Surprise Me, Leonard Sweet, Premiered 30 May 2021, Trinity Sunday, LenTalk #63

About this sermon

Lectionary Passages Isaiah 6:1-8 Psalm 29 Romans 8:12-17 John 3:1-17 Prayer for Practicing Pentecost Fill my life with laughter, Lord, with things to smile about; with the ability to see the funny side of things, with the grace to take a joke and laugh at myself. Thank you for the greatest joke ever, the joke you played on Easter morning. Spare me from a finicky faith. When I look foolish, release in me good humor instead of a bad temper. May I share the good news with laughter on my lips. Fill me with the levity of mercy when life bares its teeth or when people curl their lips or when facing an onslaught of unfairness. For laughter “suffereth long” and is kind. May my community of faith be a community of laughter that fears not the future but “laughs at the time to come.”* May every wind turn to a gale of laughter which can carry me to a different place, where the spirit of joy prevails in my heart, where a cry for the hapless, the hopeless, and the humorless become tears of resurrection triumph and pentecostal joy --Leonard Sweet *Proverbs 31:25 The modern-day equivalent of the camp-meeting, especially those in the first half of the 19th century, which drew 10,000 to 20,000 campers for ten days of 24-7 worship celebration, is “Burning Man.” This popular arts festival and celebration is held every year in the Black Rock Desert north of Reno, Nevada. Burning Man 2021 is canceled. It's the second year in a row that the pandemic has taken it out. Next Year’s “Burn,” 2022, I predict will be the biggest Burn ever, since it’s been cancelled for two years and the pent-up desire among burners is so high. Burning-Man has initiation rites. First-timers are welcomed into the community by participating in a special ritual. The lingo for a first-time Burner is “virgin.” The initiation is simple. Virgins are required to lay in the sand, roll around three times and shout each time, “I’m not a virgin anymore!” Once initiated, the former virgin is known as a new Burner and is greeted with hugs by veteran Burners. The 10 Principles of Burning Man Burning Man co-founder Larry Harvey wrote the 10 Principles in 2004 as guidelines for the newly-formed Regional Network. They were crafted not as a dictate of how people should be and act, but as a reflection of the community’s ethos and culture as it had organically developed since the event’s inception. I am listing the 10 official "Burner Rules," and prefacing them with the Pentecost litany of "Where the Spirit of the Lord is, there is liberty," but with "liberty" outlined by these 10 Principles. Where the Spirit of the Lord is, there is . . . 1) Radical Inclusion Anyone may be a part of Burning Man. We welcome and respect the stranger. No prerequisites exist for participation in our community. Where the Spirit of the Lord is, there is . . . 2) Gifting Burning Man is devoted to acts of gift giving. The value of a gift is unconditional. Where the Spirit of the Lord is, there is . . . 3) Decommodification People are treated as relational subjects, not as transactional objects. Where the Spirit of the Lord is, there is . . . 4) Radical Self-reliance People are encouraged to be themselves and explore their own inner resources. Where the Spirit of the Lord is, there is . . . 5) Radical Self-expression All artistic expressions are offered as gifts to the community, or simple "release" of pent-up creativity. Where the Spirit of the Lord is, there is . . . . 6) Communal Effort In the words of this Burning Man protocol, "Our community values creative cooperation and collaboration. We strive to produce, promote and protect social networks, public spaces, works of art, and methods of communication that support such interaction." Where the Spirit of the Lord is, there is . . 7) Civic Responsibility "We value civil society. Community members who organize events should assume responsibility for public welfare and endeavor to communicate civic responsibilities to participants. They must also assume responsibility for conducting events in accordance with local, state and federal laws." Where the Spirit of the Lord is, there is . . . 8) Leaving No Trace This means more than everyone dealing with their own moop (matter out of place), the Burner name for litter. It also means leaving the place better than you found it. Where the Spirit of the Lord is, there is . . . 9) Participation "Our community is committed to a radically participatory ethic. We believe that transformative change, whether in the individual or in society, can occur only through the medium of deeply personal participation. We achieve being through doing. Everyone is invited to work. Everyone is invited to play. We make the world real through actions that open the heart." Where the Spirit of the Lord is, there is . . . 10) Immediacy In other words, spontaneity and surprise are key elements of the "Burner" experience. #LeonardSweet #BurningMan #HolySpirit

Topics

• The Trinity