We are all in this together. It's a mess, but a beautiful one at that. This wonderful sculpture from Burning Man says it all, don't you think?

Today is the fifth Sunday of Easter, and as we await the ascension of Christ, the lectionary sends us back to class to sit in the uncomfortable desks of the Upper Room. It was here Jesus gave his final lecture to his disciples.
 
Now it’s our turn to be his students. This is not a time to take notes. Instead it's a time to listen closely and carefully to his final words. Because at the end of the day, our final exam will be based on this one simple sentence: “Love one another as I have loved you.” This is perhaps the single, most important lesson Jesus gives. His entire ministry, and now ours, can be boiled down to this simple, yet complex ethic of love.  Love one another as I have loved you.
 
If you need to know anything about this radical rabbi, this Word made flesh, it’s this: What Jesus says, is exactly what Jesus does. Sara Miles describes it so poetically when she says, “His human body was God’s language, as much as his human speech.”

Jesus shows us how to love in the varied way he loves us. This is dangerous on so many levels. He knows all too well what this kind of love can cause people to do. But what Jesus says is exactly what Jesus does...in spite of what the world does to him.
 
It’s difficult to overestimate the importance of this passage especially as we struggle to find love and joy in our lives. But if we take these few words to heart, making them our own personal ethic, and live them out in the world, then love and joy will soon be all we know.

Jesus teaches his disciples the most crucial thing about God’s nature: Love and Joy cannot be separated. Without God’s love at the center of our life, real joy cannot exist.
William Sloane Coffin writes, “The highest purpose of Christianity – which is primarily a way of life and not a system of belief – is to love one another. And the first fruit of love is joy, the joy that represents meaning and fulfillment.” If Coffin is correct, and God's love is the first fruit of our joy, then we must share it liberally and freely, even with those who try to steal our joy.
 
Let me ask you this: Has there been anything or anyone stealing your joy lately?  
 
In the final chapter of his letter, Paul reveals there is some kind of tension in the Philippian churches. There's disunity between two women. We know very little about them other than they are doing something that is dividing the churches. Paul does not give us details about their dispute, because the details are not important. It doesn’t matter who is right and who is wrong. What’s important is their joy is incomplete. They are not united in God’s love, but instead divided by their own egos.  
 
Ego and anger are the opposite of love and joy. Anger leaves us vulnerable to attack. Conflict, as you might know, opens the door that allows our joy to walk away or be stolen. But here's the twist. The love Jesus calls us practice also leaves us vulnerable. To love as God loves us forces us to always seek a common ground instead of a battleground. This doesn’t mean we have to be the same, or think the same, or dress the same. Christianity isn’t a robotic ritual. Jesus calls us into a way of life built upon the strong bond of God's love for us. Just as we are connected to God through Jesus we are to be connected to one another through the same love.
 
Last night, as I was watching the Joy Bells play for their fundraiser, I learned something interesting about finding a common ground. I didn’t know that each individual hand bell is not separate instrument. It’s only when they are together do they make one instrument, in one octave? While each musician can play the different bells, in different notes, and sometimes even in different timings, what makes it work so perfectly is their willingness to all play in the same key. Because they shared a common ground, they actually make a joyful noise unto the Lord!
 
We might not always see eye-to-eye. But in spite of our differences, when we love as God loves us, we become one instrument of God's joy. Of course when God’s love is at the center of all we do, then we are able to confront and reconcile the things that steal our joy.
 
I believe all Christian denominations can agree that reconciliation is the centerpiece of Jesus’ love ethic. If we are to imitate him, as Paul suggests then we need make forgiveness a top priority. This does not mean that we allow the world to push us around. Compassion does not turn its back on conflict; it confronts it and defeats it in the name of love. Perhaps there is a reason why the Bible frequently replaces the word "love" for the word "forgiveness" and even as it does...the results remain the same. Joy. 
 
Forgiveness needs love just as much as love needs forgiveness. Without either, there can be no real joy. Think about it, how long does your joy last when you win an argument, but lose a friend or a loved one in the process?
 
However important you think your issue might be, Jesus says the way we love and forgive are a testimony to God at work in us. Therefore we must reconcile our problems, as Paul suggests  “with gentleness.” That is to say...with compassion, kindness, love and joy in our hearts. We can't do this when anger builds up a wall around us.
 
Jesus reminds us that gentleness is the opposite of anger. Jesus was gentle. He did not push people away, but instead drew people to him through love. He doesn't build a wall; instead he comforts, heals, and forgives...even those who crucified him. What Jesus says is exactly what Jesus does.

As his disciples, as the body of his church, our character towards others, is the mirror by which people will see us.  "They will know you are with me," Jesus says, "by the way you love one another."
 
It's not a mistake the lectionary sent us back here to learn this lesson. Jesus' final message to us...is the key to finding true joy...especially in the darkness of depression, pain, and suffering.
 
Christ calls us to act upon our faith and, through the power of love and reconciliation, we must allow God's love to work through us. As Paul says, "whatever is true, whatever is honorable, whatever is just, whatever is pure, whatever is pleasing, whatever is commendable"...we do these things with a higher purpose. We do not do it for our glory, but for the glory of God.
 
When preparing the 12 for what is to come, Jesus sets aside his own ego. He washes their feet. He feeds them food. And give his life for them, and for everyone. He does this not for his own self-interest, but because of his love for us. His words and deeds remind us that the greatest gift we can give others is ourselves. Herni Nouwen writes, “When God’s love is at the center of all we do, then we are able to offer our joy and peace, our consolation and reconciliation to others; especially in moments of crisis or conflict.”
 
Once we start living intentionally with this kind of conviction, then our joy can never be defeated. No matter what the world can throw at us, we remain as God's beloved children.
 
United as one family by God's very own love and joy. This is the core of Jesus’ ethic and of Paul’s entire faith. When we live this out in the world, we can joyfully shout, "Rejoice in the Lord always, again I say rejoice."
 
As we leave here this morning let us hold fast to the words of the Apostle who encourages us to, “Keep doing these things that you have learned and received and heard and seen, and the God of peace will be with you.”
 
 


Works Cited
(NRSV), Bible. Philippians 4:1-9; John 13:31-35.
Bartlett, David, Barbara Brown Taylor, ed. Feasting on the Word: Year C, Vol. 2. Louisville: Westminster John Knox, 2009.
Holladay, Tom. Philippians: The Eight Places Joy is Won or Lost. El Toro: Saddleback Church.
Miles, Sara. Jesus Freak: Feeding, Healing, Raising the Dead. San Francisco: Jossey-Bass, 2010.
Nouwen, Henri. Bread for the Journey: A Day Book of Wisdom and Faith. New York: HarperCollins e-books, 1997.
Ott, Emlyn. "Reflections on the Lectionary." Christian Century, 2016.

Thursday morning I woke up, turned on the TV, and cried. I couldn’t believe what I was seeing.

​For the record, this wasn’t a sobbing kind of cry. Instead it was one of those gentle boo-hoo sessions that just sneak up on you when your heart is both happy and sad at the same time. Has this ever happened to any of you? Oh yeah? Has it ever happened to you while you were watching sports highlights on ESPN?
 
After 20 great years, 5 championship rings, 2 Olympic gold metals, and 7 MVP awards, Kobe Bryant retired from the Los Angeles Lakers, and from the NBA. He went out in style: 60 points on 50 shots and one last win over the Utah Jazz. It was a bittersweet, joyous occasion, whether you are a fan of his, or not.
 
Some of you already know that retiring from anything is often bittersweet. Saying goodbye to something you have known, or that has defined you, for so long, gives way to freedom, but can also be very challenging.

​For example, when I left advertising, I was ready to pursue something new. While a part of me still longed for the creative challenge, my heart wanted and needed more fulfillment.  And here I am today...sharing it with you.
 
I admit that this is, so far, the hardest job I’ve ever had. But it’s also the one job that has brought me the greatest joy, because what I do is more than a job. It’s a new life. Think about it, I get to pray at work and talk about God without worry that I am that weird Jesus freak everyone tries to avoid. (Well, some of you avoid me for other reasons now). Each day that I punch the clock, brings me a little closer to God, growing my faith as a disciple of Jesus Christ. To live my faith out loud is a happy side effect.
 
Research suggests that there are not a lot of us who can claim to have joy in our work. A Gallop poll found that 70% of Americans either hate their job or are not engaged in their work. With so much of our life dedicated to our jobs, don't you think joy and purpose should be a top priority?  But somehow we have forgotten what it takes to find it. 
 
Interestingly, research indicates that 90% of millennials would rather give up a higher salary in return for a job that gives them joy, and enables them to give back to the greater good. While this generation may have faults of their own, they seem to have the right priority when it comes to living as God intended us to live.
 
For many retired people, the struggle to find joy is different. They have worked hard to get to this point in their life. Yet 40% of all retired people suffer from depression – triggered by feelings uselessness or insignificance, believing that they have nothing left to contribute to the greater good of the world. How quickly we forget the greatest boss of all, God, has given us a job with worthy and meaningful purpose. A new kind of life, that begins with Jesus. 
 
The last few weeks of the Easter season, we’ve looked at the subject of joy through the lens of Paul’s letter to the Philippians. With our mnemonic for Joy, we have focused on putting Jesus first and others next. Today Paul turns to ‘You.’  And by you, I mean each one of us, both as individuals and as a church. So let’s talk about "you." 
 
Paul suggests that one of the major reasons for our loss of joy is due to the fact that you and I are not living up to, or rightly living out, the great potential of joy that God has given to us. So far, Paul has encouraged you and I to conduct ourselves in a manner that is worthy of the gospel. And still we have trouble living out our life as Christ lived: in perfect obedience and self-sacrificing for others.
 
Paul is reminding us of our job. And telling us to get to work. More specifically, to “work out your own salvation.” This is not Paul suggesting we work our way into God’s grace. Instead he is telling us to work out what God has already given us through the work that Jesus did on the cross. Your faith in Christ doesn’t mean you can sleep in or take an early retirement. It means you have to get up and punch the clock for Christ. 
 
Jesus does not spend a bunch of time calling you and me to sit around arguing our opinions about who is the greatest shooting guard in NBA history (Jesus knows it's Kobe Bryant). The gospels clearly teach us that Jesus calls us to act.  And to act with purpose.
 
In John’s gospel he says, “The works that I do in my Father’s name testify to me.”  Jesus' job has results, as well as meaning and purpose. His life was spent working out what God called him to do. You and I have to take the gift of our salvation and put it into productive use. It’s only when we live short of all that God has given to us that our joy is short lived. We have to work out, what God has worked in.
 
Kobe Bryant, worked out constantly to stay at the top of his game, and had a successful career as a professional athlete. Working to keep his body conditioned and in optimal health, so too do we need to constantly work on our spiritual health and wellbeing. Our workout begins by imitating Jesus- by putting the needs of others before our own, our spiritual muscles begin to grow as well.
 
Yet many of you still remain unsure about your ability to do the job that God is calling you to do. Some of you have gone as far as ignoring your call. I get it, I did it for years. But when we do that, we choose to live without true joy in our hearts.  Denying our true self and as a result, denying God. Such is the case of some men at the temple who are either unsure of who Jesus is or are purposefully refusing to accept him. 
 
They say to Jesus, “If you are the Messiah tell us plainly.”  But the trouble is Jesus instead answers them metaphorically, describing himself as shepherd, telling them that he has already told them what they want to know. Through his works, in his healing, feeding, and caring of others, he showed them. The men have trouble seeing and believing Jesus because they have put themselves first, above others and above God. They don’t understand that Good Shepherds are willing to lay down their lives for their sheep. 
 
As people who desire to imitate and walk in the footsteps of Jesus we are called to lay down our lives for others. Henri Nouwen writes, “In extreme circumstances this might mean dying. But in a daily work out of our salvation, it means we must make our own lives – all our sorrows and joys, despairs and hopes, our loneliness and experience of intimacy – available to others as sources of new life and joy.”

As Jesus points out to the men in the temple, his identity cannot be reduced to a job title. It has to be experienced. The early church grew exponentially because they experienced Jesus firsthand or through the works of the Disciples. God has commissioned you and me, the church and body of Christ to carry on this legacy. 

When speaking of her own life, Erma Bombeck said, “When I stand before God at the end of my life, I would hope that I would not have a single bit of talent left and could say, ‘I used everything you gave me’”.  Kobe did this. He left every last bit of himself on the hardwood floor at Staples Center. Likewise, Jesus left every last bit of himself on the hard wood of that old rugged cross.  And now, you and I are called to give it our all, to punch the clock for Christ.
 
It’s in our selfless actions towards others that we become more like Jesus, who through his works of salvation was raised up and became one with God.  Like Jesus Christ, we too will find our truest joy being one with God. In doing the work of Christ, we are allowing God to work through us. And when God works through us life's most difficult challenges can be overcome. We don't dwell in darkness...but shine like stars in the sky.
 
Like a true champion, we do not celebrate this joyous victory alone. You and I do it together, with God in us and around us, with the Spirit of Christ guiding us. We do it side-by-side with fishermen and housewives, who first took up the call. We work alongside the blind and the lame and criminals, lawyers, tax collectors, politicians, prostitutes, lepers, drunks and druggies, with the saints and the suffering, and even retired ad-men and b-ball players.
 
Together in the name of Christ Jesus we, you and I, find and celebrate the truest of joy, because through him God pours out his all-in-all, with great abundance, to anyone and everyone, who faithfully seeks redemption, and desires to be one with God; Father, Son and Holy Spirit. One God. One love. Now and forever, Amen.
 

Works Cited
Bible. Philippians 2:121-18; John 10:22-30 (NRSV).
Cook, John, ed. The Book of Possitive Quotations: 2nd Edition . Minneapolis: Fairview Press, 1993.
Holladay, Tom. Philippians: The Eight Places Joy Is Won or Lost. El Toro: Saddleback Church, 2014.
Mahan, Michael. "How to find more meaning at work." Relevant, Jan-Feb 2016: 38-39.
Miles, Sara. Jesus Freak: Feeding, Healing, Raising the Dead. San Francisco: Jossey-Bass, 2010.
Nouwin, Henri. Bread of Life. New York: Harper-Collins, 2007.

In her book 'Jesus Freak' Sara Miles writes,

"What does it mean to be a Jesus freak? Or, more to the point, what would it mean to live as if you and everyone around you were Jesus, and filled with his power? To just take his teachings literally, go out the front door of your home, and act on them?

"It's actually pretty straightforward, Jesus says. Heal the sick. Cast out demons. Cleanse the lepers. You get the people something to eat. You have the authority to forgive sins. Raise the dead.

Throughout the Gospels, as he roams through Palestine, these are the commissions Jesus repeatedly hands to the ordinary people around him. Each is a specific call to action, a task for his followers to carry out on the spot and repeat when he's gone. They don't always understand. But he insists you can do this stuff, he tells them, walk this way. Come and see, do not be afraid."

For many of you it shouldn’t be a surprise to learn the Apostle Paul patterned his life after Jesus. Yes, he was “a rebel, an outlaw, a renegade, and a sanctified troublemaker,” as Mark Driscoll so aptly describes. Paul was also single, homeless, lived by other’s welfare and charity, and was hated so much by the religious and political elites that he got run out of nearly every town he visited, often taking a good beating with him. So too was the life of Jesus.
 
If you have ever been penniless, homeless, abused by a parent or a spouse, or rejected by a church for some reason or another, then you know what it's like to live in their skin. You know how joyless life can seem. However, with all the pain that Paul endured...he welcomed it with open arms.
 
Like Jesus, we could say Paul was counter-cultural. If we are to call ourselves followers of Christ, then we too must put on his shoes, and walk his walk. To push ourselves beyond the current political climate and the media madness in order to reaffirm our Christian commitment to put Jesus first, and to seek God's justice and reconciliation in the world. Paul might say this is not merely a mandatory action, but also a requirement for anyone searching for true joy.  
 
This morning we continue our look at “Joy” through Paul’s letter to the Philippians churches. I am not sure why they were lacking joy, but Paul's letter indicates something is happening. Something is happening here too. Like so many other churches, we struggle to grasp the biblical view of joy. My only guess is it's because we allow the world to define the terms for us. We often confuse joy with happiness.
 
In the beloved comic strip Peanuts, Charles Schultz coined the adage, “Happiness is a warm puppy.” Joy however is not something that chews up your favorite pair of shoes. Or leaves you little warm presents by the bedside. In the 80’s Bobby McFerrin  penned the catchy song, “Don’t worry…Be Happy.” But as we will later discover the true meaning of joy should gives us all something to worry about. For decades ministers have watered down the bible's definition of true joy; reducing it nothing more than a warm-and-fuzzy feeling, or a carefree attitude of delight. Now, instead of feeling happy because we are filled with true joy, we sit around sad wondering why people are leaving us, to find joy elsewhere.
 
The Bible tells us joy is more than happiness, just as happiness is more than pleasure. Pleasure is in the body. Happiness is in the mind and feelings. But joy is deep within the heart, in the spirit, in the essence of our being. It is a longing buried deep within us. In his spiritual biography, appropriately entitled “Surprised by Joy,” C.S. Lewis describes joy as “an experience no one would ever exchange for all the happiness in the world.” And for good reason. Last week I said true joy doesn’t come from power or possessions, but from a person: Jesus Christ. Through him, God plants his joy deep into our darkest of places.  
 
As we move into the second chapter of Philippians, we see our joy doesn't just come from Jesus himself but it also comes from our being like Jesus. In Paul’s words, "Imitators of Christ." Notice he didn't say impersonators, but imitators. There’s a difference. Impersonators take great pains to make people believe they are who they are not. Imitators, on the other hand, strive to be a reflection of the person they look up to.
 
For Christians this means we must always strive to live as Christ lived; to love as he loved; sharing the same Spirit, showing the same compassion and sympathy for others. It I s through these actions, others are able to see God at work in their life planting joy in their dark places. 
 
But here's the big ‘but’ we can't ignore (by the way the bible loves big buts...I cannot lie!) But...as Paul points out...to live as imitators of Christ, to share the same spirit, means we too must humble ourselves, even to the point of death. Each one of us has been called to both live and die for others, not just for ourselves. In our humility is our joy.
 
I must confess that I am the least likely person to speak on humility. I believe, as media mogul Ted Turner once said,  “If I only had a little humility, I would be perfect.” Kathleen tells me  I would do better to follow the advice of Phyllis Diller who famously joked, “Do you know what keeps me humble? Mirrors!”  
 
Driscoll thinks about humility like this: “I am a kite, and Jesus is a hurricane.” I like this analogy. If I am a kite, then I can't boast that I have the ability to fly on my own. But in the wild, rebellious winds of a hurricane, I know that even a broken, damaged, failed, flawed, or misbehaving kite can be lifted up. When Christ takes hold of us, we become part of his strength able to lift others up with his encouragement, comfort, compassion and love.
 
Perhaps the real reason why we struggle to find true joy is a deep seeded fear that we will fall short of posturing a perfect imitation of Christ. That's all right. I believe what Paul is ultimately saying is if we want true joy, all we have to do is adopt a Christ-like attitude; putting the interest of others before our own. But are we capable of this? Can we actually be of same mind and Spirit as Paul suggest? Are we able to make others more important than us? Not equal...but more important. This is a tough call, isn't it?
 
I have no problem allowing others to serve themselves first even at the costs of losing a perfectly cooked piece of steak. But what about when we discuss politics with friends, are we to put their opinions above our own? Should we put other people’s religious freedoms above ours? What about the people who come into our country illegally, would Jesus really count them as more important? The bible says, yes. Jesus would. And Jesus did.
 
"Though he was in the form of God, did not regard himself equal with God as something to be exploited, but emptied himself, taking the form of a slave who humbled himself and became obedient to the point of death, therefore God highly exalted him.” Because he put others before himself, Jesus received the greatest form of joy.
 
Humility doesn’t mean that you or I are not important, or that our opinions don’t matter. As Jesus clearly demonstrates, humility simply considers others as more important. This is what real joy means. I use a formula that I learned in Sunday school to help me remember:  J-O-Y.  Jesus, Others, and You. Jesus is the most important. Others are more important. But you too are also important.
 
Obviously that is a very simple idea, so simple that a young child can learn it and understand it. But this illustration contains a profound truth. Joy is often elusive because we put ourselves first, and Jesus last. Jesus must come first. Others second. And you last. Remember that: J-O-Y. in that order. Joy is Jesus. Joy is living for others, serving and caring for them as Jesus did. Joy is about you and what you can do and what you achieve when you imitate Jesus.
 
Joy is not a result of a feeling or a victory over the aches and pain of life. Instead, joy is the result of what Christ did when God made him victorious over the aches and pain of death. If Christ is in you, then you share in that joyous victory.
 
You might see yourself as weak and useless kite, but God sees you...and calls you and me...to be like a wild and powerful hurricane. A mighty force that stirs up the status quo. In humbling ourselves like Christ we find our strength, our redemption, and our joy. When we have the same Spirit of joy within us, no amount of defeat, suffering, persecution, loneliness, rejection, sickness, pain or tragic loss can ever take it away.
 
Let me leave you with these words. They come from the prophet Micah who asks, “What does the Lord require of you, but to do justice (to be like Jesus), love kindness (give to others),  and walk humbly with God” (what You are to do)?
 
The bible tells us that we become something greater than ourselves when we humble ourselves before the throne of God. We become transformed like the Easter tomb. Our darkest moments shine with the light of joy. We become the face of hope, love, and generosity. We become the true heart of tenderness, compassion, and sympathy for others in the world.
 
To put it differently, we become like Christ the perfect and pure joy of God’s glory, now and forever. Amen.
 
Works CitedBible, The. Philippians 2:1-11 (NRSV).
Driscoll, Mark. Preach it, Teach it. Nov. 4, 2007. http://www.preachitteachit.org/fileadmin/SiteFiles/LegacyUploads/20071104_the-rebels-guide-to-joy-in-humility_en_transcript.pdf (accessed April 6, 2016).
Holladay, Tom. Philippians: The Eight Places Joy Is Won or Lost. El Toro: Saddleback Church, 2014.
Sproul, R.C. Can I have Joy in my Life: Crucial Questions Series No. 42. Orlando: Reformation Trust, 2012.