Chapel – Bethany Nolson
Good morning, everyone. Welcome to our community chapel for this week. We're glad that you are here, and for those of you online, welcome we're hoping that you enjoy our service, either now or on demand. This morning, we are so pleased to have Bethany Nolson with us. Bethany is she hasn't attended Tyndale, but she has a long line of family members who have both her grandmother and her mother are graduates of Tyndale seminary. Bethany is the Outreach Director at Cornerstone Christian Community Church in Markham, and she has a degree from York University in children's studies and human rights. Fun fact, I've known Bethany since she was five, and you're thinking to yourself, how is that possible? George, you look so young. Bethany, among other things, started an organization called prom with a purpose. Some of you might be familiar with it. I'm not sure. Is it still active Bethany? it is. It's still active, and they've had probably about 10 different events throughout Ontario over the course of the last seven or eight years. I know one of my sons attended at one point, and along with her work in Markham at the church, she is also the founder and director of Wenday, an organization that creates intentional spaces for young Christian leaders to live, learn, lead and love together as they pursue justice and Jesus in the world, Bethany is passionate about confronting and being an instrumental solution in matters as wide as human trafficking, poverty alleviation here at home and around the world. She's been to Africa several times, Honduras, and has worked with First Nations in the Thunder Bay Area. She's also concerned about food insecurity and homelessness into to that end, very often on Sundays, you can find Bethany downtown here in Toronto, distributing food clothing to those who are without homes, we are really looking forward to your message today Bethany. Friends, let's read responsibly this call to worship as as I begin. Come to worship Jesus Christ, this morning, the Alpha and Omega, the one who is, who was and is to come. Come to worship on bended knee or sitting to receive, or hands raised high, Jesus Christ, the faithful witness the first born of the dead, the ruler of the kings of the earth. Good Shepherd, true vine. Wonderful Counselor, Prince of Peace. Just before I pray a collect for this morning, I'd also like to acknowledge that we have approximately 25 guests here on campus, undergraduate prospective students who are trying to figure out if this is the place to find themselves, confident, brave, spiritual. I'm confident that this is the place for you, but we are glad that you are here. For those of you who are here visiting us today. Can you stand so we can acknowledge your presence with us? Come on. There you go. Wonderful. Welcome. We have hope. You have a good day today. Let's pray together. God of eternity, we stand with courage on this Tuesday between celebrating your reign and recognizing your Advents, even in this perilous time that not even the most powerful rulers of the earth hold our eternal destiny in their hands, we are secure in Christ, whose reign is just, whose power is endless and whose love is unfathomable, God of eternity we join the chorus of saints who continue to declare that Christ is our king. We pray in Jesus' name. Amen.
Well, good morning, everyone. I'm so excited to be with you all today. I'm going to start by telling you a bit of a story. This is a story about one of my dear friends who lives on the streets of Toronto. She's kind, she's funny, she looks out for others, she loves animals, and she has an incredible smile. She is a really joyful character. But if you met my friends a few years ago, you probably never would have known this just looking at her. When I first met my friend, she was curled up in a doorway. She was cold and angry, and as she yelled at us to get lost, we gave her all the space that she needed. We saw her again a few weeks later, then again and again, and slowly, God started to open up these doors for conversation and connection in the ways that only he can. One day, my friend asked me if we had anything that she could read she wanted to keep her mind off her addiction during the days, and I said, all we had with us was a Bible. She shrugged and accepted, and my friend fell in love with Jesus through the pages of that Bible, I slowly started to see her change. She opened up, she laughed more, she talked, and she always asked if we could pray together. One day, I found my friend on a busy street corner, and I sat down beside her and asked how she was doing. She said, not great. She explained that she was just done that day. She was tired of being overlooked, and she motioned that the scores of people who walked by her without even glancing down at her, this is a woman who has experienced more pain, hurt and abandonment in her life than I will ever be able to get my head around. This is a woman who has braved life on the streets for most of her life, but that day, she was just done with all of it. She told me that someone had walked by and placed a single dime in her cup, and with tears in her eyes, she asked, is that all I'm worth? I threw my arms around her and told her that, of course, she was worth infinitely more. We talked about it, and I asked if I could pray for her. As I prayed for her, I asked that the Lord would protect her, keep her safe, that he would give her what she needed, and that she would know how deeply she was loved. But in that moment, my heart also pleaded for more. My heart pleaded for a way out of her addiction, for housing, for healing. And as I prayed for my friend that day, I saw this image of Jesus sitting beside my friend on the sidewalk, and as scores of people walked by her without even glancing down at her, Jesus, with his eyes full of love, were glued to her. I finished praying, and she quickly said to me, Bethany, I know that Jesus is with me because I saw him sitting beside me on the sidewalk. I told her I had seen the same thing, and these smiles broke across our faces, and we rejoiced together, laughing about how God shows up in these moments. That moment didn't heal this lifetime of hurt. It didn't provide a way out of her situation, but it affirmed the love of a God who loves her enough to bring joy even into these unlikely moments. It became a moment that my friend and I come back too often, especially on the hardest days, and we always giggle about how Jesus is with us. If you were to look at my friend's story from the outside and see her curled up on the sidewalk, it would probably be hard to see joy here. But this is a person who knows deep joy that most of us wouldn't even be able to understand. Because even in the challenges of her life, I have seen this joy well up in her and in so many of my friends who live on the streets. This is the joy of Jesus that comes into really unlikely places. Because here's the thing about joy, there's this major disconnect between how the world views joy and how God views joy. If you look in the dictionary, you get a definition that says that joy is an emotion evoked by well being, success, good fortune, or by the prospect of processing what one desires. So by this definition, how can someone like my friend or someone like me or you ever have the joy when we aren't successful, when things aren't going well and when good fortune or what we desire is far from our reach? By this definition, joy is impossible in most of our stories, but biblical joy, this joy that comes from being with Jesus, is completely different. Biblical joy is not defined by our circumstances, but comes from this freedom of following a God who knows us, who loves us, who delights in us and fills us with this deep joy that can only be found in him. Mary Clark, Michelle explains joy by saying joy comes down to this, to being awake and fully alive, aware of the love and goodness of God and mindful of the wondrous gift of life, being awake and fully alive to a God who knows who we are and who still loves us and lavishes His goodness on us. That's what it's all about, this joy that comes into the most unlikely places and comes into the most unlikely parts of our own story. And this biblical joy is interwoven into the narrative of the Bible, and is a core characteristic of the Trinity, because from the very beginning of the biblical story through to the end, we see joy as being central to God's character and as an attribute of his people. We see Jesus living a life that modeled this beautiful, genuine relational joy as he healed people, restored people, rejoiced with them time and time again, and we see the Holy Spirit filling God's people with the joy and binding communities together. Joy is at the heart of God's character, modeled by Jesus and produced in us through the Holy Spirit. So finding joy in unlikely places is pretty easy then, right? It's simple. It's not all right. There are many of you here who probably know all these things and have heard these things, but are still finding it hard to find joy in your story, who are finding it who's trying really hard but finding this season difficult. I see that. I feel it too. So how do we find joy when there's wrestling, when the things are messy and challenging, when we have big questions and when we're just tired. There's a lot of examples of this in the Bible of God bringing joy into unlikely places. But of all the stories, we're going to zero in on Paul, who gives us a great model for this in Philippians. We find Paul imprisoned because of his faith. He's literally lost everything. He's chained to a guard, and he's likely facing the possibility of death. Pretty joyful spot, right? It's here, though, in this really unlikely place, that Paul writes this letter to the Philippians that is just saturated with joy. This book has 107 verses, and the idea of joy and rejoicing is mentioned 16 times. So that's basically every second seven verses. Paul is bringing us back to rejoicing. He talks about the joy for His church, joy in how God is working, joy in God's promises. The list goes on and on and on. So despite all that's going on, what allows Paul to hold so tightly to joy? He gives us this blueprint for finding joy in unlikely places, and it comes down to proximity, perspective and purpose. So let's start with proximity. Joy comes from God and through God, when God created this world and all of its perfect details and created us as humans, we were created to be with God, to literally walk with him in the garden. We were created in the image of a joyful God, and joy comes when we're close to our Creator. Joy comes from belonging to God and walking with God through all of the complexities that our lives hold. This is what allowed Paul to hold so tightly to joy. In Philippians, three verses, eight to nine, he says, What is more, I consider everything a loss compared to the surpassing greatness of knowing Christ, Jesus as my Lord, for whose sake I have lost all things. I consider them rubbish, that I might gain Christ and be found in him, not having righteousness in my own that comes from the law, but that which is through faith in Christ, righteousness that comes from God and is by faith. Paul positions himself close to the Lord. He claims the truth of who God is, and he knows that his own identity, purpose and righteousness can only be found in Christ. Paul is full of joy because he is with God, who is the source, author and definer of our joy. And as we move closer to God, our earthly desires start to fall away. This definition of joy that our Earth defines gets replaced by our desire to be with God and for the things that God desires. God's presence becomes both our source and the object of our joy, and produces joy in our lives. So if you were to stop and think about someone in your life that models this type of joy, does anyone come to mind for me, it's my grandma, Helen Gould. She turns 96 in a couple weeks. She's feisty and joyful and deeply compassionate, and over 70 years ago, she followed God's calling to the other side of the world and spent her life caring for people and loving people wherever God has led her. And even now, as she's gotten older and she's walked through different challenges and changes, her faith and joy shines so brightly it is abundantly clear to everyone who meets her. Whenever we go to visit her, the staff at her home are quick to tell us about how she makes them laugh, how she cares for them, shares about Jesus, encourages them, and is ready to join in any adventure that comes her way. The reason my grandma shines so brightly is abundantly clear. It's because she's with Jesus. She holds tightly to the Lord. She spent her life imitating him, and that joy that comes from that just spills out of her. And even as she's gotten older and her memory isn't what it used to be, she lives out this faith and this joy from muscle memory. It's effortless for her because she's lived with God in such proximity for so long, it doesn't this joy doesn't come from what she does. It comes from the fact that she's with Jesus. So as you think about people in your life that model this type of joy, what are the characteristics that show they're close to God, how can we follow their example in our own lives? Next we'll move to perspective that joy comes from the confidence that in all things, God is on the throne. When we're close to God, in proximity with him, we're going to become more aware of his love and how he is working. Joy is the correct response to the presence and work of God in our lives, it's having confidence that God is who he says he is, that we are his beloved children, and that he is at work. Joy comes from the confidence that in all things, despite all things, God is on the throne. And this shifting of perspective is what allows us to find joy in the most unlikely places, the places where hope may be fleeting, where we don't have the answers, where we don't know how we're going to make it through. And this perspective is not about looking at those challenges and saying, well, it could be worse. It's about looking at those challenges and seeing that God is right in the middle of them with us that he is fighting for us and that he has promised to work things for our good. Paul, again, models this for us in Philippians, one verses 18 to 20, he says, but what does it matter? The important thing is that in every way, whether by false motives or true, Christ is preached. And because of this, I rejoice. Yes, I will come to rejoice, for I know that through your prayers and God's provision of the Spirit of Jesus Christ, that what has happened to me will turn out for my deliverance. I eagerly expect and hope that in no way I will be ashamed, for we have sufficient courage so that now, as always, Christ will be exalted in my body, whether by life or death. So to recap, Paul is saying this in jail. He's recounting his hardship. He is looking about the possibility of his death, but in the same breath, he is rejoicing. In the same breath he's rejoicing, because even here, God is working, even with all of these things, God is being glorified. He doesn't discredit or ignore the context that he's in. He names it, he laments in it. But he rejoices because he is confident in God's promises. This shift in perspective allows us to accept that joy and hardship can and often exist in the same spaces they so often co exist. So we talk a lot about the genuine, refreshing beauty of biblical joy, but there's also the reality of hardship, sorrow and pain. Both of these things are very real and very true, and these, as both of these spaces exist, we have to recognize that they are rarely mutually exclusive. They exist in this tension and the ability to hold joy and sorrow together. It's a hard one, but it's a space where God so often meets us. I am forever grateful that God has allowed me to visit some really beautiful places in this world and meet some really incredible people. And what I've come to see time and time again is that those on the margins, those who have less, those who are vulnerable, are often incredibly gifted at finding joy in unlikely places, whether from necessity or out of practice. They are well experienced in focusing their gaze on Jesus even when everything around them looks bleak. They're good at holding tightly to the promises that God has shown up before and he will show up again. There is this beautiful church community that I love on the other side of the world, a community that exists in a really challenging context. The last few years for them, have held a lot of loss. Leaders and family members have passed away. Core members have lost their jobs and had to move. There were car accidents, diagnosis, injury. And the economy has made everything harder. And then we got word that the government had come against churches and took away their standing. In a moment, they lost their status, their funds, their assets, their savings were gone, their programs were closed. People lost their jobs, kids lost their school and ministries that had been thriving for years hit a standstill. A few months later, we were able to go visit our friends in this context. I knew the challenges they were facing. I had heard the stories, I had seen the tears, but more than that, I saw the resilience, the faith and the joy that was existing, and when we arrived at that church on our last weekend together, I was feeling the weight of all that they were experiencing, all the stories and moments I had heard and witnessed. But that weight didn't last long. As my friends ran out to greet us, they threw their arms around us and smiled and danced, I was pulled into a church, surrounded by the kids and the grandmas, and the music started, and we danced and we shouted and we praised God with all of our hearts. And just as we thought worship was ending, a new song broke out, and the band quickly adapted to what was going on. We sang the word joy over and over and over and over again, people danced in the aisles. They lifted their hands to Jesus. There was smiles and laughter and tears of joy, and you would never have known that this is a place that has been filled with such heartache, because joy and sorrow were not mutually exclusive, even in the challenges, my friends eyes were on Jesus, and they knew that God had showed up before and that he would show up again. So as we look at the proximity to God and shifting our perspective to him, the last piece to consider is our purpose. Our purpose, first and foremost, is to be with Jesus, to lean in, to step aside from busyness, to actively look for him and rejoice in his goodness. We know that our world is full of brokenness, but God's mission is for restoration, for rightness, for the flourishing of his creation. And God takes great delight when his creation is working the way that it was designed to work. This is God's mission in the world, but he invites us to be a part of it. And when we join God in his work in this world, that joy is an immediate byproduct. So as we go back to Paul, he talks about rejoicing in the mission Philippians, two verses 15 to 18, then you will shine among them like stars in the sky, as you hold firmly to the word of life. And then I will be able to boast on the day of Christ that I did not run or labor in vain, because even if I am being poured out like a drink offering on the sacrifice and service coming from your faith, I am glad and rejoice with all of you, so that you too should be glad and rejoice with me. Paul's joy comes from being a part of God's work in this world and seeing God at work in this world. This is the same mission and story that God is inviting each of us to be a part of here and now and when we do, we get to experience God's joy in a new and profound way. When we widen our circles, step into new places, love our neighbors, and do the things that God puts in front of us, we're going to experience him more and more. We're going to see him at work, and we're going to be able to rejoice in what he is doing. We are going to be able to taste and see that God is good and that leads to joy. I am forever grateful that God has allowed me to see joy in this world and be able to work with him as I have met different people, from outreaches to missions, from camp to church events, from quiet conversations and massive conferences, I have been blessed to see the joy that comes from God's people leaning into the Lord and living into the purpose that God gives them. Over and over again, I have been able to see God bring joy into the most unlikely places, because this is the reality of biblical joy that we come when we come into proximity with God, shift our perspective to him, and live our lives with the purpose that He gives us. We can live with joy, not just the happiness that our world and circumstances may bring, but this true, deep and constant joy that only comes from God. This is the joy that leads to rejoicing on the sidewalk when Jesus reminds us that he's close, the joy that leads to dancing and worship even in the midst of hardship, sorrow and loss, joy that comes from loving and serving and joining in God's work in this world. And it's the same joy that come come into a prison cell and a death sentence and stand as a timely blueprint to us on how to live with joy in the most unlikely places. So where do you need God to bring joy into your story today? Where are the unlikely places that he might show up for you? And how can you move into closer proximity with him, shift your perspective to him, and how can you live with the purpose that God has given you today and forevermore? Friends, our God is a God of joy, who fills us with this true and genuine joy. And as we keep our eyes set on him and live with his perfect purpose, we're able to rejoice in all things. So I'm going to end with Romans 15 13, as a blessing for all of us, may the God of hope fill you with all joy and peace in believing, so that by the power of the Holy Spirit you may abound in hope. Amen.
Thank you, Bethany, let's pray together. God, we have been deeply moved and reminded this morning of your presence, your abiding presence in our lives, if we only seek you, listen carefully, quietly, God, as Bethany has challenged us this morning, where is it that you are in our lives, bringing that joy in those unlikely spaces and places, whether that's in a corner of the library in a residence room, perhaps in the Katimavic, maybe outside these doors, or maybe it's in a downtown street in Toronto, or halfway around the world, as we are at emissaries of peace and of grace in conflicted situations, such as in Ukraine, Gaza, South Lebanon, Sudan, Haiti. God to be reminded of your your care, your compassion, your love in sitting with Bethany's friend, your care and compassion in that church community that she described, where everything was removed and yet Joy remained. God, It feels like sometimes, in this in this western culture in which we live, that all we can think about in terms of joy is simply the circumstantial happiness, things that we possess, things that we want, desire, and as we enter into the season of Christmas perhaps that's an eye or mind that all we want for Christmas is. So change our perspective through the proximity of your son in our lives and that as we go through each Sunday of the coming Advent season, a season in which we celebrate and think on hope. Think on peace. Consider love and God be infused by joy. May you be here with us in the communities in which we rotate and have influence in the streets of Toronto and places around the world that is in so deep need of your joy. So God, we pray that you will make us people of joy, that we will leave this sanctuary rejoicing, not despite the world, but because of you. May we be focused on your Son, Jesus Christ, in whom we pray, Amen.
