Celebration Buttons
Indianapolis First Friends Quaker Meeting
Pastor Bob Henry
July 18, 2021
Good morning Friends, I am so glad to be back with you this morning for Light Reflections. I have chosen two scripture passages for today. Our first is from
Deuteronomy 14:2 (The Message)
You only are a people holy to God, your God; God chose you out of all the people on Earth as his cherished personal treasure.
And also 1 Peter 2:9-10 (The Message)
9-10 But you are the ones chosen by God, chosen for the high calling of priestly work, chosen to be a holy people, God’s instruments to do his work and speak out for him, to tell others of the night-and-day difference he made for you—from nothing to something, from rejected to accepted.
For the past week in the evenings, I have been enjoying working through and editing the photos from our family’s celebratory vacation to Walt Disney World. It is so good to see the smiles, the child-like joy, and recall the fun memories we made on our vacation.
Not even the remnants of a hurricane with a Disney-esque name like Elsa could dampen our spirits.
What was clear was that our family had a lot to celebrate over the last 18 months and we all needed a place to let down our hair and let loose together – and we did!
If you have ever stayed at a Disney World Resort, one of the fun parts of the check-in procedure is when the cast member asks you the question, “Are you celebrating anything with us during your stay?” Depending on your answer you may receive one of four buttons.
· One is the “1st Visit” button for those visiting Disney World for the first time.
· Another is the “I’m Celebrating” button with a blank space to write what it is you are celebrating.
· Another is a “Happy Birthday” Button
· and lastly is the “Happily Ever After” Button for those celebrating an anniversary.
It even states on the Disney website that you are to wear the complementary buttons to generate “special attention” from the Cast Members as well as other guests.
I remember on our boy’s first visit they wore buttons that said “1st Visit” and “Happy Birthday” since it was also close to their birthdays. Every night at dinner they were treated to a birthday dessert and a mini party at our table, and cast members used the buttons to engage them throughout the park, make them feel special, and wish them a Happy Birthday.
Sadly, our boys have grown out of that fun, but Sue and I have not. You may have heard that we were to go to Disney World last year for our 25th Wedding Anniversary, but due to Covid our plans changed three times before having to completely reschedule for this year and turn it into a family vacation.
I am sure some of you are thinking Disney World may not be the best choice for a 25th Wedding Anniversary, but then you may not know the beginning of Sue and my married life together.
Sue and I started our first year of married life in Orlando, Florida. I was on an internship as a Director of Christian Education working in a large church in Oviedo, Florida and Sue was teaching Junior High at a private school in downtown Orlando.
During the prior year, Sue had been teaching at my grade school in New Haven, Indiana, living with my parents, and in the evenings working for the Disney Store at Glenbrook Mall in Fort Wayne – all to help pay off her student loans.
We had planned to spend our honeymoon at Disney World, but since we ended up being placed just weeks before our wedding in the Orlando area for my internship, we made plans to hop on a cruise to the Bahamas instead.
It only seemed appropriate at our wedding that we would have a Mickey and Minnie Cake Topper on our Wedding Cake and Winnie the Pooh toasting glasses (that Sue bought while working at the Disney Store).
Now, all that said, let me return to those buttons. Sue mentioned to Joe, our Cast Member at the Art of Animation Resort, that we were celebrating our anniversary and he handed us two “Happily Ever After” buttons (Like this one). Throughout our stay we were congratulated and asked “How many years?” by numerous Disney cast members.
Often when we would say “26 years (or 25 + 1 as Sue likes to say),” a conversation would ensue.
Sure, we know that this is what they call “Disney Magic” and that cast members are simply following their script and what they have been taught about engaging the customer, but I must be honest, it felt really good to have people acknowledge your celebration and sometimes even join in the celebration with you.
As I was driving home on Saturday and Sunday and the family was asleep in the van, my mind began to wander and I started to really think about those buttons and all the smiles, all the exchanges we had with people we do not even know, and the joy that wearing a simple button exclaiming our celebration could produce.
Being in ministry for 26 years, I know one of the most important things in ministry is acknowledging people’s celebrations and celebrating people’s lives. When you wish someone a happy birthday, or happy anniversary, or you remember a special moment, accomplishment, or attribute that someone exudes their face lights up and you can sense they feel special.
I agree with Quaker Richard Foster who believes celebration should be at the core of our life and is at the heart of the way of Christ.
In some ways, I wish we all had a magic button to wear each day that had written on it something for others to join us in celebrating. I hate it when I miss someone’s birthday, anniversary, or special occasion or find out weeks after their occasion. This is one of the things I like about Facebook – it sends me reminders about people’s birthdays or special occasions.
So…maybe it is not so much about the idea of people wearing buttons to let people know what they are celebrating, as much as you and me taking the time to consider what to celebrate in and with other people?
If as Quakers, we believe there is that of God in everyone we meet – then there is something in each person I should be seeking to celebrate and acknowledge.
As I continued down the highway through the rain, fog, and traffic, I could not help but think about the people I know. As they came to mind, I thought about what in them I could celebrate. I found myself smiling, laughing, and at times reveling in the memories with each person.
That specific day happened to be our dear Friend, Linda Lee’s celebration of life (and sadly we were not able to attend since we were traveling).
Linda was one of the first people to come to mind. She always had a way of connecting with me that celebrated my passions and joys and made me feel special.
Just a couple weeks before she passed, I spent 5 hours with her over a simple lunch at her and Ed’s apartment. She wanted to have me over so we could share our spiritual journeys.
That five hours was a very special gift. Not only did she find ways to make me feel special, she also had a way of reminding me of my value and giftedness. I often would hear from others at First Friends similar stories of these experiences with Linda.
I know one thing, I have kept every hand written note and special email I have received from Linda. Each one is as if I was wearing a button asking her to join my celebration – except she needed no button – she was already connected in spirit.
The Divine in her was connecting with the Divine in me – what our Hindu friends would refer to as “namaste.”
As I continued to ponder others and even shed a couple tears, I also realized back at First Friends, the rest of the ministry team was ramping up for Vacation Bible School this week. I was trying to recall the theme for the week, when suddenly, I remembered. Our theme for VBS this year is “Treasured: Discovering You’re Priceless to God.”
That was it. You and I are treasured – or as our scripture for today says, we are God’s personal treasure.
The Hebrew word for this personal treasure is actually segullah.
Often segullah only gets translated as “possession”, but it’s much more than that. Segullah wasn’t something you owned and stuck on a shelf, like a vacation trinket. This possession (segullah) was extremely valuable and worthy of a place of honor. Something or someone that should be celebrated.
As I began to prepare for VBS this week, I read in the curriculum’s introduction about how children today desperately desire to be known. It says that in the technology-induced information overload, kids can feel invisible, unimportant, insignificant, yet we can spark joy in the lives of our children by affirming their value and visibility in God’s eyes and in each other’s eyes.
Folks, the reality is that these thoughts are not just lessons to be learned for our children. I know many of us adults desperately desire to be known, to be acknowledged, to be valued, to be treasured – to be the segullah of God.
Adults too can feel invisible, unimportant, insignificant and we too need others to spark joy in our lives and remind us that we are treasured by God. Much like Linda did for me and many others.
That is our calling as people who have the Divine within us. As members of this community of faith, we ought to be seeking ways to affirm, find value in, and visibly acknowledge and celebrate with those around us.
Way too often these days the Church is known as a place of judgement, ridicule, and finger wagging – all in the name of God.
Just maybe it’s time we became more aware of our neighbors and fellow friends, sought ways to celebrate, and acknowledge that of God in each other.
We don’t need celebratory buttons, rather we must commit to becoming more aware of those around us and learning to seek ways to celebrate, acknowledge, and affirm the value of our neighbors.
Maybe what we could do this week is imagine our neighbors and fellow Friends wearing celebratory buttons that invite us to their personal celebrations. Find ways to acknowledge, affirm, and treasure that of God in those you meet. I sense if we do this, the world will be a better place and we will see those around us more like God sees us.
Now, as we enter a time of waiting worship, I ask that you ponder the following queries:
· Can you recall a time when someone genuinely called you “special” (in a positive way)? What effect did it have on you?
· What does it mean for you to know that you are treasured in God’s eyes?