D I S C I P L I N E:   C E L E B R A T I O N   &   H O S P I T A L I T Y

“‘It was fitting to celebrate and be glad, for this your brother was dead, and is alive; he was lost, and is found.’ ”

— Luke 15:32, ESV —

Celebration is the correct response to what Jesus has done. His death, his resurrection, his reigning, his giving his Spirit to live in us, is such good news, that the only responsible thing to do about it is to celebrate. That’s why Jesus says in his three parables about lost things that the people who find what they lost call all their friends together and throw a party (Luke 15:6, 9, 23-24).

That’s what was going on around Jesus all the time. His reputation was apparently that of a party animal (Matthew 11:19), because he was known for eating and drinking with sinners (Matthew 9:10) and tax collectors (Luke 19:5-7). Of course, he ate and drank with Pharisees, too (Luke 7:36, 14:1). The first miracle he performed was to change water into “the good wine” to keep a wedding feast going (John 2:1-11). One of Jesus’ favorite pictures for what his kingdom is like was a dinner party (Luke 14:12-24; Matthew 22:2-14).

“Joy is the serious business of heaven.”

C. S. Lewis, Letters to Malcolm: Chiefly on Prayer

So throw a party this week! The occasion can be anything or nothing. If you need a little nudge, here are four:

  • April 10 is National Siblings Day. Call up your sibling(s) and, if possible, get together for a meal, or for coffee. Celebrate your family!
  • April 11 is National Cheese Fondue Day. Make this cheese sauce recipe, and put it in a crock pot on low. Cut a loaf of crusty bread into big chunks, roast a bunch of veggies, and have some friends over to dip into the cheese while you talk and laugh together. (If you need ideas, Tabletopics are a great way to spark conversation.)
  • April 11 is also National Pet Day. Throw a party for your pets, or your friends pets. Buy a new toy, give them a treat, and show them some love!
  • April 13 is National Peach Cobbler Day. That sounds like a good celebration to me! Baking a cobbler may take some time and effort, which makes it worth it when you share it with people you love.

Whatever the occasion, or just because, really go all out! Invite family, or friends, or neighbors. Celebration is one discipline we have to do with others. If you’re really daring, invite people you know from two different areas of your life (work and church, for example), and plan an activity you know everyone will enjoy. Turn on some music, set up a game, and have fun. 

This isn’t nonsense. This is practice. C. S. Lewis once wrote, “Joy is the serious business of heaven.” Wherever Jesus is, there’s a party happening, because that’s where there is life abundant (John 10:10) and joy complete (John 15:11). We’re exercising our capacity for joyful celebration, practicing for the eternal party we’ll join in heaven.

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