly after my purchase, Amazon banned the book. It no longer sells it. 

And yet...  Amazon sells Hitler's Mein Kampf, which states that Jews and gypsies are the scum of the earth. Welcome to 1984. 

Is my church a welcoming church? Am I a welcoming pastor? I prefer substituting 'loving' for 'welcoming'. I would say, "we are," and "I am." And add, "not perfectly." A loving church, like a loving home with protective parents, does not welcome every teaching and every behavior into their house.

A loving church both embraces and excludes.

Truth Excludes (as does every community)

 

Downtown Monroe

Humans are tribal. We need to belong to groups. We crave bonds and attachments, which is why we love clubs, teams, fraternities, family. Almost no one is a hermit. Even monks and friars belong to orders. But the tribal instinct is not just an instinct to belong. It is also an instinct to exclude.

Yale Law professor Amy Chua

From her book Political Tribes

Former USC philosopher Dallas Willard writes:

"There is a certain logical exclusiveness built into knowledge as such, and it must be respected... This is due to the fact that knowledge (not mere belief, commitment, sentiment, or tradition) involves truth. Truth by its very nature is exclusive in the following sense. If any belief is true, that by itself excludes the truth of any belief contrary or contradictory to it. And this “exclusion” is not a matter of what anyone wants or hopes to be true or false. For example, if “Sue’s dress is red” is true, then “Sue’s dress is white” and “Sue’s dress is not red” are false. It does not matter what anyone may think or want. It is simply a matter of the objective logical relations between the beliefs (or statements or “propositions”) involved."
- Dallas Willard, Knowing Christ Today: Why We Can Trust Spiritual Knowledge, pp. 170-171

Truth marginalizes. Truth excludes.

You have a worldview, a set of beliefs through which you interpret reality and experience. Your worldview excludes masses of people. 

Here is an example. 

When I was speaking in India, the hotel I stayed in had an altar in the lobby. Every morning a young Hindu priest, dressed in a white skirt, lit incense sticks on the altar, and offered prayers to the god of the hotel. This scene can be captured in the following statements:

1. There is a god who watches over the hotel.
2. Appeasing this god with the burning of incense and other sacrifices helps ensure that the hotel will succeed financially.
3. Uttering prayers of worship to this god increases the probability that the god will show favor towards the hotel.
4. To not perform #s 1 and 2 may cause the god of the hotel to be angry, and bring harm or disaster to it.

Take statement 1. If it is true, then I, who think it is false, am wrong. Such is the nature of truth. The Hindu priest knows something I do not. I am logically excluded from such knowledge.

I think statement 1 is false. If I am right, then statements 2-4 are false, since there exists no "god of the hotel" to be appeased.

It is not rude or impolite to talk like this. It is not disrespectful. Marginalization is epistemically unavoidable. Willard writes: 

"It is not arrogant and unloving merely to believe that you are right about something and that others are wrong... There have, after all, been many people who were strongly convinced of the rightness of their beliefs, in religious and other matters, without being arrogant and unloving." (Ib., 170)

What if you embrace the belief-system of postmodernism? And you claim, We can't know truth. I have two thoughts about that. 1) You just excluded me and all like me who believe we can know truth; and 2) You just made a truth claim which, on your postmodern thinking, is self-contradictory.

In embracing the truths of your worldview, you have excluded many. That's just the way truth works. 

Welcoming and Sometimes Disaffirming

                                         (Redeemer - getting ready to worship!)

(I am re-posting this to keep it in play.)

I was asked the question, "Would a Muslim be welcome in your church?"

My answer is: "Yes!"

And Buddhists and Hindus and atheists, too.

I would be thrilled if people of differing beliefs came to my church. Even atheists. When I was teaching at MCCC, some atheists would sometimes come on Sunday morning to check us out. I was so glad to see them there. And a few atheists became followers of Jesus as a result!

I loved them. And obviously, my love for them did not include affirming the belief that there is no God.

Someone asked me this. "If a Muslim came and asked you to affirm their belief that Jesus was merely a prophet (and not God the Son), and that Jesus did not die on a cross (the Koran says this), would you affirm this?"

My answer is: "Of course not." And, BTW, the serious, practicing Muslim would not affirm my belief that Jesus died on a cross to atone for the sins of humanity. I have dialogued with some Muslims about this, even with a Muslim leader from the Islamic Center of America in Dearborn.

What does it mean to "affirm" something, or someone?" "Affirm" can mean, to agree with. Or, "affirm" can mean, "I value you." But this does not mean I value all your beliefs. From my Christian point of view, I want to affirm what God affirms. As far as I can tell, God does not affirm the following Muslim beliefs: Jesus was only a prophet, and Jesus did not die on a cross. (Note: If you want to have true interfaith dialogue with a Muslim, you disrespect them if you do not talk about how our core beliefs are different, and expect them to affirm your core beliefs. But there are those who know more about this than I, one of them being my friend J. S.)

Welcome and love people? Yes. Even enemies? Read here. And here. 

Affirm every belief people have? No. To do that is neither loving nor truthful. And, BTW, Jesus didn't affirm all the beliefs the people and religious leaders had.

Is it loving to welcome but not affirm? Of course. To love someone is not equivalent to affirming every belief they bring with them. That would be disingenuous. I have had a few atheists over the years tell me they respect the fact that I can be gracious towards them while not affirming their beliefs. One atheist looked me square in the eye and said, "I respect you for not affirming my atheism. That's why I am interested in you."

The atheist Christopher Hitchens said the same, and castigated both Christians and atheists who mindlessly and hypocritically affirmed everything, no matter what. (See The Faith of Christopher Hitchens: The Restless Soul of the World's Most Notorious Atheist.)

The philosopher skeptic David Hume said the same. There's the story of Hume getting up at 5 AM to travel to hear George Whitefield preach. Asked if he believed what the preacher preached, he replied, "No, but he does."

No one affirms everything. Probably, people disaffirm more things than they affirm.

Much depends on a person's worldview. It is within a worldview that affirming and disaffirming find their place. Everyone has a worldview. Even the view that there are no worldviews is a worldview. The question becomes: Is my worldview true? That is, is my worldview the way things really are? This is not the special province of Christians. Everyone believes their worldview represents the way things really are.

Everyone affirms and disaffirms. It is unloving to expect, even force, someone who does not share your worldview to affirm it. But we can try to understand. And then, evaluate. And then, in a civil way, disaffirm. (Unlike life at American universities today, which mostly are disaffirming and not welcoming.)

"Could an atheist teach atheism in your church as something God affirms?" Of course not, for what seem to me to be obvious reasons.

"Could a Muslim be one of your youth leaders and teach your youth that Christ did not die on a cross?" Of course not.

"Would you, John, be allowed to be a youth leader at the Islamic Center of America, and tell Young Muslims that the Koran is wrong, and God is a Trinity of Persons, in One?" Definitely not!

"Could someone teach your people that marriage is not limited to a man and a woman?" No.

"Does that mean you don't love people who have beliefs contrary to the Jesus way?" Of course not!

The idea that we ought to love everyone, even our enemies, finds its most powerful formulation in Christianity.

The idea that we should affirm every belief is unloving, and pop-culture nonsense. If love meant affirming everything people believe, we would love no one, not even ourselves, not even God.

***

For more See my book Deconstructing Progressive Christianity. 

My New Book - A Christmas Devotional

 

My new book is now available on Kindle. Just $4.99.

The Great Invasion: 31 Days of Christmas.

Softcovers are coming, hopefully, in a few days.

Here is the Introduction to my book.

Blessings!

INTRODUCTION 

This is a book about Christmas. Which means, a book about Christ. I have thirty-one thoughts about Christ that I want to share with you. 

As I was completing the book, I had some “Oh no!” moments. “Oh no! I left this out of the book!” “Oh no, I should have also added this!” So many important things about Jesus are not in my book. 

I recognize this. Which is a good thing. The life of Jesus the Christ is deep, wide, long, high, and vast, as is His love. Christ transcends our human understanding. 

I have spent over fifty years studying Jesus. This includes doctoral research. I wrote one of my doctoral qualifying exams on the Christological controversies of the first four centuries of the Church. These controversies led to development of the great Christological creeds of the Christian faith. (‘Christology’ is the study of Christ.) 

I did another doctoral comprehensive exam on hermeneutics. Which is: interpretation theory. How to interpret texts. Beyond that, how to interpret anything at all. Hermeneutical principles are humming in the background of my mind, as I research Jesus.  

My doctoral dissertation (Northwestern University, 1986) was a hermeneutical thing on metaphor theory, and how it refers. I looked how words are used, literally and figuratively, to speak of events and concepts in the Bible. Since my seminary and doctoral studies, 

I have amassed a significant library of books about Jesus. I have not stopped reading, praying, and following after the life of the Living Christ. 

This includes seven years of preaching, in my church, through the four Gospels, chronologically. 

All this has led me to the conclusion that Christ is the Immanent One and the Transcendent One who cannot be fully captured by my tiny cognitive capacities. He is the familiar stranger. He is the mighty invader. He is the incarnate Word. He is the irresistible force. He is…  

The thesis of this little book is: To study and learn more about Jesus shapes and deepens our understanding of and experience of Christmas. 

I offer this to you as an opportunity to join me on a deep dive into the glory and majesty of this universe’s rightful King. 

MERRY CHRISTMAS!. 

***

TABLE OF CONTENTS 

Introduction 

#1​​ Jesus Is the Agent of Creation 

#2  ​​Jesus Was Born of a Virgin  

#3​​ Jesus Descended into Greatness 

#4​​ Jesus Existed 

#5​​ Jesus Grew Up in Galilee 

#6 ​Jesus Was a Jew Who Wore Torah on His Sleeve 

#7​​ Jesus Is "Immanuel." 

#8​​ Jesus is God and Man  

#9​​ Jesus is God  

#10​ Jesus is True Humanity  

#11​ Jesus Was Baptized by John the Baptist  

#12​ Jesus Taught About the Kingdom of God

#13​ Jesus is King 

#14 ​The Method of Jesus 

#15​ Jesus Mentored 12 Disciples  

#16​ Miracles Were Performed Through Jesus 

#17 ​Jesus Cast Out Demons  

#18​ Jesus Is After the Human Heart 

#19 ​Jesus Had a Preferential Option for "the Least of These"  

#20​ Jesus Restored Purity Outside the Sacrificial System 

#21​ Jesus Reinterpreted the Jewish Festivals in Terms of Himself 

#22​ Jesus Is Lord of the Sabbath  

#23 ​ Uncovering Jesus at Christmas 

#24​ Violent Night (An Alternative Christmas Story)

#25​ Christmas Day - Jesus Comes to Save Us from Our Distress  

#26​ Easter Week - Jesus Takes the Second Cup  

#27​ Jesus Bore Our Horror on a Cross  

#28​ Jesus Screams in the Absolute Darkness  

#29​ Jesus Was Raised from the Dead 

#30​ Jesus Will Return to Restore Heaven and Earth  

#31​ Jesus Instructed His Followers to Abide in Him  

APPENDIX 1​ Jesus Was a Minimalist

DECLARATIONS of THANKSGIVING

(Flowers, in our green room)

DECLARATIONS of THANKSGIVING

THE SCRIPTURE

Do not be anxious about anything, but in every situation, by prayer and petition, with thanksgiving, present your requests to God. (Philippians 4:6)

THE DECLARATIONS

• My heart is filled with thankfulness because I am encountering God’s goodness and enduring love. (1 Chronicles 16:34)
• As I listen to worship music I find I cannot stop giving thanks to God. (2 Chronicles 5:13)
• As I share with others what God is doing in my life, my gratitude overflows onto them. (Psalm 9:1)
• Today I am approaching God with thanksgiving, music, and songs. (Psalm 95:2)
• I never fail to remember how God has rescued me. (Psalm 118:21)
• Sometimes I wake in the night and find myself saying “Thank you” to God. (Psalm 119:62)
• I see God transforming deserts into gardens, causing joy and gladness to flourish in my soul. (Isaiah 51:3)
• I am being supernaturally delivered from sin and darkness. (Romans 7:25)
• I live each day with a victorious mindset. (1 Corinthians 15:57)
• An ocean of God’s grace is overwhelming me, causing an overflow of thanksgiving that glorifies God. (2 Corinthians 4:15)
• God is using me to supply the needs of the Lord’s people, resulting in many expressions of thanks to God. (2 Corinthians 9:12)
• As I remember my brothers and sisters my soul is saturated with prayers of thanks for them. (Ephesians 1:16)

(Special thanks to Steve Backlund.)

Prayer with Thanksgiving Is an Anxiety-Buster

 

(Monroe County)

I have a list of things I am thankful for. Sometimes I print the list out, carry it with me, and pull it out to re-read it. Regularly doing this defeats my sometimes anxious heart.

J. P. Moreland writes about this in Loving God with Your Mind: Essays in Honor of J. P. Moreland.  

"I practice the discipline of gratitude. Due to my heredity and upbringing, I have a predisposition to anxiety and depression. One way to avoid these is to train yourself to see the glass half full and not half empty, that is, to habitualize a positive, thankful approach to life. And the best way to do that involves a negative and a positive step. Negatively, learn to spot early on any catastrophizing or totalizing thoughts you have in which you take fears and so forth, blow them up out of proportion, and engage in fearful, negative self-talk. When you spot the negative thought, tell yourself that it isn’t true, that it is overstated, and seek to undermine the thought. Then, positively, turn to God in prayer and thank Him for, say, five to six things in your life, ranging from little things like the taste of coffee to large things like friends and family. I will do this around one hundred times a day, and by now, such expressions of gratitude have become a habit and they have colored my perception of life. The discipline of gratitude keeps one from becoming sour on life and is very, very life giving." (p. 225) 

In Philippians chapter four Paul instructs Jesus' followers to "not be anxious about anything." The Greek word for 'anxious' is one used in contexts of persecution. It's used in Matthew 10:19, where Jesus tells his disciples, "When they arrest you, do not be anxious about what to say or how to say it."

When Paul counsels the Philippian Christians to not be anxious, it's not like they are sitting down to a sumptuous Thanksgiving dinner in a peaceful, non-threatening land. He writes from prison. The context is: persecution. The Jesus-followers were suffering under opposition from their pagan neighbors, just like Paul and Silas had suffered when among them (Acts 16L19-24; Phil. 1:28-30). 

I know what worry and anxiety are like. I have, in some especially troubling times, felt consumed by them. So I ask - how realistic is it to be told, “Be anxious about nothing?” Paul’s answer, and his experiential reality, is found in his rich, ongoing prayer life. He writes: 

Do not be anxious about anything, 

but in every situation,

by prayer and petition,

with thanksgiving,

present your requests to God.

I have proof that this works, (following Henri Nouwen, in his book Gracias!). It's this.  When I don’t pray, when I don't count the many reasons I have to be thankful,  I am more easily filled with worry and fear. In the act of praying I enter into the caregiving of the Great Physician, who dials down the anxiety.

In everyday prayer-conferencing with God, I present my requests to him. I lay my burdens before him (See 1 Peter 5:7). I remember that I have a Father God who loves me, in whom I trust. Where there is trust, there is neither worry nor anxiety. A person with a thanks-filled, praying life, grows in trust and diminishes in anxiety. A praying person discovers, experientially, that thankful trust and anxiety are inversely proportionate. 

Paul writes that our prayers should be accompanied “with thanksgiving.” Ben Witherington comments on this. He writes,

“Paul believes there is much to be said for praying in the right spirit or frame of mind.” This is significant for the Roman Philippians, since pagan prayers did not include thanksgiving. Roman prayers were often fearful, bargaining prayers, not based on a relationship with some loving god.

Witherington adds: “Prayer with the attitude of thanksgiving is a stress-buster.”

John Wesley said that thanksgiving is the surest evidence of a soul free from anxiety.

J. P. Moreland counsels that the discipline of gratitude thwarts catastrophic thinking.

The antidote for worry and anxiety is: praying, with thanksgiving.