Sharing Thoughts on Joy

Last Sunday was Peace Sunday in Advent.  The lectionary choice was John the Baptizer's message on repentance and baptism and the One who will usher in God's kingdom, as told in Matthew (Ch 3: 1-12).   The bible passage reading struck me like this:  Get ready, be prepared.  Put your inner house in order.  The most important guest of your whole life is coming.  This sounds exciting to me, but tension producing too.

Last week, Jesse related "repentance" to peace through Marcus Borg's understanding of the Greek "metanoia."  Borg calls it "Awakening to a new way of seeing God, oneself, and the world and then living out that new vision."

Some of us recently did a video interview study, with Rev. David Tomlinson, an Anglican pastor.   He said that Jesus came to awaken us to the kingdom already around us .., and that to be part of God's kingdom is to commit to change in the world.   He called the kingdom of God a quiet revolution, like yeast or mustard seed.  It can be lots of people committing to do lots of little things to the best of their ability, and having faith, as trust, that something will come of it.   I think realizing we have a spiritual core and aligning our lives to it is a source of peace.

I chose this Sunday in Advent because it focuses on Joy.  

First though, I learned the season of Advent developed early like Lent, with a spirit of penance and fasting.  Initially, it  led to the baptism of new church members in early January at Epiphany.  Then in the 6th century,  Pope Gregory centered the season on the birth of Christ and Christ's second coming.   Midway through Advent, he placed a pause from solemn practice to express joy and gladness for the coming of "Emmanuel", "God with Us".  

Fast forward to our lifetime, and Advent for many has merged with holiday decorations like evergreens and candles, to carols and a countdown calendar to Christmas.  There's nothing wrong with this, but there is so much more.

And I had forgotten most of it, if I ever really understood it.   

My childhood family honored Advent in church and at home.  At dinner we had an advent wreath and lit the candles.  We said a prayer and sang carols.  We had a humble nativity scene by our tree.  I remember the shepherds and wise men were homemade from pipecleaners and fabric scraps.     I'm grateful that committing to do this Sunday message gave me this memory.   Memories, I believe, can be a source of joy.

Jesse and I brought our family back to church when our kids were young.   We sought a welcoming, values centered community and we culturally identified with Methodist and United Church of Christ - Congregational practices.   We've participated in various ways over the years.  

Yet it's really since joining in this self-pastoring Communion fellowship model that I have experienced the most spiritual grounding and personal growth.  Again, I'm very grateful.   And gratitude, I think, nourishes joy.  And joy, I hope, energizes action.  

Joy,  gratitude,  peace,  hope,  love -  can all be thought of  as states of being... felt in the body.  Rev. Tomlinson calls this  "Spiritual Intelligence," or "thinking with your soul."   Someone recently described the soul as a bowl to hold the Holy Spirit.   Another way calls  "soul"  the depth of our being,  where we are in unity with the divine.   We all share human traits, and one of them is the capacity for awe.

And we are all unique.  What gives us joy and how we feel and express joy is unique. When we come to our time of reflection in today's worship, I invite you to reflect on what brings you joy - and how your "bowl of spirit" responds.

What rekindles your flame?  What softens and expands your heart?  What lightens your burden and releases your tension?  

Is your joy sometimes quiet and solitary?  Is it amplified by sharing?  Is it bright and exuberant?   Is it fragile?  Is it prayer?

We need to remember that like all states of being that are felt in the body, joy is transient.   We cannot capture or force a peak experience.   But we can invite and nourish it. We can be grateful for it and open for ways to share it with others.

We need to remember the many people and places where joy is needed, where hope and peace are in short supply. Even our own lives can seem like a dry wilderness at times.  And our eyes and ears may long to see and hear the colors and music of the world.    

As we reread the scripture verses from Isaiah 35, recall they are for a people defeated in exile.   Let our senses soak up their words of renewal.  Let our "bowls of spirit" be filled as by streams in the desert.   And let us be ready to welcome our Important Guest, by sharing his hope, peace, joy and love for the world.

As Philippians 4:4 says,  "Rejoice in the Lord always, I will say it again: Rejoice!"

    

  

  

Sharing Thoughts On Joy      Isaiah 35: 1, 5-6, 10

Last Sunday was Peace Sunday in Advent.  The lectionary choice was John the Baptizer’s message on repentance and baptism and the One who will usher in God's kingdom, as told in Matthew (Ch 3: 1-12).   The bible passage reading struck me like this:  Get ready,  be prepared.  Put your inner house in order.  The most important guest of your whole life is coming.  This sounds exciting to me,  but tension producing too.

Last week, Jesse related “repentance”  to peace  through Marcus Borg’s understanding of the Greek “metanoia.”.., Borg calls it  “Awakening to a new way of seeing God, oneself, and the world and then living out that new vision.”

Some of us recently did a video interview study,  with Rev. David Tomlinson, an Anglican pastor.   He said that Jesus came to awaken us to the kingdom already around us ..,  and that to be part of God’s kingdom is to commit to change in the world.   He called the kingdom of God a quiet revolution, like yeast or mustard seed.  It can be lots of people committing to do lots of little things to the best of their ability, and having faith, as trust, that something will come of it.   I think realizing we have a spiritual core and aligning our lives to it is a source of peace.

I chose this Sunday in Advent because it focuses on Joy.  

First though, I learned the season of Advent developed early like Lent, with a spirit of penance and fasting.   Initially, it  led to the baptism of new church members in early January at Epiphany.  Then in the 6th century,  Pope Gregory centered the season on the birth of Christ and Christ’s second coming.   Midway through Advent, he placed a pause from solemn practice to express joy and gladness for the coming of “Emmanuel”, “God with Us”.  

Fast forward to our lifetime, and Advent for many has merged with holiday decorations like evergreens and candles, to carols and a countdown calendar to Christmas.   There’s nothing wrong with this, but there is so much more.

And I had forgotten most of it, if I ever really understood it.   

My childhood family honored Advent in church and at home.     

At dinner  we had an advent wreath and lit the candles.  We said a prayer and sang carols.  We had a humble nativity scene by our tree. 

I remember the shepherds and wise men were homemade from pipecleaners and fabric scraps..     I’m grateful that committing to do this Sunday message gave me this memory.   Memories, I believe, can be a source of joy.

Jesse and I brought our family back to church when our kids were young.   We sought a welcoming, values centered community and we culturally identified with Methodist and United Church of Christ - Congregational practices.   We’ve participated in various ways over the years.  

Yet it’s really since joining in this self-pastoring Communion fellowship model that I have experienced the most spiritual grounding and personal growth.     Again, I’m very grateful.   And gratitude, I think, nourishes joy.  And joy, I hope, energizes action.  

Joy,  gratitude,  peace,  hope,  love -  can all be thought of  as states of being… felt in the body.  Rev. Tomlinson calls this  “Spiritual Intelligence,”  or  “thinking with your soul.”   Someone recently described the soul as a bowl to hold the Holy Spirit.   Another way calls  “soul”  the depth of our being,  where we are in unity with the divine.   We all share human traits, and one of them is the capacity for awe.

And we are all unique.    What gives us joy and how we feel and express joy is unique.     When we come to our time of reflection in today’s worship,  I Invite you to reflect on what brings you joy - and how your “bowl of spirit”

responds.

What rekindles your flame?  What softens and expands your heart?  What lightens your burden and releases your tension?  

Is your joy sometimes quiet and solitary?  Is it amplified by sharing?  Is it bright and exuberant?   Is it fragile?  Is it prayer?

We need to remember that like all states of being that are felt in the body, joy is transient.   We cannot capture or force a peak experience.   But we can invite and nourish it.   We can be grateful for it and open for ways to share it with others.

We need to remember the many people and places where joy is needed, where hope and peace are in short supply.   Even our own lives can seem like a dry wilderness at times.   And our eyes and ears may long to see and hear the colors and music of the world.    

As we reread the scripture verses from Isaiah 35, recall they are for a people defeated in exile.   Let our senses soak up their words of renewal.  Let our “bowls of spirit” be filled as by streams in the desert.   And let us be ready to welcome our Important Guest, by sharing his hope, peace, joy and love for the world.

As Philippians 4:4 says,  “Rejoice in the Lord always, I will say it again:

Rejoice!”