Paul’s letter to the church in Philippi may well be the warmest in tone of his thirteen New Testament epistles. Although not completely free of conflict, the Philippian church appears to be quite healthy and also near and dear to the apostle’s heart. So in this letter Paul is able to offer counsel and direction on not only the basics of Christian living and spirituality but on what we could call “higher level” apostolic teaching as well. This makes Philippians a rich trove of lyric teachings and insights into the nature of Christ and our relationship to him in this present world while we eagerly await his return in glory. Paul begins his letter with warm thanksgiving and concludes with ardent rejoicing, providing the very frame that we all hope will surround our Christian living as we work in Christ’s Church in also our time and in our many and varied contexts.