“Spiritual bravery is about not letting fear be in charge of you. You move forward anyway, even though you’re scared. In fact, it’s an act of spiritual bravery to explore your fear instead of attempting to suppress it. When you do this regularly, you begin to trust that you will still be standing after the fear moves through you.”
August 17, 2025
Five Smooth Stones, Part 3
“Courage: Love Conquers All”
Philippians 4: 4-13
Rev. Dr. Heather W. McColl
Philippians 4: 4-13
Rejoice in the Lord always; again I will say, Rejoice. Let your gentleness be known to everyone. The Lord is near. Do not be anxious about anything, but in everything by prayer and supplication with thanksgiving let your requests be made known to God. And the peace of God, which surpasses all understanding, will guard your hearts and your minds in Christ Jesus.
Finally, brothers and sisters, whatever is true, whatever is honorable, whatever is just, whatever is pure, whatever is pleasing, whatever is commendable, if there is any excellence and if there is anything worthy of praise, think about these things. As for the things that you have learned and received and heard and noticed in me, do them, and the God of peace will be with you.
I rejoice in the Lord greatly that now at last you have revived your concern for me; indeed, you were concerned for me but had no opportunity to show it. Not that I am referring to being in need, for I have learned to be content with whatever I have. I know what it is to have little, and I know what it is to have plenty. In any and all circumstances I have learned the secret of being well-fed and of going hungry, of having plenty and of being in need. I can do all things through him who strengthens me. In any case, it was kind of you to share my distress.
Courage: Love Conquers All Phil 4: 4-13
Courage is having an open heart while embracing the pain and hurt of this world. Courage is walking beside each other, supporting each other through all of life’s ups and downs without becoming cynical. Courage is having the faith to know that God is in the process, trusting that God’s word and wisdom will guide you and answering the call to serve regardless of how illogical or impossible it may seem. Courage is the hope in God in light of the brokenness and hurt which fills our world.
These are just a few quotes from various articles or blogs on courage and spirituality, two things which don’t really seem to go together, Yet the combination, the conversations surrounding courage and spirituality continue to fascinate the masses. Don’t believe me. Just google it. And you will bring up article after article, blog after blog about how courage is an essential and necessary cornerstone of spiritual growth.
Of course, when we tend to talk about courage, images of swords and shields come to mind, images of people standing up for what they believe in, images of people performing feats of strength, people who almost become superheroes in our minds and hearts. When we talk about courage, we tend to imagine people running into burning buildings to save someone or some other way people risk their lives to rescue another person.
All which does reflect courage. And courage is also sitting at segregated lunch counters while crowds yell at you, while they spit at you. Courage is also loving someone who looks different from you, who might be from a different culture or background. Courage is being an ally for the people who society has deemed not worthy and is beginning to pass laws to take away their rights. Courage is nonviolent protests while tanks and armies advance on you.
Conversations surrounding courage and spirituality are complicated which is why I have a confession to make. For this sermon on Courage, I was really tempted just to put on the Brene Brown’s Netflix’s special, “The Call to Courage” and call it a day. I mean she is the preemptive scholar for this generation on vulnerability, shame, belonging and authentic relationship. One of her most quoted lines from her work is this: “You are imperfect, you are wired for struggle, but you are worthy of love and belonging.” “Vulnerability sounds like truth and feels like courage. Truth and courage aren’t always comfortable, but they’re never weaknesses.” Vulnerability is the birthplace of love, belonging, joy, courage, empathy, and creativity.”
I mean really…what more can I add? What more can I say? That about covers it. She has written books, articles, done TED talks, like I said, has a Netflix special on all her work about vulnerability and courage, and how courage is not the absence of fear, but rather the willingness to be vulnerable and show up authentically, even when feeling uncertain or exposed.”
Except I think Brene Brown would even tell us that she has written books, and articles, done TED Talks, even has a Netflix special and it is still not sinking in for us as a society, as a culture, as humankind, for us as people of faith. This idea of courage being grounded in vulnerability, this idea of courage lived out as humbleness, I think it is safe to say that even Brene Brown with all her work on courage and vulnerability would say that we still need to have conversations about what courage is and is not because we just aren’t getting it.
Because as a culture, as a society, as people of faith, we would rather believe, rather think, rather live out this idea that courage as spiritual disciples is worshiping a Jesus with bulging muscles and an AK-47 than being vulnerable or embracing the pain and hurt of this world with open hearts. We would rather believe, rather think, rather worship a Jesus that makes this nation great again through law and order rather than work for God’s Shalom here on Earth for all of God’s people.
This image, this understanding of Jesus as a warrior, defending our values as a Christian nation goes against everything Jesus taught and preached. It goes against him being known as the Prince of Peace This idea of Jesus berating people, beating them into submission goes against the very invitation offered through Jesus’ ministry of welcome. This idea that power and might being the only way to be strong goes against the very heart of the Gospel message. Just look at our text for today. Here we have Paul writing these words, calling the people to rejoice, to have faith, to “view everything they encounter as an opportunity to grow, to heal and to connect.” That’s not law and order. That’s not power and might. That’s not oppression and destruction.
No, that’s grace and mercy. That’s peace and hope. That’s relationship and hope. For us as people of faith, the power of Paul’s words is grounded in the fact that he is writing “these words while chained in a Roman prison, wondering whether he will be sentenced to death for his socially progressive Gospel and still he can say “rejoice in the Lord always”.
You see, the thing we tend to forget when it comes to defining courage as a spiritual discipline is that it is not just about stepping up and doing the right thing, the brave thing in the moment. It is also about bearing witness to where God is at work in this world. It is about being open to the pain and sorrow, the hurt and hate in this world with open hearts, with open minds and knowing that love and light will always have the last word.
Or let me say it this way…” A few years ago, before he died, Representative John Lewis shared that when people talked to him about the Civil Rights Movement, the number one question they asked was, how did you do it? How did you have the courage to walk across that bridge, knowing what awaited you?
He would reply.. He knew that “the battle was already won. We knew as we walked across Selma that we would be beaten, we would be thrown in jail. We knew it was going to be bad.” But “We also knew in our hearts that God had already brought us the victory. That the intention of God was for us to experience equality and it was the intention of God to push out the systemic racism.” Representative Lewis would say what gave him courage was the knowledge that we already knew of that victory in Christ. It gave us such deep hope that I really didn’t feel the blows.”
In other words, “Rejoice in the Lord always; again I will say, Rejoice. Let your gentleness be known to everyone. The Lord is near. Do not be anxious about anything, but in everything by prayer and supplication with thanksgiving let your requests be made known to God. And the peace of God, which surpasses all understanding, will guard your hearts and your minds in Christ Jesus.” May it be so. Amen.
See also: Theology Tuesday for Sunday, August 17, 2025 – Courage: Love Conquers All Phil 4: 4-13.
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