As Jesus followers we are called into the Kingdom Life. This blog will help us converse and learn what that means. It will contain thoughts on Scripture, Sermon Reflection, Leadership Training and interesting reads. -Pastor Jeff

Monday, March 2, 2015

Rediscovering Joy...and Smiles...and Laughter

Nehemiah 8:1-12
"for the joy of the Lord is your strength."

Unbridled joy in the midst of some of life's most grueling circumstances, that's the only way I can describe the story of the Kimbanguist Symphony.  A few years back, 60 minutes did a story on a group of musicians from Kinshasa Congo.  This story gripped me in ways that few stories do.  I was mesmerized by the sheer joy on the faces of men and women who lived in one of the most financially depressed, poverty-stricken, and in years past, violent areas in Africa.  Yet, their smiles filled the screen.  These men and women, beginning with only makeshift and broken instruments, have assembled the first all-black symphony.  There are no world renowned musicians who are educated in the best schools.  They are men and women that have very little, except hard work, a love of music, and a joy that many of us miss.

Lent can be a very difficult season.  It pushes us into the depths of our journey with Jesus.  It calls into question many of our actions and attitudes.  It can get really heavy very quickly.  However, Lent must also be a balanced endeavor.  According to Ecclesiastes 3, there is a "time to weep and time to laugh, a time to mourn and a time to dance."  This is life's balance.  Lent is often about finding balance once again.  For those of us that make a habit of taking life too seriously all the time, Lent may be a time of rediscovering joy.

If we aren't careful we can become a bunch of sourpusses...

Without a doubt, life is serious.  We have bills to pay, jobs to work, kids to raise.  We are locked into the latest terrorism threats.  We are embroiled in bad news, bad test results, loss, and financial distress.  We are lonely, struggling, and broken.  But...what about joy?

In today's story, the people of Jerusalem had lived in squalor for years after their city was destroyed.  For years they's been taken advantage of by their neighbors.  For years they wandered if there was any hope for a future.  In recent days, they'd worked tirelessly to build a wall around their community.  They'd lived on the leftovers of their religious faith.  Life had been stale.  What I love about this story, however, is that in the midst of all that serious stuff, the Priest, Ezra called the people to joy.  After reading the Law, God's compass for their lives, he saw the weight and called the people to take the day and rejoice, celebrate, have fun...and LAUGH!

Dealing in all our serious stuff...we often forget that joy is a gift from God.  Laughter is a gift from God.  Sharing space with those we can smile is a gift from God.  There is something profoundly spiritual about learning to laugh at yourself, not taking yourself so seriously.  Laughter is therapeutic in a holy way!  During this season of Lent, take time to goof off!  Make some memories with your children!  Find something that gives you joy and go do it!  Don't feel bad about it either.

It is deeply convicting in watching the Kimbanguist Symphony, surrounded by poverty and despair, to experience such unbridled joy in the Lord.  Here I stand, comparatively, in pretty easy way and I spend most of my time worrying, complaining, brooding, and stuck in cynicism.  Lord grant me the grace to rediscover the power of joy, laughter and smiles.

Time to Reflect
1.)  What are some things that bring you joy and make you laugh?

2.)   Who can you spend time with that will bring a smile to your face?

3.)  What is an immediate plan you can make today to goof off and rediscover joy?

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