Pink hair [video included!] and celebration

​Last Sunday I got up to speak and had pink hair. I told those gathered I was not having a mid-life crisis but there was a definite purpose to what I was doing (ironically, someone in the audience didn’t even notice the color but when I mentioned mid-life crisis they panicked, wondering what was going on with me!). Was it an act rebellion? Of boredom? Was I making a point?
 
None of the above. It was an act of celebration.
 
Earlier in the year we’d challenged our Awana Children’s Ministry that meets on Wednesdays here at GBC with a fundraising project. We wanted to raise money for the sponsorship program of our Oasis Summer Camp for those from the community who can’t afford to come and also to help support Awana Clubs in the Ukraine. The idea was if they raised a certain amount I’d have my hair painted pink at club and then myself and the head of the ministry would get a cream pie in the face. If they raised an amount above that I would preach the following Sunday with pink hair.  Well, the kids hit the first threshold on the last week and so out came the spray and the pies but they didn’t raise the higher amount so I didn’t have to preach with the pink hair.
 
I was off the hook.
 
But I decided I would do it anyways to celebrate what the kids had done rather than point out what they hadn’t. We have a number of kids who come from the community and don’t have a lot of money. I heard stories of them bringing in loonies and toonies not to see ‘Pastor in Pink’ but because they wanted a child to have the same opportunity they had.  You see many of them have been sponsored in the past to the same camp and are being sponsored to come to our kid’s program and so they wanted to give back to allow others the same opportunity.
 
How could I not honor and celebrate that?
 
So on the following Sunday I had my hair painted pink and preached on the Lord’s Prayer from Matthew 6 on doing God’s will, which I found appropriate since that was what we were all trying to do. It was a great morning, the kids were in the first part of the service to see me in action and the GBC family entered into the spirit of the event. I really felt a lot of love and affection that morning (and we’re a pretty loving church family). I was so happy to be part of it and especially since there were no questions about the propriety of a pastor doing that. GBC has changed a lot over the time I’ve been here and grace prevails and joy is evident as we seek to let our lights shine.
 
So what’s the point of all this?  Jesus encouraged  the church to rejoice since our names are written in Heaven (John 10:20) and Paul reminded us to rejoice in the Lord always (Phil.4:4). When we rejoice we actively enter into a mood of celebration.  Life is tough at times and we need to take the opportunity to celebrate accomplishments as a church. We have so much to be thankful for in the salvation that was paid for on the cross and a future resurrection (now THAT will be a celebration) and life forever in Heaven. Until that point, we need to seize the moment and celebrate when cause arises such as when a bunch of kids (and some adults) give money so others would have the same opportunity to learn about and experience the love of God.  That’s worth some pink hair!
 
You can see the video summary here of the big event. Truth be told, it was a lot of fun and no burden at all but rather a joy because I was ready to rejoice!