Advent Week 3: Joy

The following is from material I prepared for our church community. It is comprised of a short homily regarding the third week of Advent focusing on joy, followed by a community prayer, then by a devotional to help people go deeper in the experience of Advent and the Christmas season.

Our word for this week as we celebrate the Advent season, is joy. Now, when we think about what joy is, we usually think of being happy. However, the biblical sense of joy is much more than simple happiness, much more than an emotion. It is a character quality, a state of being, and to some degree, a result of choice. It persists in spite of adverse circumstances. I like to think of joy as the deep waters in a river like Trout Creek, steady flow, stable, consistent, despite what is going on above. The more superficial waters might represent bubbly happiness or the turbulent waters of trouble or suffering (water patterns influenced by external influences) but lying deep below is this undercurrent of steady, abiding, wonderful joy.

Joy was a prominent theme of that first Christmas wasn't it? The angel announcing the birth of the Christ child to the shepherds in the fields, watching over their flocks at night said, "do not be afraid; for see - I am bringing you good news of great joy for all the people: to you is born this day in the city of David a Savior who is the Messiah, the Lord." The angel gave instructions on where the shepherds were to find the baby and then, this angel was joined suddenly by a multitude, an army of angels saying (and perhaps singing and shouting) the following: "glory to God in the highest heaven and on earth peace among those whom he favors!" Talk about an expression of great joy! Can you imagine, the atmosphere saturated with angels celebrating this wonderful event. Joy to the world!

It is surprising that often joy is linked with suffering in the Bible. Paul said that he rejoiced in his sufferings for the sake of the Colossian church. At another time he said he was "sorrowful yet always rejoicing." Jesus said that we should be joyful, that we should rejoice, when we are persecuted for his sake. The writer of Hebrews says that "for the joy set before him Jesus endured the cross." How surprising that joy can coexist with suffering.

And so, during this Christmas season, we think of the joy of Jesus coming in Bethlehem 2000 years ago, but we also remember that he came not only to live and to love and to lead us but also to suffer and die for us. And, he invites us into the deep joy of following him here and now, in the midst of the good and the bad, the happy and the sad, the victory and the struggle, even as we anticipate the fullness of joy when we meet him face-to-face in heaven.

Community Prayer: Joy

The apostle Paul in Philippians 4:4 says “rejoice in the Lord always, again I say rejoice!

Oh God you are our joy!

We join with the army of angels on that first Christmas night bringing news of great joy to all people. Jesus is born! Glory to God in the highest heaven!

Oh God, you are our joy!

Thank you Lord Jesus that you gave up your rights in heaven, that you emptied yourself, taking the form of a slave, being born as we are, as a human person.

Oh God, you are our joy!

Thank you that you lived the perfect life inviting us to enter into your joy, to give us life and give it in all its abundance including abundant joy.

Oh God, you are our joy!

Thank you Lord Jesus that you, for the joy set before you, the joy of your brothers and sisters being restored into relationship with the Father, endured the cross, suffered its shame, and sat down at the right hand of God.

Oh God, you are our joy!

Lord, in this Christmas season, we too have our troubles and suffering. You know, Lord. We ask that you would, here and now, enter into that place, enter into our lives in a deeper and fuller way, bringing the spiritual fruit of joy to us.

Oh God, you are our joy!

We look forward to, and long for, the time when we will meet you face-to-face when we will experience you, our source of joy in undiluted fullness.

Oh God, you are our joy!

The Lord is near. His name is Emmanuel, God with us.

Rejoice in the Lord always. Again I say rejoice!

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Going Deeper During Advent: a journey with God in hope, peace, joy and love

Advent Week Number 3: Joy

This third week of Advent we are looking at “Joy,” another aspect of Jesus’s coming that we want to reflect on. Joy is the deep undercurrent of our life as Christians, despite circumstances. Jesus in his coming is the source of the fullness of joy.

Nehemiah 8:10

And Nehemiah continued, “Go and celebrate with a feast of rich foods and sweet drinks, and share gifts of food with people who have nothing prepared. This is a sacred day before our Lord. Don’t be dejected and sad, for the joy of the LORD is your strength!”

1. Take a moment to sit in silence, take a few deep breaths, and relax. Simply sit in the joyful presence of God.

2. Read Luke 2:8-20 slowly, imagining yourself in the story. What sounds, smells, sites, sensations do you notice? What is it like to witness this event? What are you feeling?

3. Consider how God might be inviting you into rejoicing in Jesus at this Christmas season? Think particularly about how you might engage your body as well as your mind in the rejoicing. Maybe it is dancing to a Christmas Carol (our family has found Amy Grant’s song “Emmanuel” particularly good for this!) or maybe going for a gratitude walk in nature. Maybe it’s throwing a party – a feast of “rich foods and sweet drinks”! Or perhaps it’s doing an art project that expresses your joy.

4. Journal about your experience and consider sharing with others.