Laurie and I were out for dinner the other night. As we were eating our meal and catching up on our day, I was reminded of a family tradition we did with our three boys. As I picked up my sweet tea to take a sip, I heard the words I knew too well, “May we have your attention please! Tonight we are celebrating _______ birthday! On the count of three let’s wish ________ a Happy Birthday…. one, two, three.”
Laurie and I looked at each other and smiled. It was a nostalgic moment. We recalled being in the same moment many times over the years with our three boys. Our family has a long tradition of going out to eat to celebrate birthdays. Depending on where you go, the celebration can vary from a sombrero being placed on your head, a highchair turned into a horse saddle you must sit on, a dessert presentation where you must blow out the candles (watch for the trick candles), and even a place where they put whipped cream on your face. However, you can never leave without them singing Happy Birthday to you. But one thing never changes, the people who organize the celebration are always smiling and taking pictures. They are savoring the moment!
I thought about the events we often celebrate and came up with a list: birthdays, dating anniversaries, engagements, weddings, wedding anniversaries, work anniversaries, work promotions, good grades, graduations, buying a house or car, the birth of a new child, and your favorite team (if you are a sports fan). We love to celebrate! We were made to celebrate! It is an expression of who we are.
So, it shouldn’t surprise us that we find celebrations throughout the Bible. The word celebrate means to make a clear sharp sound – to rejoice! Celebration has the connotation of someone savoring the moment. When we witness celebration in the Bible, the person or people are acknowledging God’s goodness, faithfulness and provision. Celebration is a response to who God is and what He has done. In the Old Testament, people gathered to celebrate feasts, holy days, victories in battle and temple dedications. The New Testament continues the theme of celebrating the Lord’s Supper, those coming to faith in Christ and the gathering of the church. The word rejoice is used 233 times!
One of my favorite examples of celebration is found in 2 Samuel 6:14-15,
“And David was dancing before the Lord with all his strength, and David was wearing a linen ephod. So David and all the house of Israel were bringing up the ark of the Lord with joyful shouting and the sound of the trumpet.”
David was dancing and shouting uninhibited before the Lord. David remembered his past, which gave him perspective for the future. David remembered what he had in the present to be thankful for. David humbly remembered the Lord’s presence and provisions in his life. David remembered and was filled with gratitude. It’s the same for us, or it should be.
But if I am honest, I am not sure celebration is easy for me. I can find myself hindered, self-conscience of what others would think about me if I cut loose. What would they say? What would they think? How would they act around me? All these questions began to swirl in my head, the same insecurities that go all the way back to my teenage years.
But then I am reminded that biblical celebration is not about me. I hear the words in my head of my seminary professor in his Indian accent saying, “It is about making much of God, not making much of you!”
As a church, we corporately celebrate Jesus. And because we are His body, we are celebrating each other. So don’t be surprised if next Sunday you hear these words…
May I have your attention please: “Today at Fellowship Bible Church we are celebrating – we are making much of Jesus! So on the count of three let’s dance… one, two, three!”
Savor the moment church family! There is nothing in this world like it.