CHANGE NEEDS TO COME & THEN REJOICE
Psalm 20
MARK 3: 20-35
JUNE 9, 2024
Between myself and my brother, I am the keeper of the family history. It is always surprising to me how often Mark asks, “When was dad’s birthday?” or “Do you remember which Aunt made the cream puffs?”
Well, today I have already texted him because 74 years ago, on June 9th in 1950, something special happened. It was a sunny day in Lancaster New York and Ethel Roll married Robert Delaney and our immediate family began. Change needed to come to those two lovebirds who first met at a square dance … leaving behind the lives they had led and eventually leading to their rejoicing a few years later when the family was completed first with me and three years later with Mark. Of course, there was more rejoicing with me than with Mark, but they rejoiced with him too.
It is remarkable to me when I reflect on my life’s journey how often change is the instrument leading to rejoicing and frankly that is the ultimate truth when it comes to our faith journeys. It is easy to say we have faith … it is even easier to say that we are a Christian because many people do just that but what is difficult to understand and perhaps even harder to take on especially if you are really aligned with the world is to change and live as if you are a person of faith. James reminds us that “even demons believe there is one God” but of course they don’t have faith.
Throughout Scripture even when our Biblical history reveals hardships and struggles there is a resounding joy once we connect the dots back to God. We hear in the Psalm that has been transformed into a great song of praise about people of faith trading our sorrows …”that we may endure weeping for a night but joy comes in the morning.” ‘I’m trading my sorrows …I’m trading my shame … laying them down for the joy of the Lord!”
Nehemiah provides this reflection, “Send choice food and sweet drinks to those who have nothing prepared. This day is holy. Do not grieve for the JOY of the Lord is your strength!” Isaiah offers us this directive, “Shout aloud and sing for joy, people of the Lord, for great is the Holy One amongst you!” And, since I became your pastor in July 2016 you have heard me repeatedly share Paul’s admonition from two of his letters, “Rejoice in the Lord ALWAYS, again I say rejoice!”
Since Pentecost here at St. Paul’s I have been tempted to bring the balloons, that are still in my office, back into worship … just to have all of you toss them around again because there was such joy in those moments a few Sunday’s ago. I love it when I look out and see your faces aglow with joy … I can hear it whenever I say ‘HE IS RISEN’ <<HE IS RISEN INDEED>> knowing that in the truth of Jesus’ resurrection and even more so in shouting it … there is such joy and perhaps I should say transformational joy; a joy that I pray is then reflected each day in our lives because you and I somewhere along the journey actually changed our life’s paths because we accepted Jesus Christ as our Savior and that we are connected with God daily not just in occasional moments.
And, I believe … actually I know … that when we as human beings are much better people when we are focused on being happy. Joy helps us overcome adversity. More than ever, I can personally attest to the strength of joy’s impact in life even when facing intense challenges and that joy frankly has helped me get through stuff that could otherwise smash me into the ground.
A 2008 Australian study and a 2011 English study both showed that those who reported being happy had longer and healthier life spans. And, truthfully … wouldn’t you rather live in your happy and joy-filled moments than being down and miserable? Are you the person people seek when they want to feel better because of your reflection of joy and happiness? Do you search for joy and joy-filled people when others want to swallow you up in their doom and gloom?
Pharrell Williams took the world by storm for a short period of time with his song Happy. People’s videos from around the world showed groups of diverse individuals dancing and singing “because they were happy … clapping along because they felt like happiness was their truth.” If you need a happy moment, I suggest you go to YouTube and watch one of those music videos from 9 years ago … I watched the Tokyo video this morning and it made me smile and feel good deep inside. Strangers from Japan … dancing to a globally impactful song. Imagine if the global impact of our faith was centered on our joy and happiness and willingness to showcase it.
But sadly some scoffed because there are always voices attempting to take us down aren’t there? Many even argue that we should not be joy-filled in church and some might criticize red and white balloons being floated around a sanctuary of God on Pentecost.
Eventually and all too quickly the world community returned its focus to the bad news … anger … and not the good stuff … the videos stopped. But for those brief moments as the song permeated the world it felt like the world community had the capacity to unite in the love all of its neighbors and it produced happiness. Felt good! Joyful!
Obviously, we are here in these moments to gather as a church and yes … amongst us are individuals struggling with health realities that are frightening. Amongst us are some individuals who have financial challenges and others whose relationships are not really great. And, none of us can be happy all the time but as I consider the well being of our faith lives I cannot help but realize that we need to do all we can to focus in on the joy God offers and for many that means a change needs to come in their lives.
In the book, ‘God is in the Hard Stuff,’ the authors remind us that number one, “[1]this world is an imperfect place, but it is the best of all possible worlds.” I might add … it is the only world we have to live in unless one of you has plans to fly off to the moon or Mars. And, friends we are the church-people … we are those who declare we are Christians in this imperfect place that is the best of all possible worlds so … how are we choosing to live and are we changed people reflecting joy due to that change?
In today’s Psalm, we heard a reflection of faith or perhaps I would call it since it comes from God’s Word … a call to action for those of us who believe in God and believe in Jesus Christ. And, I think it is a change that can bring about joy if our focus is on God and Christ rather than the world. David is reminding people of faith to be the answer. “Let God send help and support from the sanctuary! Let God fulfill your plans and then you will REJOICE!” Our support and our help comes from right here … in the church and from the church but I found a 21st century perspective in this reading when David says “WE WILL FLY OUR FLAGS in the name of our God!”
This Scripture is a reflection of the joy that we get in life … when God steps in, when the faith community shows love … when the hungry are cared for … “WE WILL FLY OUR FLAGS in the name of our God!!” Our loyalty in the lives we live need to be focused on God and when we change our loyalties … when we adjust our value system … frankly when we become willing to take on the change that true faith requires then I believe we can discover the inner joy that is such an essential benefit of our faith.
The authors ‘In the Hard Stuff’ continue by basically pointing out a 23rd Psalm fact, they write, “[2]God has taken extraordinary measures to provide a comfortable and beneficial place for us to live. God does not cause suffering.”
And, on this Sunday … and frankly on every Monday, Tuesday, Wednesday, Thursday, Friday, and Saturday … we each need to be reflective of our lives and I would hope that each of us wants to be living the best life possible. Lives where joy encases the essence of who we are and lives where we strive to share happiness and joy while embracing those who are hurting in the hopes we will be embraced when pain and suffering occurs in our lives. I do believe that God is right there … actually the force of angels in heaven is there as Jesus taught, “there is the joy in the presence of the angels of God over one sinner who repents.” … God calling us and wanting us to not put our trust in chariots or horses or human gods but in the Lord.
That we have the courage to praise the Lord’s name … to know that God is there to save us and that through the plans God has for us there is not only hope but a reason to rejoice! And, in doing that you will be better and feel better.
My friend and former pastor down the street from me but now Bishop to the Upper New York Conference of the United Methodist Church Hector Burgos in his message to the United Methodists of West Virginia offered a challenge to those of us who call ourselves United Methodists … a challenge to be world changers if we ourselves are changed people. Hector said,
“We have a God-given generational opportunity to model the love of Jesus Christ as a diverse body in a world plagued with divisions and polarizations that are destroying all sense of community. We have a God-sized opportunity to witness a countercultural vision of hope in a time when individualism and intolerance are destroying our society. WE HAVE BEEN CALLED for such times as these! We are the generation that will show the world can be a place where Christ’s joy and hope are real and can be experienced through the healing love of Jesus in and through us. God is inviting us to embark in this holy adventure TOGETHER!”
And, it starts with you and me … I pray the change has to come and that the world can unite in dance and happiness because people of faith have changed into activists for God and Christ experiencing joy even in troubled times.
Fly your flags in the name of our God … be the help in the world that comes out of this church sanctuary … rejoice in the Lord always! Again I say rejoice … it’s good for your soul and it is good for the world you live in. Jesus Christ is Risen! <<HE IS RISEN INDEED>> AMEN
FAITH IS TAKING THE FIRST STEP EVEN WHEN YOU DON’T SEE THE WHOLE STAIRCASE – MLK