“Wild Joy”
In a seminar that I attended this week, our presenter told the story of being given a gift of three old books by his wife. This man loves old books. He collects old books… really old books. These particular books were not that old… less than one hundred years old, in fact. He told us how he opened up one of the books that was published in 1915 and found the following question penciled in the margin: “Can there be wild joy in Christianity?” “Can there be wild joy in Christianity?”
That question captured my attention and I spent quite a bit of time thinking about it. In fact, it distracted me from part of the seminar. My first answer was “Yes, of course.” And then I stopped, because my next question was: “When was the last time that you witnessed “wild joy” in Christianity?” And I found that I could not answer that question… and that really bothered me. “When was the last time that you witnessed “wild joy” in Christianity?”
I remember having a sense of “peace” in Christianity. I remember “contentment.” I remember “laughter.” I remember “happiness.” I remember “awe.” I remember “wonder.” I remember a sense of feeling “very, very small” and “very, very finite.” I remember “strength.” I remember “power.” And I remember a sense of “majesty.” I even remember “joy.” But “wild joy?” Can there be “wild joy” in Christianity? Can there be “wild joy” in a life led in Christian faith? Why not? And what would it take to produce it? As I read this passage from Revelation, I thought to myself, whatever would cause the angels to stand before the throne of God and sing, “Blessing and glory and wisdom and thanksgiving and honor and power and might be to our God forever and ever! Amen"… whatever would cause them to do that would be something at the foundation of “wild joy.” These are the messengers of God who live in the very presence of God. Is that what gives them such joy that they sing blessings and honor and power and glory and might to God?
But they are not the only ones gathered around the throne, singing praises to the Lamb. There is, in the words of our text today, “a great multitude that no one could count, from every nation… from all tribes and peoples and languages… standing before the throne and before the Lamb, robed in white, with palm branches in their hands… crying out in a loud voice, saying, "Salvation belongs to our God who is seated on the throne, and to the Lamb!" So, is it serving God and living in God’s presence, as the angels do, that creates a sense of “wild joy” … or is it that salvation comes from God and that the whole multitude has been redeemed that creates a sense of “wild joy?” Or is it something else?
Our text asks the question, "Who are these, robed in white, and where have they come from?" And that question is then answered by the same elder, "These are they who have come out of the great ordeal; they have washed their robes and made them white in the blood of the Lamb. For this reason they are before the throne of God, and worship him day and night within his temple, and the one who is seated on the throne will shelter them.” Is it the intense gratitude of a people rescued from an incredible ordeal and that lies at the foundation of their “wild joy?”
Anyone who has survived a life-threatening ordeal knows the intense emotion that accompanies their rescue. First comes the fear that the rescue is only a dream… a fantasy… an hallucination that will vanish if the victims blink. To combat that fear, they cling to their rescuers… afraid to release them, for they are afraid those rescuers will disappear in the next moment. Next, comes “survivors’ guilt”… a sense that others should have lived and they, the survivors, should have died… a time of struggling with the serendipity… the providence… the twist of fate… that took another and left them. This struggle often leads survivors into a period of deep introspection and depression. Then, once they have accepted their rescue and come to terms with their guilt, there is a soul-deep need to celebrate their survival with an expression of intense emotion… almost as though the intensity of the fear they experienced in the ordeal must be balanced by an equal or stronger expression of joy in their restoration and redemption. For many, it is expressed in the need to scream and yell… to jump and dance… to push beyond the boundaries of the every day behavior… into wide-open demonstrations of physical abandon and pure freedom.
And I can give you an example of that: One year after Hurricane Katrina… a year of terror for many who trembled at the noise of a thunderstorm… or the howl of the wind... a year of recriminations for the “deaths of so many innocents”… the aged… the infirm… those unable to escape the holocaust… one year after Hurricane Katrina, a repaired… restored… and “better-than-ever” Superdome opened in time for the Saints first home game of the football season. It cost $144 million dollars to achieve that goal and that expenditure was heavily criticized by many people… most of whom did not live in New Orleans and had never been to New Orleans. But on Monday, September 25, 2006, when that game between the New Orleans Saints and the Atlanta Falcons was played in New Orleans, every television set in the city, it seemed, was tuned to game… and every person wanted to be a part of this first visible sign of hope for the city and its future. They had come through a great ordeal… they had survived… and now it was time to celebrate. Whether these individuals were in the Dome… or in a local sports bar… or in their own homes, the residents of New Orleans screamed their fear… their rage… their passion… and their hope in life at the top of their lungs. It was a night to remember for the sheer intensity of the emotions that were expressed. It was the cry of a city being reborn. It was the first night of my mission trip to New Orleans last fall… and, at the time, I didn’t understand it.
But our text says more. “The one who is seated on the throne will shelter them. They will hunger no more, and thirst no more; the sun will not strike them, nor any scorching heat; for the Lamb at the center of the throne will be their shepherd, and he will guide them to springs of the water of life, and God will wipe away every tear from their eyes." So, is it serving God and living in God’s presence that creates a sense of “wild joy” … or is it that salvation comes from God and a redemption of the whole multitude that creates a sense of “wild joy?” Is it the intense gratitude of a people rescued from an incredible ordeal and that lies at the foundation of their “wild joy?” Or is it the promise that nothing will ever harm them again… that they are protected by One who will be their Shepherd forever that brings such a sense of “wild joy” to them?
My question for you today is this: What do we do, as Christians, that fills our hearts… or the hearts of those we serve… with so much joy… with such intense joy… that we… or they… are inspired to sing praises to God forever and ever? What is it that we do… what is it that we experience… or what experiences do we create for others… what create a joy so wild… so expressive… so completely overwhelming… that we… or they… are inspired to dance… or compelled to sing… or motivated to shout praises to God… without any thought of who might be looking or listening… without any care of persons or things on this earth that might restrain us… that all the rest fades into the background? Or do we just not do the “wild joy” thing?
I can give you examples from our Christian life of those occasions that are “supposed” to fill us with joy. There’s Christmas, when Jesus was born. There’s Easter, when Christ rose from the dead. There’s Pentecost, when the Holy Spirit was given and the church was born. There’s Baptism, when an individual comes to a saving knowledge of Christ, and his or her salvation is validated in a sacrament celebrated by the entire community of faith. And there is the Lord’s Supper, when we remember our own redemption through Christ and we renew our vows to serve him. Have any of those generated a sense of “wild joy” for you? Or have we just not allowed the “wild joy” that is humming and thrumming through our bodies at those times to break through the icy walls of our “decent and in good order” “frozen chosen-ness” into the light of day? Would it be so bad if it did?
What happens to us between the time that we, as children, go to summer camp or participate in Vacation Bible School and share this excitement in learning about God that fills us with wonder and joy… and now, when we are all grown up… educated… stodgy… predictable… placid… older - or is it “mature” Christians who often smile… sometimes laugh… but rarely, if ever, experience “wild joy?” What have we lost along the way? Can we get it back?
The Westminster Catechism tells us that the chief end of man… or humankind… is to glorify God and to enjoy him forever. That is exactly what the people in John’s vision are doing: glorifying God and enjoying him forever. What will it take to bring joy… “wild joy”… back into the everyday life of Christians in Stephenville? Wouldn’t it be great to be known as the church that brought joy back to life… the church that cannot contain its excitement over its faith… the church that lives to glorify God and enjoy him forever? What would it take to fill this church will a “wild joy?” Or is that un-Presbyterian somehow?
What is your vision for the future of the church? Does it include celebrations of our faith and expressions of “wild joy” in Christianity? Can we get there from here? How? As we meet in our small groups this month, will you share a ministry idea that will make a difference in the life of this community… a ministry that we can participate in with “wild joy”… or one that will bring “wild joy” to others? Will you share an idea for worship… or faith development… that will open our hearts to all the joy that God wants to shower upon us… or awaken long-sleeping areas of our Christian life to the light of day? There are literally thousands of ways that we can serve God… that we can make a difference… and to fill the lives of those around us with joy. What urging has God laid on your heart for our ministry here? And what role will you play in that? Are you ready for some “wild joy”? Amen.
Revelation 7:9-17