The Discipline of Celebration – The Fuel for the Journey

Luke 2:8-20                                                                                                         December 22, 2002

CCI: Good News received results in Joy experienced.

            Is there anyone here today that is tired? Do you feel like you have been running a marathon for the last year and still have 20 miles to go? This time of year we often find ourselves becoming short tempered or angry. Retailers say it is the worst time of the year to work because people are so mean. The hectic pace combined with a desire to keep up with the neighbors and an unrealistically high expectation of the season all eat away at our reserves. Is there a way for us to avoid the exhaustion and find strength even at this time of the year? I believe there is and it is the discipline of celebration.

            For three months now we have been looking at and seeking to practice the traditional disciplines of the Christian Life. Perhaps through this series you have discovered the feast for the soul that comes through fasting. Perhaps you have begun a new chapter in your life as you have learned to meditate on God’s word and His work. Maybe, over these last months you have rediscovered the essence of fellowship and service.

            You see, the disciplines of the Christian life do not exist in a vacuum, they are part of every aspect of life and they blend together as we follow Christ. As we incorporate these disciplines, we discover a freedom in Christ that nothing else will create. However, when we make the disciplines themselves the focus of our attention, they become burdens that make us slaves to legalism.

            This morning we will conclude this series with a discipline that both empowers the other disciplines and results from all the other disciplines. The hope of celebration and the Joy it brings enable us to endure situations and circumstances that would be unbearable by themselves. Women endure the pain of childbirth for the joy that lies in motherhood. Young couples endure the first difficult years of marriage through the hope of joy and security in the mature relationship. Parents endure their children during the teenage years, knowing that one day they will emerge once again as human beings.

            It is the hope of celebration that gives strength to life. And it is celebration that gives strength to the disciplines we undertake. You may be able to begin an exercise regimen by sheer strength of will, but you will not be able to maintain that regimen without the hope of celebration in the result. This is true not only for us, but it was also true for Jesus. Hear the Word of the Lord, (Hebrews 12:3) Let us fix our eyes on Jesus, the author and perfecter of our faith, who for the joy set before him endured the cross, scorning its shame, and sat down at the right hand of the throne of God. And from the letter to the Philippians: [Jesus]

Philip. 2:6-11

    Who, being in very nature God,

        did not consider equality with God something to be grasped,

    [7] but made himself nothing,

        taking the very nature of a servant,

        being made in human likeness.

    [8] And being found in appearance as a man,

        he humbled himself

        and became obedient to death--

            even death on a cross!

    [9] Therefore God exalted him to the highest place

        and gave him the name that is above every name,

    [10] that at the name of Jesus every knee should bow,

        in heaven and on earth and under the earth,

    [11] and every tongue confess that Jesus Christ is Lord,

        to the glory of God the Father.

Hope and celebration are at the center of the gospel. From the first announcement of Jesus birth, to the very end of his ministry, joy and celebration were at the heart of his life.

            Can anyone tell me what Wednesday is? And what is Christmas? Without a doubt Mary and Joseph were thrilled when Jesus was born. But their joy was only the beginning. I have never met a parent who did not have a sense of joy at the birth of baby. I have known people who were frightened, I have known people who were confused, but even in the most difficult circumstances, there has always been joy. Listen to Gospel account of what happened after Jesus was born in Bethlehem,

   “And there were shepherds living out in the fields nearby, keeping watch over their flocks at night. [9] An angel of the Lord appeared to them, and the glory of the Lord shone around them, and they were terrified. [10] But the angel said to them, "Do not be afraid. I bring you good news of great joy that will be for all the people. [11] Today in the town of David a Savior has been born to you; he is Christ the Lord. [12] This will be a sign to you: You will find a baby wrapped in cloths and lying in a manger."

   “Suddenly a great company of the heavenly host appeared with the angel, praising God and saying,

    [14] "Glory to God in the highest,

        and on earth peace to men on whom his favor rests."

   “When the angels had left them and gone into heaven, the shepherds said to one another, "Let's go to Bethlehem and see this thing that has happened, which the Lord has told us about."

   [16] So they hurried off and found Mary and Joseph, and the baby, who was lying in the manger. [17] When they had seen him, they spread the word concerning what had been told them about this child, [18] and all who heard it were amazed at what the shepherds said to them. [19] But Mary treasured up all these things and pondered them in her heart. [20] The shepherds returned, glorifying and praising God for all the things they had heard and seen, which were just as they had been told.”

            So there it is, at the beginning and the end, Jesus’ life and ministry is bracketed by celebration. It was the joy set before him that carried him through the agony of the cross. It was in anticipation of the joy of salvation that the angels celebrated on the night of his birth. And it was the celebration that characterized his life throughout.

            It is easy ... to criticize ... the waste, the trash, the sad attempt to buy affection in a splash of wild extravagance. Yet, for all of that, this is a genuine time of family fun; a day when games are played together, books are read and puzzles puzzled, a meal is eaten family-style, smiles and kisses are in plentiful supply; a day when memories are brought forth, dusted off, and handed round. Yes, there is commercialism, but there is something else as well. Could it be that in moments such as these we find an echo of those "tidings of great joy" which the angel brought? I wonder, would the Christ-child, if he sat beneath our sparkling tree, condemn as crass and empty all he saw? Or might he laugh and cheer and clap his sticky hands with glee to see his miracle take place again and life become abundant shared in love?

            Jesus loved celebrations. He ate with tax collectors and sinners, he gave us the memorial meal we share in communion at a feast! He did his first miracle at a wedding party. He loved to celebrate.

            So why is it that we, the people who have studied his life and claim to follow him, find it so difficult to share in that celebration? More often than not we are among those who lead the criticism. More often than not we are the ones who are too busy for parties. We who would follow the Lord of the Dance refuse to dance. Nehemiah, after dedicating the new temple declared, “The joy of the Lord is our strength.” And yet so often we wring our hands and shake our heads and rub our temples in weakness when the Lord wants to give us strength through joy!

            Understand the joy God wants to give us is not some giddy happiness that in the face of evil says, “Praise the Lord, anyhow.” No, it is a peace of heart grounded in the knowledge that God is in control. His joy is the joy that comes from celebrating God’s control and plan.

            How do we do that? Dan Soman tells of passing by a table in a local restaurant, when he noticed a gentleman who was to be celebrating his 100th birthday the following week eating with some of his family. He stopped and said, "you're out celebrating a little early, aren't you?" The man looked at him and asserted, "At my age, son, every day is a celebration!" Citation: Dan Soman and he is right! When we understand the depth of God’s love, everyday is a celebration. When we experience his forgiveness of sin, everyday becomes a celebration. When we have the assurance of eternity with our Lord, everyday is a celebration that is getting us ready for an even greater celebration.

            Folks, the Joy of the Lord is your strength, on Wednesday we will celebrate the coming of God into the world, but we must not let that be the end of the celebration. Dan Castle, an Episcopal priest, writes, “Last June I was waiting in a clinic for my doctor's appointment when an older couple arrived. "Merry Christmas! Merry Christmas!" the older gentleman greeted the room of people. His enthusiasm was infectious.

            Most of the patients ignored the outburst; I decided to return the greeting, "Merry Christmas to you, too!"

            Sensing a sympathetic ear, the wife of the well-wisher explained quietly: "It started this past year. For no reason, my husband would begin to get into the Christmas spirit. At first we dismissed it, but then we realized how much joy it brought him. So we started decorating the house, singing carols, having a spur-of-the-moment celebration. You know, after doing this a number of times, we look forward to it. Christmas can come any time, any place. It's always a pleasant surprise."

            And that is what celebration will do in your life as well. As you practice the disciplines of meditation and service, the result will be joy and celebration. This morning I want to invite you into a new life. It is the opportunity for you to experience life in it’s fulness. If you have never met Jesus as your savior, then today, make this Christmas the most memorable ever, make the decision to begin a new life with Him. Invite Christ into your life and trust him to take you through whatever you face.

            If today you know Jesus, but there isn’t much celebration in your heart, then I urge you to learn from your Lord the source of strength and peace. Fix our eyes on Jesus, the author and perfecter of our faith, who for the joy set before him endured the cross, scorning its shame, and sat down at the right hand of the throne of God.” Believe the promise that there is joy in your future. Then choose to celebrate God’s work in and around you each day.

Let us Pray.