Strong spirits: let's celebrate!

How are you at celebrating?  In what ways?  With whom?

When it comes to our day-to-day lives, it seems most of us have a need for and a love for a good celebration- birthdays, graduations, weddings, births, appointments, sporting events- that sort of thing.  We have little or no problem whooping it up.  Often, the bigger the celebration, the more we enjoy it.

But when it comes to matters of faith and our faith lives, all of that seems somehow inappropriate, unnecessary, or embarrassing!  At any rate, we people of faith, followers of Jesus, can be curmudgeonly or lackluster.  We seem to not know how to or have no desire to celebrate.  And that's too bad.

What does King David do when the arc of the covenant is recovered?  He celebrates with songs, music, and dancing. What does the father of the prodigal son do when his son returns?  He celebrates! What did the man who lost a sheep,or the woman who lost a coin do when they are found?  They celebrated! What do the angels do when any of us sinners repents?  They celebrate!

"Rejoice in the Lord always, and again I say rejoice!"  Paul the apostle (Philippians 4:4)

To celebrate is to thank and praise God and to tell him that we trust him, no matter what.  Let's celebrate!