One of the impressions I get when studying history is that the authors tend to see everything in terms of the advance of Western Civilization, as if nothing else matters. No one puts much thought into how people covered the earth long before Europeans came to America, and that they came looking for a short cut to what they call the Far East. Middle East, Far East, West: everything centers around Rome according to this world view, apparently.
As a Christian, I center my world view around where Christ was born and crucified. They were the two most important events in history, and therefore, their location trumps everything else. (San Angelo and Cypress probably make Texas a close second.) I know these lands have been held by others as Abrham moved in, and Moses led His people back, as Kings rose, and Kingdoms fell, and as innumerable atrocities were committed as Jews, Muslims, and Christians fought to control the area for centuries. We look at the nation of Israel and maybe do not really understand that it did not exist when my mom was born. Did not exist! Big thoughts.
The eighth pattern is Bathe in the Dead Sea and has three chapters. I must admit at this point I sorta want to finish this series and move on. Chapter 20 is titled The Singular Secret of Unsinkable Saints. It begins with a quote from my favorite composer: George Frideric Handel. Water Music is just the bomb. The pattern is about joy and the idea in the quote is that Handel’s music elicits feelings of joy. The background on the title is that the joy of God allows us to float through life as if we were floating on the dead sea that is so dense due to its high salinity and unique characteristics.
The author has six big take aways from a Biblical study of the term joy and its synonyms. Today confirmed my big take away that my Wednesday’s are the busiest of the week. I had so many things going on today I misplaced an easy one to finish. I felt foolish.
Among recent bits and pieces, I have also come to think that our work as for the Lord is to be joyous and not all about toil or trying to be happy nor even not doing anything and being happy. Almost exactly opposite of what the world tells us. A friend told me of a bitter ending to a joyous relationship that has a relatively impactful and happy image. The back room deals that cannot stand the light should not be done. Ugh.
Anyway, on to joy. The author’s first point was that God’s very personality is full of joy. Never thought of that before, but if Christ tells us to live lives full of joy and to be like Him, certainly God must be full of joy. I think of the joy I get from watching the cats do their thing and I can only imagine how much more joy God has when we follow Him.
The second is that God’s home is a joyful place. Heaven is a joyful place. I always pictured it as a happy place where everything goes right. Like making 25 of 25 free throws as opposed to making only 11 of 23 and stopping. Tuning up the image to being joyful puts a new twist on combining living a joyous life with as if in heaven.
The third was that we should pay attention to the joy woven into creation. I get it, especially with the sunrise we saw the other Tuesday, but my favorite part was his references to Job 38:7 and angels singing as God created the world and the horses and ostriches being joyous (39:21 and 38:11). Worshipping nature is too often an idol and too often people put the earth and science above God and having a personal relationship. But seeing God in naure is part of His plan.
The fourth was that Jesus came to reinstate joy in creation. Acts 2:28 tells us that Peter refers to Jesus as a man filled with joy. I can picture that, and I know that living out that joy is what drew people to Him as opposed to handouts, quotes, and the meeting of worldly needs that occurred in His ministry. I pictured that in my life. I want to aspire to exude joy in my life, despite my personality.
The fifth was about a sacred obligation we have to live joyfully. That put a damper on it all for me. I do not like the impression “sacred obligation” has in my mind. I think of pre-printing press days when priests read in Latin and told the lay people God says do this or God says do that. I like reading the Word of God and letting the Holy Spirit tell me what I should do. Living a joyful life should be about letting the living water spring forth from me, and not some chore I have to do. The example the author uses talks about keep moving forward as a way to focus on the joy before us, and not on the pain behind us. Nice story behind that.
The last one was that we should become specialist in joyology. I laughed at that word. He then says the theory of joy or “cheerful piety”. Another sacred obligation term that is. An old impression of mine is the opposite balances of “Just go have fun” vs. “Try to have fun.” Fun is fun, you cannot find it, you have to make it. You cannot try to have a joyful life, you just have to do it. The author wants us to think that we can let God do the work and we follow. And do so joyfully, Its Biblical.
So live like you were full of Go given joy. It’s Biblical.