Discipleship is a serious matter, but as disciples, let’s not take ourselves too seriously — at least, not all the time. Let’s make room to celebrate. Just look at Pentecost: When the Spirit filled the disciples, the mood was so celebratory that spectators thought they were witnessing the effects of too much wine.
How would you rate your congregation’s capacity to put on a celebration? Do you have regularly scheduled celebrations during the church year? Do you think people view celebration as a central part of the church’s communal life together, or an accessory?
For some, too much celebration may feel frivolous: perhaps less spiritual than, say, a Bible study or a well-planned worship service. However, as we examine the Scriptures, it becomes clear that God loves a good party. In Numbers, the Lord instructs the Israelites to celebrate the harvest by holding a sacred assembly, doing no regular work and offering animal sacrifices (Numbers 28:26-31). In addition to the Festival of Weeks, there’s the Festival of Trumpets (Leviticus 23:23-25) and the Festival of Tabernacles (Deuteronomy 16:13-17), and we can’t overlook the celebration in Luke 15 when the prodigal son returns home.
Granted, animal sacrifice doesn’t quite align with contemporary Christian ideas of a good time. For our modern context, the point is that God delights in and blesses these moments of rejoicing and being together. Yes, there is hard work that we need to do as faithful followers of the crucified Christ. But as we do the work of ministry, which often involves difficult choices and personal sacrifices, let’s not forget that we have a reason to celebrate.
