{"id":931,"date":"2019-07-21T21:54:04","date_gmt":"2019-07-21T21:54:04","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/fumcschenectady.org\/blog\/2019\/07\/21\/find-joy-based-on-isaiah-6610-14-and-psalm\/"},"modified":"2020-02-15T18:18:59","modified_gmt":"2020-02-15T18:18:59","slug":"find-joy-based-on-isaiah-6610-14-and-psalm","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/fumcschenectady.org\/blog\/2019\/07\/21\/find-joy-based-on-isaiah-6610-14-and-psalm\/","title":{"rendered":"\u201cFind Joy\u201d based on\u00a0\tIsaiah 66:10-14 and Psalm 66:-19"},"content":{"rendered":"

\nWeeping
\nmay linger for the night,
but
\njoy comes with the morning.<\/i><\/p>\n

\n –
\nPsalm 30:5b<\/i><\/p>\n

\n<\/p>\n

\nI have a fondness for
\n\u2026 um… expressive language ;), and that fondness was significantly
\nstronger when I was in college. \u00a0However, in April during every year
\nof college I cleaned up my language to \u00a0pristine levels. \u00a0I did it so
\nthat when I got to camp, I would not accidentally speak a word that
\nwould harm, or offend, or get repeated by any of our campers with
\nspecial needs. \u00a0We were also careful then, as we are now, not to
\noffer too many hugs or to permit any loosening of manners \u2013 not to
\nallow anything at camp that would cause potential harm in the real
\nworld. \u00a0\n<\/p>\n

\n<\/p>\n

\nI did this because I
\nloved our campers, and I wanted them to be safe, secure, and at ease
\nboth at camp and in the world.<\/p>\n

\n<\/p>\n

\nDuring my second year
\nof seminary I started an internship with an urban church, one that
\nwas doing important ministry with people who were homeless. \u00a0People
\nwho are homeless are more likely to be assaulted \u2013 both physically
\nand sexually. \u00a0People who are homeless are often hungry, unable to
\nget clean, struggling with physical health, and most people who are
\nhomeless for a long time end up with an addiction even if they didn’t
\nstart out with one. \u00a0Being homeless is one of the hardest and most
\nvulnerable positions in our society, if not THE hardest.<\/p>\n

\n<\/p>\n

\nThe history I’d
\nlearned in college about the closing of state hospitals for people
\nwith disabilities, and the resulting (continued) failure of the
\nsystem to care for the most vulnerable people in our society suddenly
\nbecame very clear in reality. \u00a0People who were in the same population
\nas Sky Lake’s beloved special needs campers were homeless on the
\nstreets of Los Angeles. \u00a0The disconnect between the intentional care
\nI’d been offering to God’s beloved people with special needs at camp
\nand the reality that people with special needs were being assaulted
\nevery day on the streets of LA, and that society was doing NOTHING to
\nchange it broke open my heart.<\/p>\n

\n<\/p>\n

\nI have not recovered
\nyet.<\/p>\n

\n<\/p>\n

\nInstead, over the
\npast 15 years, I’ve discovered more and more ways that the world is
\nfundamentally broken and been disillusioned repeatedly. \u00a0Some wise
\nones have pointed out that is it because of the color of my skin and
\nthe stability of my childhood that I was able to be so naive to begin
\nwith, and they’re right. \u00a0Yet, for me seeing the world as it is, and
\nseeing clearly what its priorities are and are not, is painful.
\nSimilarly, seeing the church as it is, and seeing clearly what its
\npriorities are and are not has been painful.<\/p>\n

\n<\/p>\n

\nI believe that part
\nof the purpose of church is to offer a God’s vision for the world to
\nthe people, and as such to offer hope that we can build the kindom
\ntogether. \u00a0Further, I believe that the pastor’s role is to be a
\nspeaker of the vision, and of hope. \u00a0People NEED hope, and our faith
\ntradition offers it. \u00a0It has been hard at times, though, to have
\nintegrity and be truthful about the brokenness, and simultaneously
\noffer real hope. \u00a0The challenge, I think, has been in my own
\ndiscomfort with reality. \u00a0Once reality is accepted, then it can be
\nworked on, but I’ve been struggling for years to accept that things
\nreally are as broken as abundant evidence points to.<\/p>\n

\n<\/p>\n

\nThe realities of the
\nworld, however, are exactly WHY we need to speak hope \u2013 real hope \u2013
\nand be inspired by God’s visions of justice. \u00a0We can’t just let
\nourselves wallow, we have to face reality, but we can’t offer weak or
\ntrivial hope. \u00a0The world, and its people, NEED to know that another
\nway of being is possible, and we can create it together.<\/p>\n

\n<\/p>\n

\nFamily Systems theory
\nteaches us that when we are anxious, we get more close minded. \u00a0When
\nsystems (groups of people) are anxious, they get more close-minded
\ntoo. \u00a0They take less risks. \u00a0They make worse decisions. \u00a0They create
\nanxiety in their people, and then people with raised anxiety tend to
\nrevert to old ways of functioning and coping mechanisms that often do
\nmore harm than good: gossip, triangulation, demonizing others,
\nconsuming, addictive behaviors, lashing out, etc. \u00a0Anxiety can easily
\nbecome it’s own self-perpetuating cycle.<\/p>\n

\n<\/p>\n

\nDear ones, the
\nanxiety in our systems right now are at unhealthy levels. \u00a0I remember
\nreading articles during the 2016 election cycle about the impact the
\nelection was having on our shared mental health (it was bad). \u00a0It has
\ngotten worse. \u00a0The injustices around us take a toll every day, and I
\nhear from all of us how much we want to create change. \u00a0It doesn’t
\nhelp right now to be part of the United Methodist Church, because
\nbeing part of a CHURCH that is an oppressor is really darn
\ndepressing, and adds our anxiety and dismay. \u00a0Further, in this
\nparticular congregation, we’ve been working on something that is also
\nreally hard: we’ve been in conversations about balancing our budget,
\nwhich we have not done since 2004. \u00a0(And even that was a bit of an
\nanomaly.) \u00a0We have been living beyond our means for a long time.
\nBalancing the budget requires making difficult decisions about who we
\nare and what we do and what is imperative to our shared life
\ntogether, and it requires that we have really difficult conversations
\nwhere we don’t all agree \u2013 and that is anxiety producing as well.<\/p>\n

\n<\/p>\n

\nIt is tempting, in
\nthese days, to give up: \u00a0to stick our heads in the sand, or to lash
\nout in anger, or to become comatose on the couch. \u00a0It is REALLY easy
\nto let the anxiety win.<\/p>\n

\n<\/p>\n

\nBut.\n<\/p>\n

\n<\/p>\n

\nDear ones, beloveds
\nof God, we aren’t going to do that. \u00a0We
\naren’t going to give in and we aren’t going to lash out. \u00a0We aren’t
\ngoing to let anxiety take over. \u00a0We are going to keep on
\nkeeping on, working towards the kindom, loving each other, spreading
\nlove and goodness in the world, and trusting that God works with us,
\nthrough us, and when necessary despite of us. \u00a0We are going to find
\nthe ways to let go of the anxiety, and find some trust and some hope,
\nand be sources of transformation.<\/p>\n

\n<\/p>\n

\nWe are going to break
\nout of the cycles, because anxiety is terrible for us, it is terrible
\nfor the world, and it enables all the things we don’t want to see!
\nNow, here is the weird twist. \u00a0Given all the brokenness of the world,
\nit can feel really disrespectful, or trite, or privileged, or even
\nmean to \u2026. have fun, seek joy, laugh, and play. \u00a0(Or even just to
\ntake breaks and deal with reality for a bit.) \u00a0That’s real! \u00a0I know
\nhow hard it can be to enjoy life when we know the awful things that
\nare happening, but I want to share with you wisdom that I heard
\nsecond hand. \u00a0This wisdom came from a person who was impoverished and
\ndisenfranchised in a country with dictatorial rule. \u00a0That person was
\nasked, \u201cWhy are you so joyful when things are so bad!?\u201d And they
\nresponded, \u201cWhy would we let them take our joy too? \u00a0It is all we
\nhave left.\u201d \u00a0\n<\/p>\n

\n Joy, it turns
\nout, is resistance. \u00a0Joy is OURS to claim, and we shouldn’t give
\nit up, because giving it up won’t help anyone \u2013 in fact it will
\nhurt everyone. \u00a0The world needs more joy.<\/p>\n

<\/figure>\n

<\/p>\n

\nJoy, unlike anxiety,
\ncreates space for creativity, for connection, for hope. \u00a0Out of the
\nbox thinking can happen when joy replaces anxiety, and the problems
\nof the world today REALLY need new solutions. \u00a0Joy makes space for
\npeople to regain their humanity. \u00a0And laughter really is the best
\nmedicine (trust me, I laughter until I cried at camp \u2013 twice \u2013
\nand I haven’t felt so whole since before General Conference).
\nWhatever you do, dear ones, don’t cut out joy from your life.<\/p>\n

\n<\/p>\n

\nAnd, if you need help
\ngetting to joy \u2013 which is totally fair \u2013 most wisdom teachers say
\ngratitude is the way to get there. \u00a0So, practice advice here: keep a
\ngratitude journal, and take 5 minutes at the end of each day to
\nnotice what you are grateful for in that day. \u00a0Putting our attention
\non what is good is a great way to create more good, and to make space
\nin our lives for joy.<\/p>\n

\n<\/p>\n

\nNow for the REALLY
\ngood news. \u00a0Our God is a God who knows all about oppression, and has
\nworked to overcome it throughout all of history. \u00a0In all these years
\nwhere I have become further and further disillusioned with society
\nand the world, I have found great comfort in the Bible. \u00a0The Bible is
\nVERY WELL AWARE of the brokenness of the world, of the reality of
\ndomination systems, AND of the power of God to break them open. \u00a0\n<\/p>\n

\n<\/p>\n

\nThe Bible tells this
\nstory innumerable times, but there are three really big versions of
\nthie story: \u00a0(1) The Bible says that God knows about the oppression
\nof slavery, and moves to free the people who are enslaved. \u00a0(2) The
\nBible says God knows about the oppression of exile, and moves the
\npeople to restoration. \u00a0(3) The Bible says God knows about the
\noppression of being part of empire because of the force of the
\nmilitary, and moves the people to empowerment, to resistance, and
\nultimately to freedom. \u00a0That is, the stories of (1) Exodus, of (2)
\nExile and Return, and (3) of the ministry of Jesus.<\/p>\n

\n<\/p>\n

\nThe passage from
\nIsaiah today is a response to Exile and Return, and it speaks in the
\nlanguage of God as mother of the people, nursing them and caring for
\nthem. \u00a0After a WHOLE LOT of condemnation of the injustices of ancient
\nIsrael, in the end of Isaiah we hear, \u201c Rejoice with Jerusalem, and
\nbe glad for her, all you who love her; rejoice with her in joy, all
\nyou who mourn over her– that you may nurse and be satisfied from her
\nconsoling breast; that you may drink deeply with delight from her
\nglorious bosom.\u201d \u00a0Rejoice with Jerusalem, despite it’s history of
\noppression, despite its history of exile and destruction, none of
\nthose are the final words. \u00a0The final words are that God cares for
\nthe people and finds a way to nurture them and it brings great joy.
\nThe final words in the book of Isaiah are God’s comfort, and care,
\nand the people’s JOY. \u00a0\n<\/p>\n

\n<\/p>\n

\nI’ve told you before,
\nbut this bears repeating: Our faith says that Love wins in the end,
\nand if Love hasn’t won yet, then it isn’t the end yet. \u00a0(In this case
\nLove and God are interchangeable.) \u00a0The brokenness of day is not
\nthe final answer, God is still at work. \u00a0We are still partnering
\nwith God to make things better. \u00a0So, in the meantime, practice
\ngratitude, find joy, allow for rest, and in doing so let go of
\nanxiety. \u00a0God is working, and looking for for open-hearted, loving,
\npartners to work alongside. \u00a0May we find MANY ways to be those
\npeople, and encourage each other towards joy. \u00a0Amen\n<\/p>\n

\n<\/p>\n

– <\/p>\n

Rev. Sara E. BaronFirst United Methodist Church of Schenectady603 State St. Schenectady, NY 12305Pronouns: she\/her\/hershttp:\/\/fumcschenectady.org\/\u2028https:\/\/www.facebook.com\/FUMCSchenectady<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

Weeping may linger for the night,but joy comes with the morning. – Psalm 30:5b I have a fondness for \u2026 … Continue reading \u201cFind Joy\u201d based on\u00a0\tIsaiah 66:10-14 and Psalm 66:-19<\/span><\/a><\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":3,"featured_media":0,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[11],"tags":[34,38,28,39,33,151,153,152,154,71,150,56,57],"class_list":["post-931","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","hentry","category-sermons","tag-fumc-schenectady","tag-progressive-christianity","tag-rev-sara-e-baron","tag-thinking-church","tag-umc","tag-all-means-all","tag-dont-give-up-joy","tag-joy-comes-in-the-morning","tag-love-wins-in-the-end","tag-my-boyfriend-isaiah","tag-reconciling-church","tag-schenectady","tag-sorry-about-the-umc"],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/fumcschenectady.org\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/931","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/fumcschenectady.org\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/fumcschenectady.org\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/fumcschenectady.org\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/3"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/fumcschenectady.org\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=931"}],"version-history":[{"count":1,"href":"https:\/\/fumcschenectady.org\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/931\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":1146,"href":"https:\/\/fumcschenectady.org\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/931\/revisions\/1146"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/fumcschenectady.org\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=931"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/fumcschenectady.org\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=931"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/fumcschenectady.org\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=931"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}