I never knew you could laugh and play in church until my first Faith At Work Conference years ago. At this time I also began a journey of learning to experience God's unconditional love and the wonder of God's grace. I was introduced to books with titles like, Are you Fun to Live With? and Enjoy the Journey by Lee Whiston and Dancing at my Funeral and Barefoot Days of the Soul by Maxie Dunham and Come to the Party by Karl Olsson! Heady stuff for a girl raised in a strict, fundamental, very serious church. A new experience of joy came into my life and I began to learn to play. What was I thinking of when I chose this uptight rich person to walk with in my Bible Studies this year? How would this story connect with simply playing? Then I practiced what I have been preaching and read the stories around my story and found as usual that God is a surprise!
READ --- Mark 10:13-27.
Read the entire section Mark 10:!3-27. Read out loud. Begin to imagine the scene with Jesus and the children. Look back on Mark 9:33-37 and notice Jesus taking a child in his lap. Do you see the smiles on their faces? Read the story again with a light touch. Let the voice of Jesus be warm and welcoming. Laugh at the image of an ugly camel on its knees trying to squeeze through a gate. Simply playing with the story with your imagination will make it become more alive and accessible.
REFLECT
Reading the story this way made me see the man in a different light. I wondered if the rich person was in the crowd watching Jesus with the children. I wondered if his question about eternal life had to do with being welcomed and accepted with joy as Jesus had welcomed the children. I thought about the importance of early childhood experiences in our growth and development and our faith journeys. Is the discussion really about rules or the ten best ways to live? "Give away what binds you" Jesus seems to be saying. The man is too wounded or blocked to receive the love he is being shown. I wondered if he looked over his shoulder as he walked away sorrowfully and saw the disciples laughing at the camel story. I wondered if he ever learned how to play?
CONNECT
I began to think about the times of holy laughter that I had experienced and the times I couldn't play. I really connect with our young man and his seriousness. It is tempting when you see someone with more freedom and permission to play than you have to start a list of your good qualities and virtues. I have been like our friend many times. I looked again at my deeply, entrenched dictum, "You can't play until your work is finished." Is this what Jesus is asking me to let go? Or is it my judgementalism that keeps me from enjoying myself and other people? I really want to simply play and not to "walk away sorrowful" as the rich young ruler did.
ACT
As I struggled with this study some answers came.
- Get quiet and listen.
- With God nothing is impossible.
Ed Hays in his delightful and helpful devotional books has helped me put a light touch in my prayers and be a little gentler with my serious earnest self. Here are a few of his thoughts from The Planetary Pilgrim (pgs. 283-285).
"Religion is not your business, even if you are a professional ordained person. It is God's business and God knows best what will bring you progress on the Path. And the balance bar of humor will help you travel evenly ... Humor brings about health of body and spirit. It is an unequaled escape valve which releases the flow of Divine energy. And the ability to laugh at yourself when you make an error is a sign of the kind of humility that gives birth to holiness. ... the burden of always having to be respectable, always being on top of things, and always having the right answer is a burden too heavy to bear ... If you feel you have lost the childhood gift of humor and spontaneity, pray and wish for it and it will be yours again. Look for the humor in your humanity, the comedy in your behavior and wish for the gift of humor. Make these wishes faith-filled prayers."
Don't walk away sorrowful. Ask God to help you learn to simply play.