Human Development

Discipline of celebration

Description:
The original Jubilee of the Old Testament was a freeing from possessions, a restructuring of social arrangements when slaves were released. It is also a metaphor for the coming of the Gospel or good news of Jesus Christ. Celebration brings joy and a carefree spirit into apathy and melancholy; it is central to all spiritual disciplines, so that instead of being dull and breathing death they become festive and carefree with a sense of thanksgiving. The genuine joy that is manifested in celebration arises only in obedience. This is the secret of a happy life, without it joy becomes artificial and hollow. The secret is not to bypass misery but to transform it. It is the spiritual disciplines that lead to the transformation which brings joy. Another necessity is to be without care or anxiety, trusting entirely in God to provide for one's needs, making one's requests known to God through prayer and thanksgiving.
Celebration is a discipline because it requires an act of will, of consciously choosing to dwell on the good things in life, of choosing the way one thinks and lives. It requires that one does not take one's self too seriously, and brings a sense of perspective. When celebrating the glory of God, no-one is higher or lower than another, there is no sense of judging another. Traditionally, group celebration has included music, dancing and lots of noise, although these are not necessary. All the rites of passage and traditional feasts are occasions for celebration, as are all the disciplines.
Broader:
Spiritual discipline