The Art of Celebration

There is an album on my iPod called The Art of Celebration, by Rend Collective, a wonderful Irish Christian band who I can happily listen to on a daily basis.

As I’ve been out for my morning runs this past week, here in Cornwall, the songs have featured fairly regularly, and there is one in particular that has become my theme tune for the week, and challenged me in my thinking as well.

I’ll not put the whole lyrics here, but the song ‘Boldly I Approach (The Art of Celebration)’  is the culprit that has led me to run through the woods and along the cliffs with an extra bubble of excitement and joy inside, and challenged me to think about what it means to express life as an Art of Celebration.

Feel free to google the whole song on YouTube to get the full effect of their wonderful singing, but these are the lyrics that have been going round and round in my head:

Boldly I approach Your throne

Blameless now I'm running home

By Your blood I come

Welcomed as Your own

Into the arms of majesty

This is the art of celebration

Knowing we're free from condemnation

Oh praise the One, praise the One

Who made an end to all my sin

So, how does one live in a way that expresses the concept of celebrating such a great truth as being free from condemnation?

Well, certainly this week there have been many moments of celebrating the wonders of creation – watching the waves crashing onto the shore, marveling at the geological structures of the cliffs, seeing the pod of dolphins swimming past…..

And of course being away with the family, and celebrating 24 years of marriage – all are special times for which I am so grateful and feel so blessed.

But celebrating life is about so much more than that – and this is where it gets challenging for me. Because in my way of thinking, this celebration isn’t just a personal, self-centred thing, but its something to be shared, and passed on to others.

It’s not just my freedom from condemnation that I want to celebrate, but freedom for others as well. And to do that requires me to live in a way that allows others to celebrate life. Making ethical choices, living lightly on this earth, trying to have only a positive impact on the myriad other lives that intersect with mine at various points along the way.

It is easy to feel overwhelmed at this point – the whole concept of ethical shopping is a bit of a minefield to say the least. But I figure that if each day I can make one choice that helps rather than hinders someone else to celebrate life, then that is a good place to start.

Not quite sure what today’s choice will be, but if it requires me to support the local fishermen by eating yet more locally caught crab or mackerel or similar – then I’m very happy to oblige!

Wishing you a day worthy of celebration, in little and not so little ways, and may you find opportunities to help others celebrate their lives as well.