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A Few Words from Pastor Bryan
...and Christina Pratt
The theme we celebrate each year during the 3rd week of Advent is Joy. It's an important and wonderful theme, and one of the reasons I appreciate it so much is because it always reminds me to reflect on the difference between joy and happiness.
I saw a bumper sticker years ago that said, "Do more of what makes you happy." I remember thinking to myself, "Ah, THAT's the problem." Thinking that there's something we can do or have or experience that can make us happy. Don't get me wrong. I enjoy having fun, and I enjoy doing things that are pleasurable. But I've also learned through my own experience and through lots of observation and reflection that chasing pleasure in things or anything external in order to "be happy" or acquire happiness is fraught with problems. It might lead to some fun times, and that's great, but the "buzz" never lasts. As Ram Dass once put it, "what goes up must come down. There came a time when I wanted something deeper than that."
There is a shamanic teacher named Christina Pratt (that's her in the photo above) who was teaching on her podcast (Why Shamanism Now?) about joy, and she contrasted it with happiness. She said something I've never forgotten. She said;
"You can't find joy by seeking it or trying to achieve it directly. Joy is not a quid pro quo kind of thing. It is not a reward. It is a gift and a by-product. Joy is the by-product of an authentically lived life."
Joy is the by-product of an authentically lived life. I love that. And of course it begs the question, what does it mean to live an authentic life?
Well all I can do here is get right to the point, and so here's my one word answer.
Jesus.
To me, Jesus was and is the ultimate example of what it means to live an authentic human life. The whole reason I've spent the last 48 years of my life studying the life and teachings of Jesus is because as far as I'm concerned he is the most authentic expression of what it means for a human to be fully in union with the Divine that I've ever encountered. There are other amazing teachers of course, but all of my studies and explorations always bring me back to Jesus. He took the love and justice of God to the limit. No games. No half way. He was and is the Real Deal, and he came to show us all what being Real looks like.
Jesus (through the presence of the Christ) invites us all to follow him into our own authentic experience of living in union with God, and to do this and BE this in community with each other. Oh don't even try to do it perfectly. It's not about perfection. It's about authenticity. So when you blow it, accept that you're unconditionally loved, learn what you can, be radically truthful, own your own junk, and get back on the path and keep moving forward. And don't waste any time with shame or unhealthy guilt.
And as for the world and its problems--there's really only one authentic response as followers of Jesus. We keep choosing God's Love, Truth, and Justice, discerning what our own gifts are, what small piece of God's Dream for the world is ours to carry, and we spend our lives using our gifts and energy living out God's call together with others. We do our best. We make a contributions in attempts to help the world be more loving and just. We develop beautiful relationships with others along the way, and we follow the path of Jesus together. That's what being Church is all about.
Want to experience the gift of Joy? Be Real as a follower of Jesus, and Joy will come to you. You'll be happy sometimes, and you'll be sad sometimes. You'll face life on life's terms and you'll have plenty of challenges, moments of breakthrough and beauty, and plenty of heartache.
BUT-- the Joy of Jesus will come and find you and fill you again and again, regardless of the circumstances, and in ways that will astound you and make life beautiful beyond words. You can count on it.
Come share some Joy together in church this Sunday,
Pastor Bryan
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