“Joy is not made to be a crumb”

Hey y’all,

Wow—what a whirlwind the last six weeks have been! My time as co-pastor began with the Evergreen Association Annual Gathering. I got to meet and fellowship with so many wonderful colleagues from across the Evergreen region. We then had the honor of welcoming Dr. Wil Gafney to SFBC as our Romney Lecturer. She gave a great lecture and an amazing sermon (admittedly, this was a bit of a fan-girl event for me as I have read and admired Dr. Gafney’s work for years). Pastor Anita and I went on a retreat together to get to know each other, and discuss our hopes and dreams as we all begin a new phase of life being church together. The last six weeks have flown by, and I am so thankful to be here and be your pastor. The last several weeks have been jam-packed, and there is still more to look forward to as the Advent season begins.

Our Advent theme this year is How Does a Weary World Rejoice?, and it’s not hard to guess why. Weariness abounds in our world. We look around and we see violence, oppression, war, hunger, a rapidly changing climate, poverty—in all honesty, I could fill up the rest of this article with all of the bad things that are happening all around us. But, there are also so many good things that are happening too. The challenge of life in general, but specifically for all of us in this Advent season, is how to hold both. How do we rejoice in the midst of the weariness?

I officiated a wedding fairly early on in COVID. The couple had postponed their wedding date, and had to adapt and change significant aspects of their wedding. I had a few Zoom meetings with them to plan the ceremony, and it was clear that they were feeling a bit weary. We all were weary during the height of the pandemic as plans continuously changed and we kept our distance from those we love most. But even in the midst of all of it, there were moments of joy, beauty, hope, and love. The wedding between that couple was one of those moments for me. I saw the love and joy between them as they finally were able to get married. During my homily, I shared the poem, “Don’t Hesitate” from Mary Oliver:

If you suddenly and unexpectedly feel joy,
don’t hesitate. Give in to it. There are plenty
of lives and whole towns destroyed or about
to be. We are not wise, and not very often
kind. And much can never be redeemed.
Still, life has some possibility left.
Perhaps this is its way of fighting back, that sometimes
something happens better than all the riches
or power in the world. It could be anything,
but very likely you notice it in the instant
when love begins. Anyway, that’s often the
case. Anyway, whatever it is, don’t be afraid
of its plenty. Joy is not made to be a crumb.

This poem is what it is to hold both the weariness and the joy, the good and the bad, the ugly and the beautiful.

Friends, you more than likely will feel weary in this season of Advent. You may already feel weary now. Though this may be the case, if you suddenly and unexpectedly feel joy, don’t hesitate. Give in to it.

Peace,

Rev. Leigh