Holy Joy

We are just finishing the season of Mardi Gras, which begins on the day after Epiphany (January 6). Although Mardi Gras is celebrated by many Christians, there are others who condemn it for being -- well, just too happy! Does God condemn joy? Read on...

Ask any random Christian how they feel about joy, and they will undoubtedly respond, “Why, joy is a blessing! It’s a gift of God!” And they would be absolutely right! Joy is one of God’s gifts. The angels sang on Christmas night that the news of Jesus’ birth was “news of great joy to all people,” and Jesus told his disciples that their relationship with him was a cause for joy. So, why do you suppose that many Christians treat joy as something to feel guilty about?

The painting American Gothic is a perfect example of what many people think that Christianity is all about. “Oh, it’s a hard way to live,” they say. “Jesus asks so much of us, and I know that we don’t measure up.” To some people, anything that smacks of merriment is suspect. We shouldn’t play cards; it’s gambling. We shouldn’t dance; we’ll be touching someone of the opposite sex. We shouldn’t drink alcohol (even though Jesus drank wine every single day); it leads to lewd behavior. And relaxing to savor the goodness of God’s earth…? Why, we should be working! No wonder that so many people feel guilty when they take time off to do what they love! That joy thing doesn’t sound like it’s Christian!

Several years ago, a very different picture made the rounds in Christian circles. It pictures Jesus laughing heartily while he grips the mast of a boat. At the time, it caused quite a ruckus. Many people were offended by it. They objected that Jesus would never laugh! Why, he came to earth to die, and there’s nothing even remotely joyful about that! Their image of Jesus seems to have been formed by 1960s religious movies in which Jesus never smiles, not even once. His face is mostly expressionless, and his eyes are focused on something beyond our world. Now, you might enjoy those movies very much – nothing wrong with that – but please realize that their idea of Jesus doesn’t really show his human side at all. If Jesus was fully human – and we confess that he was – then he laughed. He might even have laughed a lot! Why, just look at the humor of some of his parables. How can you imagine a camel trying to crawl through the eye of a needle without laughing?

The fact is that joy is woven throughout the Bible. In fact, joy is there at the very moment that creation began! The Bible starts with this text: “In the beginning, when God created the heavens and the earth, the earth was without form and void; and darkness was upon the face of the abyss. And God said, ‘Let there be light.’ And God saw that the light was good.” That’s a very solemn account of the whole thing. We might describe it more like this: In the beginning, when God created the whole universe, everything was really dark and messy. So God said, “I’m going to change this. I need some light so I can see what I’m doing,” and suddenly, there was light. And then God laughed and said, “That’s so much better! I like that a lot!” With every step in creation, God not only thought things were getting better; God was delighted with the way that things were turning out! African-American poet James Weldon Johnson captures this joy in his poem “The Creation.”

God stepped out on space,
And he looked around and said:
I'm lonely--
I'll make me a world.

And far as the eye of God could see
Darkness covered everything,
Blacker than a hundred midnights
Down in a cypress swamp.

Then God smiled,
And the light broke,
And the darkness rolled up on one side,
And the light stood shining on the other,
And God said: That's good!

Then God reached out and took the light in his hands,
And God rolled the light around in his hands
Until he made the sun;
And he set that sun a-blazing in the heavens.
And the light that was left from making the sun
God gathered it up in a shining ball
And flung it against the darkness,
Spangling the night with the moon and stars.
Then down between
The darkness and the light
He hurled the world;
And God said: That's good!

Then God himself stepped down--
And the sun was on his right hand,
And the moon was on his left;
The stars were clustered about his head,
And the earth was under his feet.
And God walked, and where he trod
His footsteps hollowed the valleys out
And bulged the mountains up.

Then he stopped and looked and saw
That the earth was hot and barren.
So God stepped over to the edge of the world
And he spat out the seven seas--
He batted his eyes, and the lightning flashed--
He clapped his hands, and the thunders rolled--
And the waters above the earth came down,
The cooling waters came down.

Then the green grass sprouted,
And the little red flowers blossomed,
The pine tree pointed his finger to the sky,
And the oak spread out his arms,
The lakes cuddled down in the hollows of the ground,
And the rivers ran down to the sea;
And God smiled again,
And the rainbow appeared,
And curled itself around his shoulder.

Then God raised his arm and he waved his hand
Over the sea and over the land,
And he said: Bring forth! Bring forth!
And quicker than God could drop his hand,
Fishes and fowls
And beasts and birds
Swam the rivers and the seas,
Roamed the forests and the woods,
And split the air with their wings.
And God said: That's good!

Then God walked around,
And God looked around
On all that he had made.
He looked at his sun,
And he looked at his moon,
And he looked at his little stars;
He looked on his world
With all its living things,
And God said: I'm lonely still.

Then God sat down--
On the side of a hill where he could think;
By a deep, wide river he sat down;
With his head in his hands,
God thought and thought,
Till he thought: I'll make me a man!

Up from the bed of the river
God scooped the clay;
And by the bank of the river
He kneeled him down;
And there the great God Almighty
Who lit the sun and fixed it in the sky,
Who flung the stars to the most far corner of the night,
Who rounded the earth in the middle of his hand;
This great God,
Like a mammy bending over her baby,
Kneeled down in the dust
Toiling over a lump of clay
Till he shaped it in his own image.
Then into it he blew the breath of life,
And the human became a living soul.
Amen. Amen.

That, friends, is God’s joy at his creation. And if God is joyful, then we have joy built into our souls, because God made us in his image! Joy is just as much a part of us as love, and compassion, and the desire for justice. God intends for us to be joyful! This season of Mardi Gras that takes place before Lent begins is an invitation to celebrate that joy. Oh, sure, the celebration can get a little overdone at times; and we can be rightly dismayed at the excesses that take place during Mardi Gras. But let’s not throw out the baby with the bathwater and get rid of every big celebration just because some folks overdo it! Joy is one of the most precious gifts that God gave us. So, before the somber season of Lent begins, let’s be joyful – and let the good times roll.

“The Creation” is from God's Trombones by James Weldon Johnson. Copyright © 1927 The Viking Press, Inc., renewed 1955 by Grace Nail Johnson.

Groundhog Day

Did you know that Groundhog Day is more than just a silly ritual with a large rodent? It's really about something that all Christians should have. Interested? Read on...

Here’s the good news for the morning: winter is officially halfway over. Yes, all the dreariness that is Ohio in the winter will end in only six more weeks, when spring officially begins on March 21^st. And today is the official midwinter holiday – Groundhog Day! Only Americans could invent such a crazy holiday. For just a minute, think about what happened on the morning of Feb. 2 in the little town of Punxsutawney, Pennsylvania. At the crack of dawn, dignitaries dressed in top hats and tails coaxed a large rodent out of his den, and held him up in front of a large crowd who had also gathered at the crack of dawn. These dignitaries then offered a long-term weather forecast based on whether or not that rodent saw his shadow. And to add to the silliness, all this was televised and watched by several million people.

And it doesn’t stop there. When I looked up “Punxsutawney Phil” on the internet – in case you didn’t know, that’s the official name of the “official” groundhog – I found a website named “Groundhog Stuff.com.” This site offers all sorts of groundhog souvenirs – mugs, scarves, hats, and tote bags. They even sell envelopes of Phil’s Hot Chocolate Mix and groundhog wine bottle stoppers! (If you’re planning a visit to Punxsutawney, by the way, you can stop by Punxsutawney Phil's Official Souvenir Shop located at 102 West Mahoning Street.) What a silly holiday! It seems to be just another way to rake in money from people who have nothing better to do than to engage in midwinter tomfoolery – another example of people spending their money on nonsense.

But maybe Groundhog Day merits a second look. This early February silliness might be a lot more serious than it appears to be at first glance. Groundhog Day isn’t really about a rodent making long-term forecasts. We have Jim Cantore on the Weather Channel to do that for us. No, way down deep, Groundhog Day is about hope. It’s about the hope that this year, spring will break out in February! It’s about the hope that one morning soon, we’ll wake up to robins singing under a clear, blue sky. It’s the hope that when we go outside to get the mail, warm breezes will caress our faces, and little green buds will dot the tree branches. It’s the hope that winter’s bleak, grey dreariness won’t get the last word, after all! “Did the groundhog see his shadow?” Each year, we hope that the answer is “no.”

We Christians understand the importance of hope. Hope is what keeps us going. An old proverb confidently says that “hope springs eternal.” But hope doesn’t spring eternal, not for everyone. Lots of people have no hope at all. They are convinced that there is no God, that love isn’t real, that miracles are impossible, and that when we die, it’s all over. Period. The end. But that’s not what we Christians believe! We hope in all kinds of things! We hope in the power of God to create and to recreate; we hope in the power of Jesus Christ to defeat even death; and we hope in the power of the Holy Spirit to work miracles. Hope is a powerful thing; and on some days, it’s the only thing that keeps us going. But let me be clear – hope doesn’t guarantee that we will get what we want. Anybody over the age of 5 knows that life is uncertain. Sometimes things turn out; sometimes they don’t. But that shouldn’t cause us to lose hope! God has our back; and sometimes God intervenes in our lives in ways that we could never even imagine!

A little over 15 years ago, a charming movie came out that appeared to be about sports – but it was really about hope. That movie was titled Angels in the Outfield. It was about two young boys in the California foster care system who were huge fans of the Angels baseball team. It didn’t matter that the Angels couldn’t hit a ball, catch a ball, or run the bases. They were huge fans anyway. The younger boy, JP, was always upbeat. “It could happen,” he would say, flashing a dazzling smile. The older boy, Roger, was less hopeful. He had been sent to foster care by his widowed father, and wanted nothing more than to be a part of a family. Early in the movie he asks his father, “When can we be a family again?” “When the Angels win the pennant” was the sarcastic reply. And so, that night, Roger said a prayer. “God… if there is a God… If you’re a man or a woman… if you’re listening, I’d really, really like a family. My dad says that will only happen if the Angels win the pennant. The baseball team, I mean. So, maybe you can help them a little. Amen.” And then, to everyone’s amazement, the Angels started to win games – lots of games. They won game after game because heavenly angels – angels with wings and halos -- were helping the batters bat, the pitchers pitch, and the fielders field. Sometimes they even helped the runners run. And Roger was the only one who could see them as they helped the team.

Midway through the movie, Roger’s father abandons him to the foster care system; and Roger loses what little hope he has. “I’ll never have a family now,” he mourns. JP’s hopeful response? “It could happen!” In the end, Roger does, indeed, have a family again. He is adopted by none other than the Angels’ coach who has grown to love him as a son; and coach adopts Roger’s friend JP, too! Roger’s prayer was answered in a way that he could never have imagined. And as the movie ends, the Angels do indeed win the pennant. No, we don’t always get what we hope for; but sometimes we get something even better! After all, what we hope for is only what we can imagine. God can bless us far beyond our own imaginations.

Now, I know that hope doesn’t come easily. There are plenty of discouragements in the world that extinguish our hope like so many blown-out birthday candles. But the Bible tells us time and time again not to lose hope! Abraham and Sarah gave up hope for a son. In fact, when God’s messengers told them that she would get pregnant, Sarah laughed until her false teeth fell out! And then… guess who had a son the very next year! The Israelites gave up hope that they would ever be anything more than slaves of the Pharaoh. And then, along came Moses, and… well, you know the rest. A thousand years later, Jesus’ followers lost hope that he was the Messiah. After all, he was dead and buried. But that was on Friday. When Sunday morning dawned, they got the surprise of their lives and the fulfillment of their hopes!

So, while most people around will hope in the groundhog and his shadow, I will hope in something else. I will hope in the power of God to surprise us in the most wonderful ways, even when we have given up all hope. I will join the great cloud of witnesses that remind us again and again never to lose hope that love, compassion, justice, and the fullness of life will have the last word. Maybe this year, even if we have no hope that spring will come early, we can hope in God’s promises. And, after all, those promises will give us even more joy than an early spring!

Here’s the good news for the morning: winter is officially halfway over. Yes, all the dreariness that is Ohio in the winter will end in only six more weeks, when spring officially begins on March 21^st. And today is the official midwinter holiday – Groundhog Day! Only Americans could invent such a crazy holiday. For just a minute, think about what happened this morning in the little town of Punxsutawney, Pennsylvania. At the crack of dawn, dignitaries dressed in top hats and tails coaxed a large rodent out of his den, and held him up in front of a large crowd who had also gathered at the crack of dawn. These dignitaries then offered a long-term weather forecast based on whether or not that rodent saw his shadow. And to add to the silliness, all this was televised and watched by several million people.

And it doesn’t stop there. When I looked up “Punxsutawney Phil” on the internet – in case you didn’t know, that’s the official name of the “official” groundhog – I found a website named “Groundhog Stuff.com.” This site offers all sorts of groundhog souvenirs – mugs, scarves, hats, and tote bags. They even sell envelopes of Phil’s Hot Chocolate Mix and groundhog wine bottle stoppers! (If you’re planning a visit to Punxsutawney, by the way, you can stop by Punxsutawney Phil's Official Souvenir Shop located at 102 West Mahoning Street.) What a silly holiday! It seems to be just another way to rake in money from people who have nothing better to do than to engage in midwinter tomfoolery – another example of people spending their money on nonsense.

But maybe Groundhog Day merits a second look. This early February silliness might be a lot more serious than it appears to be at first glance. Groundhog Day isn’t really about a rodent making long-term forecasts. We have Jim Cantore on the Weather Channel to do that for us. No, way down deep, Groundhog Day is about hope. It’s about the hope that this year, spring will break out in February! It’s about the hope that one morning soon, we’ll wake up to robins singing under a clear, blue sky. It’s the hope that when we go outside to get the mail, warm breezes will caress our faces, and little green buds will dot the tree branches. It’s the hope that winter’s bleak, grey dreariness won’t get the last word, after all! “Did the groundhog see his shadow?” Each year, we hope that the answer is “no.”

We Christians understand the importance of hope. Hope is what keeps us going. An old proverb confidently says that “hope springs eternal.” But hope doesn’t spring eternal, not for everyone. Lots of people have no hope at all. They are convinced that there is no God, that love isn’t real, that miracles are impossible, and that when we die, it’s all over. Period. The end. But that’s not what we Christians believe! We hope in all kinds of things! We hope in the power of God to create and to recreate; we hope in the power of Jesus Christ to defeat even death; and we hope in the power of the Holy Spirit to work miracles. Hope is a powerful thing; and on some days, it’s the only thing that keeps us going. But let me be clear – hope doesn’t guarantee that we will get what we want. Anybody over the age of 5 knows that life is uncertain. Sometimes things turn out; sometimes they don’t. But that shouldn’t cause us to lose hope! God has our back; and sometimes God intervenes in our lives in ways that we could never even imagine!

A little over 15 years ago, a charming movie came out that appeared to be about sports – but it was really about hope. That movie was titled Angels in the Outfield. It was about two young boys in the California foster care system who were huge fans of the Angels baseball team. It didn’t matter that the Angels couldn’t hit a ball, catch a ball, or run the bases. They were huge fans anyway. The younger boy, JP, was always upbeat. “It could happen,” he would say, flashing a dazzling smile. The older boy, Roger, was less hopeful. He had been sent to foster care by his widowed father, and wanted nothing more than to be a part of a family. Early in the movie he asks his father, “When can we be a family again?” “When the Angels win the pennant” was the sarcastic reply. And so, that night, Roger said a prayer. “God… if there is a God… If you’re a man or a woman… if you’re listening, I’d really, really like a family. My dad says that will only happen if the Angels win the pennant. The baseball team, I mean. So, maybe you can help them a little. Amen.” And then, to everyone’s amazement, the Angels started to win games – lots of games. They won game after game because heavenly angels – angels with wings and halos -- were helping the batters bat, the pitchers pitch, and the fielders field. Sometimes they even helped the runners run. And Roger was the only one who could see them as they helped the team.

Midway through the movie, Roger’s father abandons him to the foster care system; and Roger loses what little hope he has. “I’ll never have a family now,” he mourns. JP’s hopeful response? “It could happen!” In the end, Roger does, indeed, have a family again. He is adopted by none other than the Angels’ coach who has grown to love him as a son; and coach adopts Roger’s friend JP, too! Roger’s prayer was answered in a way that he could never have imagined. And as the movie ends, the Angels do indeed win the pennant. No, we don’t always get what we hope for; but sometimes we get something even better! After all, what we hope for is only what we can imagine. God can bless us far beyond our own imaginations.

Now, I know that hope doesn’t come easily. There are plenty of discouragements in the world that extinguish our hope like so many blown-out birthday candles. But the Bible tells us time and time again not to lose hope! Abraham and Sarah gave up hope for a son. In fact, when God’s messengers told them that she would get pregnant, Sarah laughed until her false teeth fell out! And then… guess who had a son the very next year! The Israelites gave up hope that they would ever be anything more than slaves of the Pharaoh. And then, along came Moses, and… well, you know the rest. A thousand years later, Jesus’ followers lost hope that he was the Messiah. After all, he was dead and buried. But that was on Friday. When Sunday morning dawned, they got the surprise of their lives and the fulfillment of their hopes!

So, while most people around will hope in the groundhog and his shadow, I will hope in something else. I will hope in the power of God to surprise us in the most wonderful ways, even when we have given up all hope. I will join the great cloud of witnesses that remind us again and again never to lose hope that love, compassion, justice, and the fullness of life will have the last word. Maybe this year, even if we have no hope that spring will come early, we can hope in God’s promises. And, after all, those promises will give us even more joy than an early spring!