May 8, 2005

Filled with Joy

By Julianne Stokstad

There is a story about a religious community a long time ago in Europe. Times were hard and the community was declining in both numbers and faith. In desperation the Abbott went to his friend and wept as he told him the troubles. His friend, the rabbi, comforted him and told him: "There is something we in the Jewish community have known for a long time. The Messiah is one of you."

"What, the Messiah is one of us? How can that be?" he asked. But the rabbi insisted and so the Abbott went back to his monastery wondering and praying, yet comforted and excited.

In the next days, while walking around, at meals, at prayers, or doing his work, he would pass a monk and wonder if he were the one. In chapel, praying, he would hear another voice and wonder, is he the one? He began to treat all of his brothers with respect, kindness and awe. Soon everyone noticed the Abbott's change.

One of the brothers came to him and asked him what had happened. He revealed what the rabbi had said. Soon the other monk was looking at his brothers differently too. The word spread quickly through the monastery: the Messiah is one of us. New life soon filled the place and it was filled with worship, kindness and grace. Their prayer life was deep and passionate, services were alive and filled with joy. Villagers flocked to services, listening and watching intently. There were many who wished to join the community.

Over time, when they took their vows, they were told the mystery, the truth that their life together was based on: the Messiah is one of us. The monastery grew and prospered and all the monks grew in wisdom, grace and love. They still say the secret is the same: the Messiah is one of us.

Today on the seventh and last Sunday of the Easter season, we celebrate Ascension Day or Kristihimmelfart as they say in Denmark. Our reading from Luke tells of the final journey to heaven of the resurrected Jesus. The emotional roller coaster the disciples were on must have been incredible. They had witnessed the terrible death of their beloved leader and teacher. Although he had tried to prepare them, I don't think anyone can be adequately prepared for the experience of death. They were in the pit of grief and despair. Then the numerous resurrection appearances strengthened and energized the followers of Jesus. But now once again he departed from them. And from this final loss of their beloved teacher, they "returned to Jerusalem with great joy." What was that all about? Something must have happened to those disciples to change their grief to astonishing great joy!

What about joy? Most of us want it and like to be in places where it is found. If we succumb to the temptations of advertising, we begin to think things will make us happy, but that joy is shallow and short-lived. Many experiences in life bring us joy---weddings, baptisms, successes in our work, seeing family and friends, hearing that the Ivory billed woodpecker is not extinct. But joy is not experienced in times of great loss-at funerals for example or when those we love leave us. Sadness and grief is the usual, we'd even say healthy response to the loss. In our narcissistic culture, I think we have confused self-satisfaction and ego fulfillment with the kind of joy the Bible is talking about. Teilhard de Chardin said, "Joy is the most infallible sign of the presence of God." This joy flows out from a deep place within us I call our soul. This joy is seen as a light or shine in eyes or as a deep calm peacefulness. Generosity, gratitude, kindness, aliveness are also sign of this joy. This kind of joy does not come from our intellects, which think and analyze or from our emotions, which color our experiences variously. This kind of joy I'm talking about is not from our egos, which defend and protect us. This kind of joy is not dependent upon what happens to us. It is from a deeper source and that is the place in us that knows God.

This amazing joy they knew at this time could only have been from their experience of God. That is why they were in the temple blessing and praising God because they knew that although Jesus was no longer physically on the earth, now he was with God and could be experienced by many people in many different lands, in many different ways. That is something to be joyful about!

We need a place to come to remember Jesus Christ and reconnect again and again with God. We need to be together in community blessing and praising God. We need church.

I believe in church. It is the best place to learn and model how to live together as Jesus taught us to do. William Sloane Coffin, retired UCC pastor of Riverside Church in New York City, wrote: "If Christ is God's love in person on earth, churches ought to be God's love in an organization on earth. If love is what it's all about, where are we going to celebrate this love unless in community with loving people?" Church is a moral center, a nucleus, in the larger community. Now more than ever we need to know whom we are as church with clear vision and witness.

I love to hear the stories of Christ's presence here. I am delighted to hear the stories about people supporting and caring for each other in times of need. Stories of how we rejoice with each other and celebrate each other's joys. Stories of how we reach out into the community and help, everyone here has something to give.

Here is an area I have not heard many stories about. In last Thursday's Marin IJ I read a column about the new Star Wars movie, which expressed concern about the violence in this movie. Grace Rogers, psychologist and founding member of Violence Prevention Forum was quoted saying "A culture that does not hold the welfare of their children in the highest regard is a culture in decline." I am concerned about the values our culture teaches our children and youth. I wonder what it does to hearts and brains of children watching violence on TV, movies or computer games. I feel so very strongly they need guidance, support and love from all of us, not to tell them what to do, but in order to help them gain strength and wisdom for wise choices. I want everyone, but especially the children and youth, to be treated with kindness, respect and love. I want them to come to trust Christ is in our midst.

No one standing around watching the disciples staring up at the sky could have realized the astounding thing that happened that day when they stopped looking up to the sky and looked at each other. They had nothing but a promise, a prayer and each other. Those ordinary people became courageous, empowered and wise evangelists forming the early church. Why do you sit here and look up where you think he was? Look around! Look around you!! The Messiah is in our midst!