The practice of Celebration is choosing actions that highlight God’s grace and goodness to us, that bring us deep gladness & hope, and that lead us to praise, thanksgiving and worship. Celebration includes setting our minds and hearts on what brings God joy, and choosing in our actions to join God in that joy!
Applause, everyone. Bravo, Bravissimo! Shout God-songs at the top of your lungs! Psalm 47:1
At the dedication of the wall of Jerusalem, the Levites were sought out from where they lived and were brought to Jerusalem to celebrate joyfully the dedication with songs of thanksgiving and with the music of cymbals, harps and lyres. The musicians also were brought together from the region around Jerusalem… Nehemiah 12
We can take note of the variety of feasts and festivals that God invited the Israelites to celebrate every year!
Ways to Practice:
Create traditions of celebration around familiar holidays or the church calendar. Intentionally connect reminders of God’s character and actions to those traditions.
Find some things that naturally cause you to celebrate God. Worship music? Nature? Stories of others? Being alone? Being with others? Engage with God in those places, telling God about the joy you experience.
Sing, dance and laugh!
Make & enjoy a feast with others to celebrate someone’s accomplishment, or just them as a beloved child of God.
What results might we expect?
Recognizing God in all good things
An experience of joy, which gives us strength and energy for life
Fun!
A rest from the heaviness of our lives and the systems of our world
Increasing freedom from criticism and negativity
“People who want to pursue joy especially need to practice the discipline of celebration...Times of feasting [in the Old Testament] were transforming experiences – just as times of meditating or fasting were. Celebration generally involves activities that bring pleasure – gathering with people we love, eating and drinking, singing and dancing. Spiritual celebration means doing them while reflecting on the wonderful God who has given us such wonderful gifts” - John Ortberg
For more exploration:
The Celebration of Discipline, Chapter 13 Richard Foster
https://relevantmagazine.com/life5/celebration-spiritual-discipline/
https://renovare.org/articles/spiritual-disciplines-index-celebration