I sat in a church service this morning where the sermon topic was holiness. It was initially presented in a rather disarming way; at least that was the intent. Here is the gist: Whereas holiness is usually defined and felt as something heavy and serious, holiness shouldn't be defined that way; it's NOT something that sucks the joy out of life.
But an interesting thing happened on the way through the message. Although holiness was introduced as something very close to joy, it quickly became joy-less and ended up in the vicinity of that church G. Keillor talks about - The Lady of Perpetual Responsibility. Phrases like, "God isn't as concerned about you being happy as he is about you being holy," surfaced and folks nodded their heads in sheeplike agreement. I wanted to back my rear end into a barbed wire fence and bleat out, "Baaaaaad theology." We dressed holiness in a Vera Wang knockout, got everyone's attention, and then pulled out an old North Face down jacket and bundled her up right quick. We swallow the camel of holiness and strain at happiness gnats. Is there really this monumental difference or is that just a semantical circus ride that preachers like to take?
God wants me to be holy but not necessarily happy? Really? Oh, God wants me to be joyful, but that's not necessarily the same thing as being happy. Really? Oh, I remember: happiness is a fleeting emotion contingent on my situation, while joy is this ever-abiding-deep-under-current-of-assurance. Really? Where does it say that? Or even hint at that? What if God wants me to be holy, which includes being joyful...and happy?
I'd love to hear what you think on this one. I'm sure someone will quickly reply that God said, "Be ye holy as I am holy." And that "happiness" is not in that verse. True. But that line of thinking would indicate that God's not happy. Have you ever thought about that one? If we're to be as He is, what if He's really, really happy? And therefore, wants us to be as well? Sure, He gets frustrated with beauty pageants, rising gas prices and country music blackballing the Dixie Chicks; but for the most part, what if He's happy? And that's included in being holy? And someone else might say, "But you can't do everything you want!" Who said that was the goal? I'm not sure even the most strident hedonist is trying to do "everything they want." I've got a hunch that God wants me and you to be haly or hoppy or haply or something like that. What thinkest thou?
Hmm...sorry I missed that church service, John. Sort of.
ReplyDeleteI'm not sure how to think about holiness and happiness. I sure don't think they're mutually exclusive, but I have found that happiness is a rather elusive thing no matter how you look at it.
In my journey, the desire to follow Christ is what gets me out of bed in the morning. Granted, sometimes I don't get out of bed until after ten, but still, I start the day with a prayer asking God to use me however he wills. I suspect a lot of "how he wills" is what points me down that path to holiness, along Sanctification Way. But even though the past few months (years?) have featured very little "happiness," I don't think that's because the path is barren of such a thing.
I have wondered if I'm just not noticing the joy [and I'm with you, let's just use those words interchangeably and stop playing this theologically suspect game of "Semantic Substitution"] along the narrow way - like maybe my eyes are too focused on the gravel path to notice the Columbine painting the side of the road or the hanging willow branches waltzing in the breeze or the saint-shaped clouds floating by in a sky-bue sky ("Hey, that one looks like Peter chopping off a guard's ear with his sword. Cool")
Does God want me to be happy? I don't know. I haven't asked for happiness lately. It takes all my energy just asking him to keep me on the right road.
It seems like he'd want me to be happy. But I'm not going to start walking down the "Just Do This and You Will Be Blessed" path to find happiness. And I don't just mean that prosperity gospel path. I think that even when we say well-meaning things like, "If you follow Christ, you'll know peace and contentment" we're taking the videogame controller out of God's hands. We're putting requirements on him that deny his right to be God and do God's stuff God's way.
I will say this - I have found tiny moments of happiness lately in the work I've been doing to help others. Not so much the paying work, but the gratis stuff. I shouldn't be surprised by that; other-focused efforts seem to always open the door to self-fulfillment. (Gotta love God's twisted economy.)
But beyond that? I don't know. I'll try looking around a bit more on my journey and let you know what I see.
The pastor should watch the movie Mother Theresa. She was big on smiling for Jesus. And the thing about smiling, it's really hard when you aren't happy. After being slain--albeit happily--by that movie, I thought more about this whole thing of joy, even in sorrow, and I think a lot of us miss it here.
ReplyDeleteOne image of holiness I keep with me as I worship, and anytime I think on the word 'holy' is of the cheribum. During worship we are to mystically represent the cheribum. Yum! That's just delicious right there. And we are to say with our whole being to the Life Creating Trinity, "Holy, Holy, Holy." It just doesn't feel bad to do that. I'm smiling and feeling all warm and happy as I type this. I'm feeling a real Pentecostal moment, and I don't even roll like that no mo'.
I'm of the Vera Wang--something in white, and modest, please--holiness school. Pretty, pretty, pretty. And simple. Just like the house--holy dwelling space--of God. And I'm smiling as I commit myself, and my brothers and sisters, and my whole life to Christ our God--just like the Liturgy says.
Of course, that's followed up by a rousing, "LORD, HAVE MERCY!" But still...