To the King
“To the King!!!” we would cry as we clinked our goblets together. Twice a year the Loft team, a leadership team that I was a part of while in college, would gather for “To the King”, a time to celebrate the good that Jesus, our King, had done during the past semester. We would start “To the King” with an explanation that back in mid-evil times people would gather for banquets in honor of their kings. They would toast their king and praise him. This became a very special thing that I always looked forward to. It was a celebration unlike any that I had experienced previously. This practice was so meaningful to me that I have shared it with some of the groups that I have had the privilege of leading. The first time was on a men’s retreat that I helped with. I snuck away from our campsite to stock up on sparkling grape juice, the drink used for a proper “To the King” ceremony, and then we would build a big fire. We stared into the blaze as we took turns sharing about how God had used the retreat to grow us. The second time that I brought “To the King” to a group was when I was with OneLife. We had a celebration banquet to remind us of what it will be like to feast in Heaven and we toasted to the King as a way to acknowledge the work that God was doing in our lives as a result of being a part of the program. As I think back to each of these experiences, I am flooded with joyful memories of people gathering to celebrate good.
There is something sweet about an authentic celebration. People love to pause to reflect on the good that has happened. That’s what holidays are all about. At Christmas time we celebrate that Jesus came to earth, Thanksgiving is for celebrating the abundance we have, and at Resurrection Sunday time we remember that Christ conquered death so that we may be saved. These are all celebrations that I look forward to annually. I think about other times when people celebrate, reflecting how they are awaited with great anticipation: weddings, birthdays, graduation, all occasions that people get excited for. We inherently like to celebrate, and we should make time to pause and do this. It seems that celebrating personal growth, learning, gifts, and abundance can be a powerful act of worship, if celebrating is done with the intent to acknowledge the good that God has been doing.
After a whole year of waiting, I finally got to engage in a fairly significant celebration. I got to have a college graduation ceremony! It was so much fun to travel back to central Pennsylvania just to celebrate. I spent the beginning of May celebrating with my friends as we formally turned the page on a chapter of our lives. The actual ceremony was a nice way to acknowledge the end of my time at Messiah. The morning started off with being reunited with a number of good friends who I hadn’t seen in over a year. Then we walked across a stage to receive our “diplomas.” We had already received them in the mail but they had not sent us the fancy folders that they go in. After that was the real celebration. I gathered with my friends and their families for a time of fellowship and photo taking. To us, the ceremony was less important than just getting to be together.
The day after graduation we had yet another celebration. Messiah had made the decision to end the Adventure Education major which was what I had studied. With that decision came the ending of the Loft program as well. Both of these were instrumental in shaping me into who I am today and it is painful to think that future students won’t be able to experience them. With the end of these programs, Dave Tanis and Wendell, the people who had invested heavily in me during my time in college, lost their jobs. These two men had created an amazing adventure program that has been used countless times to change lives. We had a surprise party for them to celebrate the work that God had done in their lives. There were people who drove from all around the country to join in the celebration. It was a fabulous time of sharing stories about the ways that God has used Dave and Wendell in the lives of college students. Present to celebrate were people from the very first adventure education class all the way through those who haven’t graduated. While we shared stories about Dave and Wendell, we were also pointing to the things that God had done in our lives through these men. This celebration truly felt like an act of worship.
As I go through life, I find that some of my most special memories are the times of celebration that I share with those who are around me. I find that it helps me grow closer to them because celebrating is fun and gives a chance to just be together. It also helps me to draw my focus onto Christ because I actively take time to name the things he has done in my life. Celebrating is simply good.
