How’s your Celebration Spirit?

This is the season of celebrations as kids graduate from school, kindergarten, college, university.  Summer also brings increased number of marriage celebrations through weddings.  What is your experience of celebration?  I am asking because over the past couple of centuries there has been insidious (sinister, deceptive, devious) theological rationale against celebration of any kind.  I would use just one paragraph to illustrate this.  A 19^th century author, George D.Watson writes in 1896 “the spirit that opens the gates of heaven longs for the coming of Jesus…and would gladly never have any physical pleasure but for the legitimate needs and recreations of the body.  In the language of the wise man “It eats for strength, and not for mere pleasure of appetite.”  Sounds very pious, very ascetic and austere.  For too many followers of Jesus the natural attire is sackcloth and ashes.  But is it right?

I am reflecting on this because celebrating the joy of everyday life is a spiritual discipline!  Paul when describing spiritual gifts in letter to Romans (12:10) highlights the gift of mutual celebration of life by words “love one another with mutual affection; outdo one another in showing honor.”  To “outdo” is to literally to “get ahead of another” for purpose of celebrating each other.  The “showing honor” term is an expression for celebrating a person with a party!  It was something common in those days, having meat and drink, sweets and laurel wreathe, just like when the prodigal returned home, the father threw a feast!  The Gospel is full of celebrations of life at the table, with food and fellowship, celebrating those who “play” important roles in our lives.  The glorious hope of Coming Christ is presented in terms of the wedding feast!

In invite you to return to the Biblical perspective of celebration as the life of joy in God’s presence even here and now, for the Kingdom of God is within us! (Luke 17:21)

Ancient Israel was commanded! To gather together three times a year to celebrate goodness of God!  The true celebration comes from inner joy.  And, notice the first aspect of the Spirit’s fruit of love is joy! (Galatians 5:22-23).  If you have the Joy of the Spirit – celebrate!  Do not hide the celebration, it would be quenching the Spirit of God!  There is no need to pretend to celebrate when the spirit is not in us.  But, when the Spirit produces Joy of the Lord – celebrate before the Lord!

Paul writes “rejoice in the Lord always, and again I say REJOICE!” (Philippians 4:4)  We are to celebrate and rejoice in God even when we encounter difficulties.

Today as Adventurers are celebrating their achievements, celebrate with them!  It is a CORPORATE discipline, meaning one cannot practice celebration alone J  When joy is shared with people it is multiplied.  Our celebration of life is the Doxology – giving God the Glory.  Do not feel shy when the spirit bursts in celebration J

Fathers are NOT babysitters

As I am reading through the Bible with family during the evening worship time we are reminded the unlimited authority and power fathers appreciated in the “old days.”  Of course, mothers had their way of handling fathers (word “manipulating” here would be very politically incorrect J); and I am thinking of Sarah setting up Abraham with Hagar; Rebekah tricking Isaac to bless Jacob, Rachel giving Jacob an attitude, knowing that she was the favorite, and these are just a few samples.

Some call the Bible stories “chauvinistic,” giving too much “macho” power to men.  Many readers consider that women were relegated into background of those antique stories.  Surface reading may even bias contemporary Christian men not to take seriously their parental role, and our attitudes toward parenting betray it.  Let me illustrate with some examples.

I found an interesting article about “8 Stupid Things You Should Stop Saying to Dads” written this week, just before the Father’s Day.  The top on the list is “Dad must be babysitting today, huh?"  YOU CAN'T BABYSIT YOUR OWN KIDS!!! Fathers are not paid caretakers. People would never look at a mom with her kids and ask if she was babysitting. Yet when a dad is out with his kids, so many people automatically and without thinking about it call it babysitting. Even some dads refer to it that way because it's so accepted. Dads don't babysit. Ever.

Another wrong thing to say to a father is: "Oh look at you playing Mr. Mom today."  Fatherhood isn't a version of motherhood, and dads aren't playing the part of a mom. That implies parenting is some sort of women's work.  The number of stay-at-home dads has doubled in the last quarter-century, and even dads who work outside the home are focusing more on work/life balance because there's a renewed focus on shared parenting and being present. 

Or, people seeing dad out with kids would comment “Oh my. You're brave." Are moms "brave" for taking their kids on errands? Of course not. You expect that from moms. If you're not pinning a medal of honor on mom simply for being a parent and going grocery shopping, don't bother with one for dad either.

The list of our silly attitudes toward dads can go on.  Yet, when one considers the Bible, the Torah – fathers were very involved in parenting!  Deuteronomy 6:4-10 has been called the Magna Carta of the home which would guarantee the happiness and well being of the family in the purpose of God.  Teaching children God’s laws and statutes was father’s role and responsibility.  Psalm 103:13 states that it is father’s role to show compassion and pity on his children.  Parenting has always been a teamwork of mom and dad, together, in unity.

Make this father’s day a celebration of partnership-parenting, and not some exclusive, once a year emphasis on father as a parent-for-a-day. 

Pray for those in authority

My 14 year old Daniel is interested in politics!  Listening to his comments this week as we receive different flyers for the upcoming provincial elections was amazing, how NDP while promising to save money went all out to print a magazine size advertisement, and PC conserved paper and money by printing just small flyers.  Seeing a familiar face, one of our church members, Mars Marcellin, running for an office with the Liberal party in our riding district, may bias some votes for friendship sakeJ.  Political pundits have no certain predictions of the possible outcome, anything can happen, comes June 12.  How should we as Christians relate to this?  Should we care, get involved, or even vote?

I did not have time to watch candidates debate, but reviewing few comments online words “attack strategy” were frequently used.  Just last month Adventist news networks shared about the dialogue that happened in Germany between two branches of Adventist reform movement and the official leadership of our church.  The cause of split was political stand and involvement in Germany 100 years ago.  Our pioneers lived through political turmoil of the Civil War, and many other unrests. 

Adventist review had an article in 2008 entitled “How would Ellen White vote?” sharing interesting insights.  In the 1860 James White wrote: “The political excitement . . . will probably run as high as it has for many years, and we would warn our brethren not to be drawn into it. We are not prepared to prove from the Bible that it would be wrong for a believer in the third [angel’s] message to go in a manner becoming his profession, and cast his vote. We do not recommend this, neither do we oppose. If a brother chooses to vote, we cannot condemn him, and we want the same liberty if we do not.”  A few years later, in 1865 the General Conference voted that “the act of voting when exercised in behalf of justice, humanity and right, is in itself blameless, and may be at some times highly proper; but that the casting of any vote that shall strengthen the cause of such crimes as intemperance, insurrection, and slavery, we regard as highly criminal in the sight of Heaven. But we would deprecate any participation in the spirit of party strife.” Up to 1880 the advice was to stay away from the voting, voting was considered unholy alignment.  An opinion would be best expressed by this comment “If I enter the lists as a voter, I do in fact endorse this government as worthy of fellowship. If my name is entered upon the poll-book I then become a part of the body-politic, and must suffer with the body-politic in all its penalties.”

In many parts of the world Adventists hold highest political offices.  How should we reconcile this?  We look at righteous Daniel, God’s prophet who served in the political arena, and many others. Our pioneers took a stand that we must be involved in social life and make a difference in this world, by being involved in ‘issue’ politics as opposed to ‘party’ or ‘candidate politics.’  We do not stand under the banner of any political party, and pray for all government authorities to experience God’s will.  We have the ability to help shape society through their votes and political participation. It’s up to each of us to follow our consciences—and to pray for more than human wisdom in making our electoral choices.