Reflections for Lent, April 12, 2014: Surprised by Joy
Some will notice that this subtitle derives from a book by CS Lewis. I have always liked that title because I find that joy is something that surprises me rather than something I plan for. In fact, I am not sure we can plan for it.
The scripture for these reflections is from Psalm 126: They that sow in tears shall reap in joy. I am reading Eugene Peterson's A Long Obedience in the Same Direction, and the morning's reading is about that verse int he psalms of ascent.
When I was a high school "kid," I went on a mission trip to Mexico. Long story short (it was a life-changing event, but not the point now), we sang a chorus based on that verse. At 16, I didn't have a clue what it meant, just a nice song from the Bible. Maybe 40 years later I do. Joy is a fruit of the Holy Spirit (I think we would do better not to say just "the spirit," in this age of false spirituality) and fruit, as any farmer would say, is not entirely under our control.
Peterson writes: "Joy is what God gives, not what we work up. . . A common but futile strategy for achieving joy is trying to eliminate things that hurt: get rid of pain by numbing the nerve ends, get rid of insecurity by eliminating risks, get rid of disappointment by depersonalizing your relationships. And then try to lighten the boredom of such a life by buying joy in the form of vacations and entertainment. There isn't a hint of that in Psalm 126."
See my blog post on Alone Together by Sherry Turkle for more on this.
Life example: When my son was in grade school, the school raised the money to build a playground, a really nice one. The whole community came out to do the bulk of the work in one weekend. I was out there shoveling mulch and picking up trash with the best of them. My son helped, too, some. On Sunday night the children in the choir sang, "I Won't Grow Up" from Peter Pan and then we all went in to play on the new equipment. I count that as one of the most joyous moments of my life, and it was totally unexpected. I didn't plan on being happy about the finishing of the playground; in my Puritanical way, it was something I did because it was asked of me and for my child and his classmates. I didn't show in tears but I sure did in back pain, and I reaped in joy.
However, joy is not the only thing unexpected. So is sorrow. See next post.
The scripture for these reflections is from Psalm 126: They that sow in tears shall reap in joy. I am reading Eugene Peterson's A Long Obedience in the Same Direction, and the morning's reading is about that verse int he psalms of ascent.
When I was a high school "kid," I went on a mission trip to Mexico. Long story short (it was a life-changing event, but not the point now), we sang a chorus based on that verse. At 16, I didn't have a clue what it meant, just a nice song from the Bible. Maybe 40 years later I do. Joy is a fruit of the Holy Spirit (I think we would do better not to say just "the spirit," in this age of false spirituality) and fruit, as any farmer would say, is not entirely under our control.
Peterson writes: "Joy is what God gives, not what we work up. . . A common but futile strategy for achieving joy is trying to eliminate things that hurt: get rid of pain by numbing the nerve ends, get rid of insecurity by eliminating risks, get rid of disappointment by depersonalizing your relationships. And then try to lighten the boredom of such a life by buying joy in the form of vacations and entertainment. There isn't a hint of that in Psalm 126."
See my blog post on Alone Together by Sherry Turkle for more on this.
Life example: When my son was in grade school, the school raised the money to build a playground, a really nice one. The whole community came out to do the bulk of the work in one weekend. I was out there shoveling mulch and picking up trash with the best of them. My son helped, too, some. On Sunday night the children in the choir sang, "I Won't Grow Up" from Peter Pan and then we all went in to play on the new equipment. I count that as one of the most joyous moments of my life, and it was totally unexpected. I didn't plan on being happy about the finishing of the playground; in my Puritanical way, it was something I did because it was asked of me and for my child and his classmates. I didn't show in tears but I sure did in back pain, and I reaped in joy.
However, joy is not the only thing unexpected. So is sorrow. See next post.
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