{"id":1179,"date":"2011-07-17T14:35:04","date_gmt":"2011-07-17T21:35:04","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/thegatheringcincinnati.org\/?p=1179"},"modified":"2011-07-17T14:35:04","modified_gmt":"2011-07-17T21:35:04","slug":"july-17-2011-summer-songs-for-fun-and-inspiration-glee-and-loser-like-me","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.gnhuu.org\/index.php\/2011\/07\/17\/july-17-2011-summer-songs-for-fun-and-inspiration-glee-and-loser-like-me\/","title":{"rendered":"July 17, 2011, "Summer Songs for Fun and Inspiration: Glee and 'Loser Like Me'""},"content":{"rendered":"

\"\"<\/a>\u00a9 Doug Slagle, Pastor at the Gathering, All Rights Reserved<\/span><\/h3>\n

<\/h3>\n

If you were to meet a never married, childless man in his mid-thirties, who still lives with and is close to his mother, hangs around cheaters, petty thieves, prostitutes, the mentally ill, unemployed, and adulterers, who himself has no job and no possessions, likes to drink and party and is a member of a fringe religious cult, what would you say about him? \u00a0Given that description, I would probably think to myself that he is a bit strange and not someone I would befriend. \u00a0And if I heard that at a young age he was arrested, charged with a capital crime and executed, I would be even more inclined to think he led a sad and tragic life that did not amount to much. \u00a0As someone who, in my own grandiose vision of myself, likes to think I am part of society\u2019s mainstream, this man is someone who I would not emulate. \u00a0He would not be my role model for success or normalcy.<\/h3>\n

And yet, as most of you have already discerned, this man that I just described fits the life history, as we know it, of Jesus. \u00a0However much the Bible contains supernatural tales and allegorical myths that were intended more to instruct than be literal history, Jesus was likely a real human who lived and died two-thousand years ago. \u00a0Descriptions of his life, his teachings and the impact he had on society after his execution indicate that he was a flesh and blood man. \u00a0The supernatural figure called the Christ, who performed numerous miracles and rose from the dead to now be God, is another matter. \u00a0Jesus the Christ was an invention to mitigate the seemingly loser aspects of Jesus the man\u2019s real life. \u00a0Why would people want to remember or honor a man conceived out of wedlock, who never built or acquired anything of value, who enjoyed the company of other outcasts and who was executed in a manner reserved only for the worst kinds of criminals? \u00a0As his followers believed, no history book would remember this person and certainly no religion could be created around him. \u00a0Instead, he needed to be re-made into a god-man. \u00a0And so he was.
\nBut that being the case does not mean the real-life Jesus was a loser. \u00a0Indeed, the very loser qualities that seemed to make his life an embarrassment to his followers, are instead the traits of a genuine hero. \u00a0He succeeded in life in ways that few have matched. \u00a0Absent his Christ status and power, Jesus remains a remarkable and truly amazing person. \u00a0His teachings about peace, forgiveness, love of enemy, compassion for the outcast, service to the poor and sick and hatred of hypocrisy still resonate around the world as profound and breathtaking. \u00a0While he may not have been a god, his ethics and the way he led his life point to the Divine. \u00a0Jesus is history\u2019s most famous loser who rose above and, indeed, embraced his \u201closer\u201d label to truly succeed. \u00a0In that way, he remains a role model for us all.
\nAs we saw in the opening video clip, our song for today is from the currently popular television show Glee. \u00a0Like any good show, it has achieved a loyal following and its devotees often call themselves \u201cGleeks\u201d. \u00a0Many say it is the show\u2019s unabashed feel-good themes that make it popular – especially in our economically depressed and worrisome world. \u00a0Most importantly, the show highlights the generally happy and positive lives of students in a Lima, Ohio High School Glee club – kids from a small, mid-western town who could be described as outcasts and losers. \u00a0There is the adopted Jewish girl who dreams of being a star, the wheelchair bound kid, the flamboyant gay kid, the African-American overweight girl, the dumb blonde, the pregnant girl, the tough, rebel guy, etc, etc. \u00a0All join the Glee club, which is seen in most high schools as nerdy and one no athlete, cheerleader or popular kid would want to join. \u00a0And the Glee kids are ruthlessly teased, bullied and splashed in the face with \u201cslushees\u201d – colored, shaved ice concoctions people that are used as weapons against those perceived as a loser.
\nBut these kids thrive and succeed. \u00a0They find in themselves the creative and joyful energy to sing, dance and perform. \u00a0They perform in numerous competitions and often win – bringing to their school and to themselves the kind of positive recognition the sports teams or cheerleading squads are unable to provide. \u00a0And, as we just saw, they fully embrace their loser status. \u00a0They face the same hurts and pains of any marginalized person or group but they transform their lives and their thinking into something positive, celebratory and genuine.
\nIf you heard or read my last two messages – the first on optimism and last week\u2019s on authenticity – this week\u2019s song and theme focuses on how any of us can transcend life\u2019s setbacks, depressions and loser qualities into something good and happy. \u00a0Indeed, using Jesus\u2019 life as an example, what did he – and other successful, so-called nerds or losers – do in life that enabled contentment? \u00a0Even further, what can any of us do to find that elusive life of true happiness, peace and joy? \u00a0Instead of dwelling on what make us unhappy, what helps us thrive and exult in the pure thrill of living? \u00a0To put it in a youthful vernacular, what rocks our world or knocks our socks off?
\nWorking in the 1950\u2019s, a well-known psychologist named Martin Seligman of the University of Pennsylvania pioneered research into positive psychology. \u00a0Instead of focusing on the causes of mental and emotional dysfunction, he encouraged the study of what helps people find and nurture innate talents so that they happily thrive. \u00a0What thoughts and actions make even a normal life extraordinary? \u00a0How might so-called losers become winners?
\nAs we examined two weeks ago with the Dolly Parton song \u201cLight of a Clear Blue Morning\u201d, there is power in optimism. \u00a0This is not blind and irrational positive thinking that is naive and patronizing. \u00a0Useful in positive psychology, this philosophy is called \u201chedonics\u201d and involves the ability to be upbeat, dream big and focus on the good in life, in oneself and in others. \u00a0Jesus saw lepers as people to be hugged and touched, prostitutes as loving and decent, criminals as inherently good, sinners as worthy of forgiveness, the sick as otherwise healthy – all people, especially the outcast – as beautiful and holy. \u00a0Jesus embraced life and enjoyed dinner parties, wine and the company of all kinds of fun-loving people. \u00a0He dreamed of a better world and he set out to make it so – through his abilities to love, teach and care for others.
\nMany of the so-called loser kids in the Glee show practice the same ethic. \u00a0They dream of being stars, they are confident in their abilities, they see each other in a positive light, they enjoy life through song, dance and the usual highlights of teenage living – love, good times and romance. \u00a0Indeed, the show itself embodies \u201chedonics\u201d – its characters celebrate life which in turn allows viewers to experience fun and inspiration. \u00a0One is rarely sad at the end of a Glee show.
\nBesides practicing a form of hedonics, Dr. Martin Seligman also proposed practicing the psychological theory called gratification. \u00a0This involves finding satisfaction in creativity, beauty, excellence and perseverance. \u00a0When we are creative – in music, art, cooking, writing, gardening, dance or speech, we discover something unique inside ourselves. \u00a0We have the power to birth something entirely new – a piece of our souls to behold and admire. \u00a0From the first cave paintings by early humans, we as a species thrill at the creation of types of art that often has no utilitarian purpose. \u00a0Such forms of self-expression are made to simply be experienced.
\nAs an example, Jesus told many memorable and quite eloquent parables designed to teach and be remembered. \u00a0Such stories are believed to be authentically from the man Jesus. \u00a0They were creative expressions of his life that made him loved and admired. \u00a0Each of us identifies with the poignant story of the prodigal son, the good samaritan, or the wedding feast. \u00a0In them, Jesus painted timeless word pictures of great beauty and universal wisdom.
\nThe Glee kids may be labeled losers but they have legitimate talent as singers and dancers. \u00a0Through such gifts they are able to evoke feelings of joy, longing, grief, love and compassion. \u00a0As one gay character sings \u201cI Wanna Hold Your Hand\u201d, he beautifully interpreted it to the love he has for his father who openly and proudly accepts him. \u00a0The cast brought new, contemporary power to John Lennon\u2019s song \u201cImagine\u201d as a plea for social justice and they exuberantly sang Maddona\u2019s tune \u201cLike a Virgin\u201d, representing their own teen angst and sexual awakening.
\nThis personal creativity found in positive psychology can be realized in any one of us. \u00a0From insightful words in personal diaries, to moving piano pieces played here each week, to photographs we take, to the meals we prepare, to the gardens we tend – there is in each and every person great art waiting to be unleashed. \u00a0\u00a0Happiness is found in its creation – both for ourselves and for those who experience it. \u00a0Who among us is a loser when we are capable of bringing beauty into our world? \u00a0To take liberty with President Kennedy\u2019s famous saying, let us not ask what the world has or has not given us, let us instead find happiness in the talents we have and the creatively we give the world.
\nBesides using hedonics and personal creativity to build positive psychology, Dr. Seligman also encouraged finding personal meaning. \u00a0This involves building community, spirituality, knowledge, justice or compassion in others. \u00a0We live to serve not just ourselves. \u00a0We were encouraged by Jesus to love other people as much as we love ourselves. \u00a0As he said, to do this we must teach the child, soothe the sick, visit the prisoner, comfort the bereaved, clothe the naked, feed the hungry, and speak out for the marginalized. \u00a0At any age, in any state of mind or health, rich or poor, we can each find personal satisfaction and happiness by doing good for others. \u00a0Indeed, helping other people is one way we are both selfish and selfless. \u00a0We help ourselves as much as we help another. \u00a0I know I repeat this far too often, but it is a core value of which I must constantly remind myself and which I believe must be central to who we are as individuals and as a congregation. \u00a0We exist, we live, we find purpose, meaning and real joy in giving to others – both financially and with our time. \u00a0This is not an option in life – it is a necessity and a duty.
\nToo often, religious descriptions of Jesus paint him as a man of sorrows. \u00a0Seen in a religious light as angry and condemning of a hypocritical and sinful world, this view of Jesus saw him as resigned to his sacrificial death on a cross. \u00a0\u00a0Paintings depict him as somber, serious, stoic and even sad. \u00a0Such depictions offer a false view of the man – one who I contend saw the opportunity and possibility in life and in this world. \u00a0While he was not content with the way things were, he set out to change them – to bring solace, comfort and happiness to others and to teach people how to do the same. \u00a0His vision was one of optimism – the Kingdom of Heaven is here and now! \u00a0Lets embrace goodness, mercy, love, peace and happiness. \u00a0Lets have fun. \u00a0Lets party. \u00a0Lets stop obsessing over the petty details of how to look good and instead focus on actually doing good and being good. \u00a0Life is not a pain filled waiting room for that big, puffy cloud called heaven. \u00a0Life is a playground for us to help build and then enjoy. \u00a0Jesus may have hung on a cross but he was not resurrected to leave us and rule from above. \u00a0That is the stuff of myth written by men with a religious agenda. \u00a0Jesus was instead resurrected in the hearts of his followers, in other prophets of history and in us. \u00a0He was not some sad-sack loser who found greatness only by becoming God. \u00a0Jesus was a great and successful human being who worked to transform himself and the world into a happier place.
\nAn old anonymous saying states that nobody is born a winner and nobody is born a loser. \u00a0We are what we make ourselves to be. \u00a0Winners in life are not those who die with the most things or the most money. \u00a0They have not amassed the most power or achieved the most fame. \u00a0They have, instead, built for themselves a reservoir of contentment. \u00a0Such people are at peace with themselves and with the world. \u00a0They find beauty in each person and each living thing. \u00a0They know who they are; they have embarked on journeys of fulfillment – doing the work they were made to perform; they have loved deeply and loved well; they have given of themselves and their resources in service to others; they have celebrated and laughed; they have created beauty and art. \u00a0\u00a0We can each wondrously make ourselves into persons of charm and grace – never an outcast, never a misfit, never a loser. \u00a0In you, in me, in people across the earth – there are only winners waiting to emerge…<\/h3>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

\u00a9 Doug Slagle, Pastor at the Gathering, All Rights Reserved If you were to meet a never married, childless man in his mid-thirties, who still lives with and is close to his mother, hangs around cheaters, petty thieves, prostitutes, the mentally ill, unemployed, and adulterers, who himself has no job and no possessions, likes to […]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":4,"featured_media":0,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[1],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-1179","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","hentry","category-uncategorized"],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.gnhuu.org\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/1179","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.gnhuu.org\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.gnhuu.org\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.gnhuu.org\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/4"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.gnhuu.org\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=1179"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/www.gnhuu.org\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/1179\/revisions"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.gnhuu.org\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=1179"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.gnhuu.org\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=1179"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.gnhuu.org\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=1179"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}