Celebration

he will exult over you with loud singing

as on a day of festival. (Zephaniah 3:17-18)

God rejoiced at your birth, and said it was very good. And God rejoices over you every single moment of your life.

The joy that awaits us in the new creation is beyond what we can ever imagine. But the discipline of celebration is a kind of preparation. It is a foretaste of the glory divine. So, how do we engage in the practice of celebration? The following are ways I have found helpful:

Invite friends over for a “thanksgiving” meal—not the usual Thanksgiving holiday in November, but a gathering to give thanks for great things God has done and is doing.

Host a dance party. My friends Matt and Catherine host a dance party in their home as a way to allow people to gather and dance and not feel self-conscious. They even have a mirror ball!

Relish a good comedy movie or stand-up comedy routine—assuming you can find one that fits your taste and sense of decency.

Make a routine family event special. Every month or two our family gathers for a special brunch in which we prepare everyone’s favorite foods.

Take advantage of existing holidays and festivals: Christmas, Easter, All Saints’ Day, May Day, etc. Make them real celebrations of God, and not merely an excuse to throw a party.

We celebrate because our souls love it. We celebrate because God commands it: “Rejoice in the Lord always; again I will say, Rejoice” (Philippians 4:4). We celebrate because our God is the most joyous being in the universe. And we celebrate as a way to remind us that when Christ, who is our life, appears, we will also appear with him in glory.