EXODUS 12:14

“This is a day you are to commemorate; for the generations to come you shall celebrate it as a festival to the Lord—a lasting ordinance.

TO PONDER

“I’m a ‘Pastor’, sorry please don’t hold it against me” has been my standard introduction for several years now when I meet new people.

Before anyone quotes the scripture at me about not being ashamed of the gospel, I am most definitely not ashamed and to be honest my ‘apology’ is given as an icebreaker (of sorts), with a smile and a chuckle but my apology is often required.

Let me briefly explain what I mean; A 2022 study carried out by Ipsos of 3119 Americans aged over 18 found that over half of those people described Christians as ‘self-righteous’, ‘hypocritical’ and ‘judgemental’. Again, before anyone says that’s not Australia, in my many discussions with non-churched people I would say that figure would be higher in Australia.

I have never once had someone protest my apology with a “that’s ridiculous, Christians are the most joyful, fun, accepting, hospitable people I have ever met, they are overflowing with life!”

In his book “Happy Hour” (available at ACR) Hugh Halter has titled the first chapter “Party as Sacrament”. He opens this chapter with Luke 7:34, the description used against Jesus of basically celebrating too much with the type of people most church-goers wouldn’t hang out with. Today’s verse uses the words “celebrate” and “festival” but when I read it my mind goes to some kind of stuffy, cold, religious church service not a joyous, overflowing life affirming, celebration of God’s grace.

Jesus’s first recorded miracle was at a celebration, at a party, it wasn’t to heal a sick person, or to feed the hungry but rather to make a celebration better, a joyful occasion more joyful, dare I say a party  a sacrament… 

PRAYER:  Amazing God, I thank you for celebration, for joy, for parties, for hospitality, for overflowing life that can be found in following you. I ask you to help me be seen as one who celebrates too often, who practices extreme hospitality, and who is a friend to sinners.  Amen.

Today's devotion written by Danny Brock, LifeWay Westside