Playful Joy!
Indianapolis First Friends
Funday Sunday, August 13, 2023
Pastor Bob Henry
Good morning, Friends, and welcome to Light Reflections. Today, at the Meetinghouse we are celebrating Sunday Funday – which means we are experiencing worship through play. The scripture I have chosen is from Matthew 18:1-5 from the New Revised Standard Version:
At that time the disciples came to Jesus and asked, “Who is the greatest in the kingdom of heaven?” He called a child, whom he put among them, and said, “Truly I tell you, unless you change and become like children, you will never enter the kingdom of heaven. Whoever becomes humble like this child is the greatest in the kingdom of heaven. Whoever welcomes one such child in my name welcomes me.
For those in-person, today, I am asking them to join me in playing a game. You may do this at home or wherever you are joining us from. You will need to find a partner to play with. Then what I want you to play is the classic game “Rock, Paper, Scissors.” Play the best out of five. You may want to pause this video for a moment to play the game.
Hopefully, that was a little fun. I am sure for some of you, it has been a long time since you played “Rock, Paper, Scissors.” For others, you may use the game to make major decisions in your household.
Most of the time, when people play a game together the first thing I notice immediately is the smiles appearing on their faces. For some the competitiveness comes out, but most make the best of it and find some joy in playing.
I believe that joy is one of our best spiritual gifts. Joy is a marvelous gateway to God, and we create joy by playing together. Overtime, I have come to believe that play is just as important a spiritual practice as prayer, contemplation, meditation, and service. Yet, too often play has had to take the back burner when we talk about worship or the spiritual life.
A few years ago, now, Dallas Willard wrote that
“God is the most joyful being in the Universe.”
I believe when we play, we are expressing God’s joy and experiencing that joy at the same time.
Again, like I said last week, we must begin to see the Divine through new lenses – last week it was the originator and author of light, this week it is that God is what I will call PURE JOY!
This may be hard for Quakers who have gravitated to more somber and quiet expressions of faith and worship. Honestly, I believe it is directly related to why we have a hard time clapping or expressing ourselves. Quakers often do not make space for play – thus we often come off as too serious or unwilling to let our hair down.
Let me talk about play for a moment so we can more fully grasp its importance. Let’s start with hearing from the professionals:
The founder of the National Institute of Play, Dr. Stuart Brown says, play is “any activity that brings a sense of pleasure and enjoyment done for its own sake.”
Bernard L. De Kovan from Psychology Today says, “Play is engaging our bodies, minds, each other, the world, in a moment of shared transcendence…toys and games are like prayer-wheels, tools to hold your mind to free your soul.”
I think what they are getting at is that play can be a spiritual experience because it connects us and shapes our souls. So why wouldn’t it be part of our worship and faith then?
I love how Jesuit theologian Hugo Rahner described play, it is “our participation in the dance, a way in which our spirits return home to God. We take the inviting hands of God and together we dance.”
He goes on to explain this is a “dance without purpose other than the dance itself.” The dance is play, without any purpose other than joy. Rahner concludes, “Play is an act of freedom not obligation, one of delight not seriousness.”
This is what I see when I watch Stella dance in our aisles on Sunday morning. She is participating in the dance without any purpose other than joy and delight.
During VBS this year, while we were all having snacks, I looked over and Esther was watching the music video intently – almost hypnotically. Then out of nowhere, she broke out in the freest dance while singing at the top of her lungs our theme song for the week. That was a picture of freedom and delight and I even captured it on video (some of it was in the VBS video we saw in worship). Afterward, I shared it with her parents. Now, Esther’s entire family does the Esther dance when they are full of joy!
I have a sense that as we move out of childhood and into adulthood, we forget the importance of play. We become “serious” grownups and we consider play to be childish.
Perhaps it is time to reconsider the importance and sacredness of play in our lives. What if we saw play as a spiritual practice like prayer, meditation, or silence?
It has been proven that…
Play helps us stay in the present moment, the moment of power and presence.
Play moves our mind away from stress and seriousness to the world of adventure, imagination, and fun.
True play involves the connecting of our bodies, minds, and hearts into that “moment of transcendence.”
Thus, I believe play connects us with God.
Watching your favorite team win the Superbowl or the World Series is not real play. You need to be physically involved in play for it to bring you peace.
When Sue and I worked for the summer at camp, we always started the week with an all-camp game of Capture the Flag. It was highly competitive, but we always agreed that at the end of the game – somehow it would end in a tie. Because it was about the fun and spending time together more than about winning or losing. And since the leaders and kids were having so much fun together – the winning honestly didn’t matter, but the memories live on.
De Kovan who I quoted earlier said that “Play is the art of peace…Games are not about winning. They are about celebrating our capacity for having fun together. A well-played game brings us to places of wonder and moments of joy.”
This is exactly what birthed “Funday Sunday.” When I was in Silverton, Oregon, a member of my elders, Sheldon Lesire, suggested that we have a Sunday where we would come together to simply worship through play. That became an annual event, just like it is here at First Friends. We had a bouncy house, picnic pitch-in, board games, and even a giant kickball tournament and slip’n’slide.
And when my boys told the youth about Funday Sunday in the Youth Affirmation Program here at First Friends, they decided to bring the idea to our Business Meeting for us to approve. It was approved and now it has become an annual event at First Friends. I think this is my 10th Funday Sunday among Friends (5 in Silverton and 5 here)!
And one other thing: Play is not only a spiritual practice and an art of peace, but it is part of the healing process. Laughter and play go together. We know when we are in true play because the laughter bubbles out of us. That is the healing laughter of God.
I love what Keri Wyatt Kent, author of Rest: Living in Sabbath Simplicity, said, “Play rests and refreshes us.” Play focuses our mind and heart on God as we redirect our thoughts away from the mundane world to the joy of God. She advises, “Be present in your play.” That is to be fully engaged in the now moment.
Ask yourself this morning:
Do I have play built into my life? When do I play? Have I become too serious and stopped playing?
What was something I loved to do as a child that I gave up when I became an adult? How might I bring that into my life again? (Maybe you loved to dress up as a child – maybe it is time to attend a cosplay gathering or join your community theater. Maybe you played tennis a child – pickleball could be calling. Or maybe you were that kid that loved to play in the dirt – maybe a gardening club or growing some plants is what you need. What was it for you? – I guess maybe I need to join a Space Shuttle Club.
And since, play is about celebrating the joy of God together, connecting with each other and with God…and being spiritual is not just about being serious, it is also about being joyful. I invite you today to set apart some time to play, to find that joy together, to not be totally serious and let your hair down. You might find that you not only needed this time, but that you are able to connect to that of God around you.
So, let’s take a moment to center ourselves this morning and consider those queries as we enter a time of waiting worship.
· Do I have play built into my life? When do I play? Have I become too serious and stopped playing?
· What was something I loved to do as a child that I gave up when I became an adult? How might I bring that into my life again?