Shout for Joy!

Sharing Good News with Shouts of Joy!

The Joy of the Gospel, an Apostolic Exhortation offered by Pope Francis on the Feast of Christ the King on November 24, 2013 has been distributed, disseminated, hashed, rehashed, and offered to the world in countless many ways so that we the people of God can celebrate the Good News of the Gospel of Jesus Christ!  This is not one of those re - presentations of a document that can surely stand on its own.  This is simply a witness to the fact that a year and a few months later, Evangelii Gaudium has brought my spirit to newer heights and deeper depths.

Since becoming a Deacon, my own Missionary Transformation, that I've humbly chronicled over the years as the "GregCast", has been one of an adjustment of time, focus, purpose, and new insights as to what it means to be a disciple.  For the last 25+ years, as a Youth Minister, Liturgical and Music Minister, traveling retreat and motivational presenter, and now all of the above with the added title of Deacon, I have been on a personal journey to truly understand discipleship.  Truth be told, while I think I understand more about the nature of this calling, and have come up with new ways of sharing theory and "praxis", I am far from settling into the comfort zone of living as a disciple of Jesus Christ.  In fact, I'm not sure there is supposed to be "a comfort zone" within discipleship at all!

In the Midst of Crisis, there always seems to be a reminder that God is not only good and present with us, but the love that is God is truly our ally in staring down the temptation to do and be less than what we were meant to be!  Here's an example in my busy weekend

• A Funeral: This past weekend began Friday with the funeral for Barbara, an 81 year-old beloved wife, mother and friend.  The celebration of her life was quite simple and poignant... She was an amazing wife to a Vietnam Veteran, ran her house like a General, and loved everyone in the family with her whole heart.  In the midst of crisis, never forget the dedicated love that comes from those who love and serve us!  
• Some Ice: That evening and early Saturday morning, in one of our wacky southern winter storms, we were all forced indoors for a while.  Everything was cancelled, so we stayed home, ate fish, and just enjoyed the evening as family!  In the midst of crisis, never forget that we are family!  
  
• A Dance: You could say things cleared up by noon, and after a broken pipe at the church revealed its ugly self, and the repairs began, my friends and I delivered some sound equipment to a local school for their annual Fellowship of Cristian Students Daddy/Daughter Dance.  The evening of music, dancing and "fellowship", while not DJ'ed by the JAZZY ONE, was an extension of this call of discipleship as their dance had been moved to Saturday night because of the weather.  Their originally scheduled DJ couldn't make it.  Yours truly whipped up an awesome "Daddy/Daughter" playlist on the Nano and with a couple of speakers, a sound board, and some necessary plugs... they had a dance!  In the midst of crisis, dare I say, party on!
• A Wedding-To-Be: Why, pray tell, would Deacon DJ Jazzy Greg not party with the "Daddy/Daughters"?  Well, Karen, my Mom Terry and I went to a Wedding Shower for Tom and Mary Katherine, a couple to be married in late May down in New Orleans... Uh, YES we WILL be going!  No crisis here, just a couple gathering with local friends and family ready to share the JOY of God's love, via good Mexican food and a lot of fun, as we look towards wedded bliss not too far in the future!  But the message to remember here is that in the midst of crisis there is always LOVE, and that will make all of the difference!
• Three Sunday Masses: The "Day of Rest" began at 6:00am as the church was readied for a busy day of worship!  The ice was gone, the streets were relatively dry, and the message of the  was clear!  Mark 1: 12-15 shows us our Lord staring down temptation, taming wild beasts, and being ministered to by angels; all so he can guarantee that "the kingdom of God is at hand", calling us to "repent and believe in the Gospel."  Our presider's Homily offered that we should follow our Lord in choosing to look at temptation square in the face and not run from it.  With the power of the Holy Spirit in us, that which is "wild" will be tamed, allowing us to be loved by God, "ministered to by the angels" which, as the Alabama song goes, are truly among us!  In the midst of crisis know that God is with you, overcoming evil and calming wild forces, empowering you to face and overcome your fears knowing that you never face them alone!
• A Baptism: Meet Ellie... A newly baptized child of God! (See the picture above)  This was my first baptism of a child of a former youth group member from "back in the day"... It was a JOY!  Clean and empowered herself, Ellie has witnessed for the first time to all the world, that is now ready to grow in the light of Christ and lead others to do the same!  In the midst of crisis, receive again that light of Christ and go back to the waters that have cleansed and empowered you!
• A Funeral-To-Be: It's very sad that I next would host the planning of a funeral. Again, a beloved mother will be laid to rest, but it's fair to say that Carmen was taken a tad too soon.  Her family, which includes three sisters who are also former youth group members from "back in the day", gathered around the office table with their Dad and wondered what were they to do now, and how would they get it done?  As the plans fell together I was reminded of all that had transpired in the previous 48 hours: The love and service of a great Mom, the solid foundation of a great family, the power of the Body of Christ, and the promise of eternal life that came with Carmen's baptism.  In the midst of crisis we must hold on to the promises and the hope of our God, our faith, and the people we love!
• Two Communion Calls: You can imagine that by this point in my busy weekend I was tired.  But this is when it all came together for me... Visiting Mary and her family as she recuperates at home, and Claude and his family as he recuperates at a local hospital, the readings of Mass that day and the various events of the weekend combined to offer these two the message of healing that came with the sharing of the Eucharist.  They too have faced down the temptations and the doubts that come with illness, and thanks to God in their midst they have tamed disease and even death, so that they are the instruments of care that call their family members to authentic discipleship!  In the midst of crisis God is working through others to bring us closer to the Joy of the Gospel!
• Some More Ice (or not): A post script of sorts... Today's blog is courtesy of another predicted wacky southern winter storm, which ended up not really really being a storm at all.  But thanks to the school delay and the calmness of the morning, I thought I'd write it all down.  In the midst of crisis, never stop reflecting or searching for the meaning of those moments that have heaped themselves upon you.  There's always grace from God and Good News to be shared!

So with my weekend serving as evidence of and motivation towards the Truth, let us Proclaim the Gospel and Evangelize the work of the Lord, reaching into the lives of those who need us.  In doing so we can become the Spirit-filled Evangelizers that we were always meant to be, sharing the Good News with shouts of joy!

Thanks to David, Kathleen and Ellie L. for the inspiration and the joy!