Michael's Musings for May 2010
God's Laughter while Staring Death in the Face!
The idea of "God laughing" may sound strange, but it is not new! In fact, it is ancient enough to have been enshrined in liturgies of Eastern Orthodoxy still practiced in some Russian, Greek, and Coptic churches.
On Easter, it is the tradition for everyone to crawl under the Altar (symbolic of the Tomb of Jesus) and upon emerging from the other side, to shout Christos Aneste! Christ is Risen! The rest of the congregation shouts back
Alethos Aneste! He is Risen indeed! Crawling under the altar is everyone's way of dramatizing the fact that believers rise from the dead with Christ. Then, it is customary in some places to gather around the Altar and tell jokes! Yes, jokes! It is believed that God has pulled off the greatest joke ever imagined by raising Jesus (and us!) from the dead. The "joke" is on the powers of darkness, despair, and death itself. Telling jokes is a way of entering into God's great sense of humor!
Western Christians (especially the Protestant variety!) have tended to be more "serious" so that telling jokes around the Altar on Easter might seem irreverent or impious! But, truth be told, we miss much of the deeper meaning of the Easter Proclamation when we think of God, and/or religion, as all serious. Sure, faith in God is "life or death" serious, but that does not mean devoid of joy! Remarkably, many people of faith throughout the ages have been "joyful" in the face of tragedy and death. Anyone who has stared death in the face, like many Haitians whom we've seen in the recent earthquake, know the deep awareness of joy (not mere happiness!) that accompanies faith when God's victory over death is claimed.
This was evident last Sunday at church when
Ted Penn shared that it has been over ten
years since his paralyzing stroke - he even
stood up and called out for help! As we sang
and many gathered around him for a group
hug and blessing, Ted began to smile!
Afterward as we talked, he was beaming!
This was no denial of his pain or anger
over the past - but rather the awareness
that unlike some who have been in similar
shoes, Ted was not defeated. He is victorious!
And Ted's victory - while not the "miracle"
he would want for himself, or we still want for
him - is a miracle! In fact, Ted inspires us all
to see and know that despite the continuing
struggle, he can laugh, like God, in the
face of death!
God's laughter is contagious! It is much deeper, richer, and enduring than some of the shallow comedy and forced laughter that often passes for humor in the world around us. One of the ways we can better witness to God's goodness is to do a bit more laughing - REAL laughing - in our life together. It just might be contagious and draw others in, while driving death out! Christos Aneste!
Alethos Aneste!
On the Way with Jesus,
Michael+
Musings and Memories of Pentecost Sunday
What a wonderful PENTECOSTAL Celebration we shared on Sunday, May 23, 2010, the 63rd birthday of Church of the Holy Spirit (yes, on the Day of Pentecost, 1947, the parish began life in ShannockVillage)!
Highlights included ten (yes, 10) languages reading the text from the Book of Acts (Chap. 2) about the very first Pentecost, c. 33 AD. Cathy Holly led the way in English, followed by Pastor Michael in Dutch, Pam Sirois in French, Gene Cooke in German, Donna Comolli in Italian, Dennis Meagher in Latin, Pauline Boisvert in Lithuanian, Nancy Penn in Portugese, Joan Strader in Spanish, and Joyce Hellewell in Swedish. During the verses when everyone combined reading, we really experienced “speaking in tongues” and the sound was a glorious cacophony! Michael is already recruiting for next year, and we’ve signed Shiela Whalen up for Gaelic!
This polylingual glossalalia was followed by a sung responsorial version of Psalm 150, which we’ll be learning more of during the summer months, and then Lauren Holley read the lesson from the Book of Revelation (Chap. 3) where God says he is “about to spit you out of my mouth” because the church is “lukewarm.” Lauren’s expressive chuckle was picked up by the microphone, and gave many of us a chuckle too! There was nothing “lukewarm” about the Church of the Holy Spirit on Pentecost Sunday!
Melissa Doak was feted and honored for her committed leadership of the children’s ministry for the past ten years (she’d lost count, except that 4 or 5 vicars have come or gone since she started!) and everyone joined in thanking her. Most poignant were the children’s own messages, coming out of a big box with a seemingly endless number of smaller boxes inside! Melissa will have a lot to remember about this Sunday as she enjoys dinner and a round of golf for two this summer. We wonder who she’ll ask to join her! Hit ‘em hard and long, Melissa!
We were also blessed to honor Chris North (who got a Sunday off from his job at Wal-mart) who served as crucifer. Chris is graduating from high school and entering military service this summer. His wonderful service over many years, as acolyte and reader, Christmas Pageant cast member, and generally “cool” teenage Christian, will be missed as he goes off to the Marine Corps. And, his notorious “clowning around” as a major shaker and mover during several summers of circus parking will long be remembered. Way to go Chris! You’ll always be part of us and our prayers go with you for safety and success in everything you undertake!
A great feast followed, with “pot luck” shared by all and topped off with a 63rd Birthday Cake, inscribed with thanks to Melissa, who shared in making the first cuts with Cathy Holly, also celebrating a birthday today (we won’t tell how many)! Oh yes, and Cody Granville turned 5! The festivities just went on and on, thanks to all who participated, confirming that “the Spirit is a movin’ at Holy Spirit!”
