Spiritual Practices: Celebration

This Fall the whole church will be walking together through a number of weeks introducing and describing Christian “spirituality,” or “Spiritual Practices.” We’re aiming to address questions like: “How do I grow?” and “How do I get close to God?” 

We’re continuing this week with celebration as a spiritual practice.

Christianity claims to have been alerted to an event, a happening in time and space that is relevant for the whole world: the triumph over sin and death in Jesus Christ. This event is the “thing” we have to say to the world.

And as it is for the whole world, it is also about the whole world. God is about addressing, un-doing what has been done to the world by sin. Since sin and death affects everything and everyone, God’s work has to do with everything and everyone! 

The point is that the content of Christianity, the meaning of the Gospel, is that sin and death will not have the final say for any person or place, and that we will rise “imperishable” one day to live in the very presence of God and in incorruptible relationships with one another. 

Christians, therefore, are to be those who celebrate and rejoice with vigor and regularity: the world is not doomed and neither are we, and so a toast is most definitely in order.

A feast, furthermore, is the closest thing we have to what the resurrected world will be like. It helps us get a sense of what we are waiting for, and to cultivate the holy longing for God to return, make all things new, and begin the feast to end all feasts.

Celebration is a spiritual practice because it brings the future into the present, and makes the Good News “sensible” and joyous.

Scripture to consider:

• Luke 15:11-32

• Revelation 19:6-9

  
  

Peace,

Danny+