Never Ending Joy

The desert, with its sharp, blowing sand,

will be kind and full of gladness.

The places that are lost

will bloom with beauty.

They will sing with joy

and receive glory and splendor

like we have never seen before.

The land will see the Glory of the Lord

and will make it known to all.

Hold those who are weak,

Strengthen their hands,

steady their walk.

Assure those who are afraid.

"Be strong.  Put aside your fear.

God is coming.

He brings grace and salvation

in unexpected abundance,

in unprecedented abundance."

If you are blind, you will see.

If you are deaf, you will hear.

If you struggle to walk, you will jump with joy.

If you are speechless, you will sing.

Even in the desert, we will see streams of running, fresh water.

Pools of refreshing coolness.

What has been thirsty will fountain up water to share.

Weeds will turn into wheat,

And we will all find our way.

No one will be lost on it.

No one will be afraid.

There will be nothing to fear.

We will return to Zion, singing of the Lord.

Joy will be forever.

Grief and tears will fade away, and

happiness and gladness will be never ending.

Inspired by Isaiah 35:1-10

 

Drumbeat of Joy, Part 4

Completely the posts of the sermon from this week

Think of the world today.  We are divided in more ways than I think are imaginable.  We are divided by politics, by faith beliefs. There are those of us who have money and power, and there are those of us who have nothing.  There are those of us who have nothing to wear, no job, no hope. In West Virginia, 1 in 7 people struggle with hunger. 20% of West Virginia children are hungry.  Approximately 20% of adults in West Virginia cannot read above the fourth grade reading level. 

We are at the epicenter of the opioid crisis.  I spoke to one gentleman I know whose daughter is fighting against drug addiction.  Her struggle was so deep and so real to him that he said that drugs were the devil – evil surrounded her.  Knowing him, it was the last thing I expected to hear him say, but he was completely serious.

Setting that aside, you and I both know people who are struggling with illness, grief, despair.  We live in times that are dark for many.  Where is God in this?

In 1944, a Methodist minister in London, Rev. Leslie Weatherhead, was trying to help his people through a terrible time.  Think about what was happening there in 1944.  It was the last year of World War II.  The city was under constant siege – they were seeing death and destruction all around them.  Weatherhead preached about the will of God, and he told his people that what they were seeing was not God’s will.  He reassured them that the ultimate will of God will prevail – and it would not look like what they were seeing now.

It is not God’s will that we would live in a world of darkness.  The entire Bible is the story of God breaking into God’s creation to bring salvation to us – forgiveness, grace, and freedom from present circumstances.

We’ve talked today about the word of the prophet Isaiah, and the word of Mary in her Song.  During Advent, we intentionally slow down so as to remember that God has sent the Word – Jesus – into the world.  We are not alone. We live in a time where the space between us and God is always thin – a perpetual thin place.  God has cleared the Holy Way between us.  We are not in exile.  We are at home in God.  Advent is the time when we open our lives – again – to that reality, and know the joy of it.

But what is the witness to it? What difference does it make in the world?

Mary sang, “My soul magnifies the Lord.” 

How do we magnify the Word? How do we multiply that joy so that others besides ourselves know of it? How do we shine God’s light in the world so brightly that the darkness cannot overcome it, and the world is changed?

How do we do the work of Advent and prepare the way for the Lord?  Not just for ourselves – but for the people around us?

Speak the Word – tell of God’s presence in your life – and then do more.  Be the Word. Be the hands of and feet of Christ. Feed the hungry. Teach children to read. Love your neighbor.  Visit those who are sick.  Comfort those who are hurting. Give of your gifts, your time, your money; give your love to others.  God is close – not only to shine a light in your own life, but so that you will shine that light in the lives of others.

Beat the drum of joy. Change the world. Magnify the Lord.

Drumbeat of Joy, Part 3

Continuing the sermon from yesterday

Listen to this scripture from the Gospel of Luke, chapter 1, verses 46-55.  We call this passage the Magnificat – it is Mary’s song after she has a visit from an angel telling her of Jesus, and after her visit with Elizabeth, who is pregnant in her old age.

Think for a moment about the circumstances the Jewish people were living in.  They were under Roman occupation and living in a time of political uncertainty.  There were those who wanted to create a politically and religiously free Israel again, and the zealots were willing fight in order to achieve that.  King Herod was an extremely violent, power-hungry, and unpredictable ruler.   The people were heavily taxed and the money used to build monuments to the King.  Mary lived in these uncertain and dark times; she was poor, oppressed, young, and powerless.

And then the word of Mary comes in her song.  She is praising God – not just in hymns and prayers, but with her whole being.  With her entire soul.  She is magnifying God.  She is definitely in a “thin place” – close to God, visited by an angel.  Her cousin Elizabeth has just declared that Mary carries the Lord.  She is in relationship with God, and she sings of salvation.  She sings about a transformation of the world.  The poor will no longer be hungry.  The powerful will be brought down.  God is remembering his promises to God’s people. 

And if you look carefully at the words of the Magnificat, they are in presence tense.  Mary is not just singing of a future far away, but she is telling of her present time.  God was with them right at that moment, and would change the world. These are words of joy.  Can you hear the drumbeat of them?

Drumbeat of Joy, Part 2

Continuing from the sermon...

The first scripture I want us to read is from Isaiah 35:1-10.  As I read it, listen for the joy in it.  It is a poem written to provide hope to those in exile for their return to Jerusalem.  (Scripture can be found here)

Think for a moment to whom these words were written.  They are part of what scholars call Second Isaiah, and were written about 45 years after the destruction of Judah and Jerusalem by the Babylonians, and the people’s exile out of their land.  Consider their circumstances – they had been God’s people, and now they were doubting that.  They had lived in the land God had given them, and now they were away from that.  They had lived close to a powerful God who inhabited the Temple, and now the temple was gone, and they were doubting the power of God. They were far away from home, captive in another land, and they had been there a long time – 45 years means that many of them wouldn’t even remember what it was like to not be in exile.  It was a dark, hopeless time.  Had God forgotten them?

And then the Word of the prophet comes, speaking of hope and joy.  Remember, words of prophecy are often truth-telling, not necessarily fortune-telling.  Isaiah is telling them a truth they should know already.  The prophet speaks to them of the presence of God, so clear that even the earth knows the difference.  The prophet speaks to them of salvation.  We think about salvation as God bringing us forgiveness and eternal life – and it is, but there is more.  Amy Jill Levine, in her book Light of the World, says that “salvation means freedom or release from current circumstances: slavery, poverty, ill health, hunger, and thirst.”  Isaiah speaks of a Holy Way, along which even those whose sense of direction is terrible will not get lost. It will be a holy way to the Holy City of Jerusalem.  And it is not only a return to the place where God is, but also a return to relationship with God.  These are words of joy.  Can you hear the drumbeat of them?


A few years ago, Steve and I were youth counselors at our church.  With another couple, we had taken the youth to Spring Heights for a retreat.  At the end of the weekend, the vans were packed, and we were ready to leave, but we circled up in the field that is there and prayed together.  Steve led the prayer of thanksgiving for the weekend, and the as he did, the wind picked up and blew around us.  I don’t know how to explain it, but it felt like the holy spirit was blowing around and among us, circling us as we prayed together.  Have you ever had an experience where God was so close in the world around you, in the nature around you, that you just know it.  There is joy in that.  Isaiah was giving the exiled people – people in darkness who are doubting God’s love and power – doubting God’s presence with them - words to reassure them that God was there with them, and that God would lead them home. 

On Vocation

On Vocation: The place God calls you to is the place where your deep gladness and the world's deep hunger meet.  (Frederick Buechner, Wishful Thinking).  

Yes, that means I'm in the V Chapter of this book. I will finish it this week.  Maybe tomorrow.

I had to stop and write about this particular quote that I read today. It is the very first quote I ever read from Frederick Buechner, back in 2005. I had been invited to preach for Laity Sunday, and I was looking for something like this - I didn't know who had said it or what exactly it was, so the Lay Leader at the time sent it to me. It became a part of my sermon, and then after the sermon, the Lay Leader gave me a thank you gift - a Frederick Buechner book called Beyond Words. It's still sitting on my bookshelf in my office, and I pull it often for devotional material.

There are sentences that follow you through life, don't you think? In music it's called a "lifesong." I don't know what it's called when it's a quote, but this one has stuck with me for over 10 years.  There are so many tenants of faith for me in this one sentence:

1. God calls - God calls you. God calls me. Don't forget that you are called to something. Everyone is.
2. It takes discernment to find that place of calling - you have to work with God to discover what you are to do. If that wasn't true, the sentence wouldn't exist - no one would need encouragement to look for their call; they would already know what it was. Finding it might not be easy.
3. We are called to deep gladness. We sometimes think that if we are suffering, then we are answering our call. I'm not saying there won't be suffering, but if you are not experiencing deep gladness, then you haven't found your calling. Underneath the hard work, the frustrations, and the muck of doing what you are called to do, there is deep gladness. 
4. It's not about self-gratification. There is a purpose to your service. There is a need the world has that God is calling you to meet. It's about giving of yourself, not to make yourself happy, but to fulfill a mission you have been given.

The place where your deep gladness and the world's deep need meet is a sacred place. It is the burning bush. It is where you throw off your shoes and say, "Here is where I meet God."  

Joy

Joy. What does joy mean to you?

Is it the happiness you experience when you see your favorite team win the Super Bowl? Is it the pleasure of a fine meal? This is all joy, but it's not the Christian joy. I don't mean that it's sinful to find pleasure in these and other experiences - just that it's not how God defines joy.

And, interestingly enough, it's not how C.S. Lewis describes joy. Joy is the yearning for ... the longing for ... something else.  

I call it Joy, which is here a technical term and must be sharply distinguished both from Happiness and Pleasure. Joy (in my sense) has indeed one characteristic, and one only, in common with them; the fact that anyone who has experienced it will want it again... I doubt whether anyone who has tasted it would ever, if both were in his power, exchange it for all the pleasures in the world. But then Joy is never in our power and Pleasure often is.”  (C.S. Lewis)

Joy is the longing for something that we experience for only a moment. We cannot hold onto it. It is not an end in itself. When we make it the goal, rather than the goal being what we yearn for, we cannot reach it (the joy or the goal). Complicated, isn't it?

Joy is never ours to achieve. It is a gift from God - a spiritual gift. Lewis, I think, if I understand correctly, would say that joy is the longing for God. It is what we experience for just a moment when we are in God's presence. It is not something we create - it is fleeting. Try to hold onto it and it slips away. Try to recreate it, and you'll fail. Open yourself up to sanctifying grace; find joy.

Joy in the Other

V. Bruce Rigdon wrote, in Disciples 2015, "Love thrives and grows by finding joy in the other and expressing it in praise and thanks."

That's certainly an excellent reason for praising God, if we needed another one.  Our continuing praise of God strengthens our relationship with God.  It's not because God needs us to list out the ways God is to be praised, but because we do.  We need it.  When we increase our awareness of reasons why we love God, we are changed.  Our relationship to God is changed.  We are then able to love others.

So, how else can we apply that theory?  Where in your life could you strengthen your relationship with someone else by finding joy in the other person?  What ways can you find to express it?  Who needs a words of encouragement?  Can you find - in your perception of that person - something to praise?  Can you find joy in the other person and share it with them?  And can you do it in a way that is authentic?

If you can't, perhaps God can help you (and me) to do it.  Maybe that's part of loving our neighbors?

Joy in Worship

In Sunday school last Sunday, Mike talked about worship.  He asked us if we come to worship with an expectation of experiencing joy or if we come out of obligation.  He said that he had never paired the words joy and worship together in his mind. He came to worship as a young person because it was expected.
Some questions:

1. How about you?  Do you attend worship out of obligation or do you come excited, expecting joy?
2. What difference does it make why you attend worship, as long as you are there?

My definition of joy is probably different from the secular definition of joy.  I define joy as that experience you have when you are close to God.  I believe closeness to God - you know the moments I mean, right? - brings you joy.  It's not chocolate chip ice cream joy, it's a deep, in the heart, kind of joy.  So it seems to me that worship, by definition, should bring us joy. It might be challenging, or sad, or praise-filled, but it should bring us close to God, and should result in joy.

I'll admit, though, that I often attend worship out of a feeling of obligation.  I should be there, so I go. Is that obligation or is it discipline?  It might be part of both of those.

What difference does it make?  I think if we don't expect to find joy in worship, if we don't expect to come closer to God, if we don't expect that our relationship with God will be strengthened, then it is hard for any of that to be the result of worship.  I don't doubt that God can surprise us, and when we least expect it, make himself known to us, but I think it is more likely for us to be drawn close to God when our hearts and minds are open to it, expecting it.

And if worship doesn't bring us closer to God, then how can we witness to those who do not attend worship that worship makes a difference in our lives?  I'm not sure, "Come to worship because you should," is a very good motivator.  I think, "Join me in worship because it changes my life," is a better one.

What about the idea that God commands us to praise him?  Isn't that enough motivation for us to attend?  Maybe, but why does God expect us to worship?  Could it be because he knows worship can bring us closer, and give us joy?  I don't think he needs our worship; I believe he knows we need worship.

Communion Joy

Think about Luke 24:28:35.  This is the end of the walk to Emmaus story.  The disciples Jesus met on the road have invited him into their home for a meal.  Jesus breaks and the bread, and they recognize him.

When he was at the table with them, he took bread, blessed and broke it, and gave it to them. Then their eyes were opened, and they recognized him; and he vanished from their sight. They said to each other, ‘Were not our hearts burning within us while he was talking to us on the road, while he was opening the scriptures to us?’ (30-32) 

Imagine for a moment their joy.  The Lord they thought had been crucified and was dead and buried is alive. I can't imagine it.  What wonderful joy.

In this story, for me, are the echoes of our communion ritual.  Sometimes we think of that as a "do this in remembrance of me" act.  Remember Jesus.  It is that, but it is more.  Jesus isn't just being remembered; he is present.  We are at a table with our Lord, in communion.  What joy that should bring to our hearts!  Christ is alive!

Happy

Time for a little happy break.  Go watch this.


Come along if you feel like a room without a roof.
Clap along if you feel that happiness is the truth.

Thanks to Bishop Tom Bickerton for pointing all of us to this song at our recent Annual Conference.  He played it as part of a sermon, and everyone in the chapel was dancing and clapping.

I had a teacher in high school - Mr. Hundley.  Mr. Hundley was always smiling.  He greeted every student with a smile.  One day he asked me if I knew why he was always so happy - he was happy because he had had cancer, but was still alive.

We are still alive.  In Christ, we are more alive than we ever could be without Christ.  Shouldn't we be happy?

I don't mean that we can always feel the pleasure of life going our way.   I mean deep down joy.  I mean lightness of spirit that fills us.  There will be down, desperate times, but in the midst of them, we are living in the joy of God.

BIshop Bickerton quoted someone that Christian worship is boring.  Why are we boring?  We are boring because we don't let the joy of God shine through in our worship.

We are ALIVE.  We should act like it.

Joy Like a Fountain

In Sunday we sang the song Peace Like a River.  I started thinking about the phrases in the song - peace like a river, joy like a fountain and love like an ocean.  What do those analogies mean to us?

What does it mean to have joy like a fountain?

1. A fountain is fresh all the time.  The water is constantly changing - constantly moving and never stagnant.  Joy is like that.  Doesn't joy create joy? Stagnant water isn't healthy while water in a fountain and clear and pure.  I can't imagine that a joyful life would be stagnant.
2. A fountain is bubbly.  It often reaches up into the sky with its movement.  Stagnant water doesn't.  Joy lifts us up, beyond our abilities.
3. A fountain isn't quiet.  It sounds joyful.  It gurgles and sings.  So does joy.
4. There is an energy that creates a fountain - perhaps from a motor or at through gravity.  The water doesn't move that way on its own.  Our joy - true joy - is a product of energy beyond ourselves.  It comes from God.

May we all have joy like a fountain.

Celebration of Joy

Continuing on with my original thoughts about Luke 15, after I got distracted yesterday....

After the stage is set by the first two verses of Luke 15, Jesus tells three stories -- one is about a shepherd who lost one out of 99 sheep, the next is about a woman who lost a coin, and the third is the story of the Father and his two sons. All are about losing something that is precious and finding it again.  My study bible says that the celebration gives "expression to the magnitude and persistence of God's graciousness."

Have you noticed how each story ends?  Each story ends with a celebration.  That's my kind of story ending -- joy, in the discovery of what was lost.  We are left to wonder if the older son joins in the celebration or not.

Will we join in the celebration or not?  Do we celebration with joy in church?  Do we give expression to God's graciousness?  If we don't, how will we even recognize it?

Joy is a wonderful place for hope to spring forth.

Glory

Joe's sermon today was about the transfiguration.  He talked about glory.  He said his impulse at first was to prepare a sermon about coming down the mountain and joining in the work, but he realized that the "come down the mountain" part of the passage was just the end.  If we only focus on the trip down the mountain, do we shortchange the glory?

Where do you find glory in the world?  Joe talked about how we experience glory in the use of our gifts from God.  I get that.  I know that when I preach (sometimes), I find myself very close to God.  If I'm very careful about what I do, if I prepare spiritually, and open myself up for discernment, then I realize how God is working through me, in spite of me, with me, to do what he has called me to do.  I feel "in the zone."  I feel joy.  It is glory.

When you do experience glory?  What brings you close to the glory of God? 

Sorrow into Joy

This came in my email today, from Sound Bites:

Your sorrow itself shall be turned into joy. Not the sorrow to be taken away, and joy to be put in its place, but the very sorrow which now grieves you shall be turned into joy. God not only takes away the bitterness and gives sweetness in its place, but turns the bitterness into sweetness itself -- Charles Spurgeon

Your sorrow will be turned into joy.  Have you thought about that before?  What would that mean?  Soured milk into fresh.  Decay into new.

Can you imagine a bitter relationship changed to one of joy?  It isn't that terrible experiences would be removed -- it's that terrible experiences would be turned into ones of joy.

It's hard to imagine.

Joyful Attitude

This image is of a bluebird.  Not a very good picture, I admit it, but it is so rare to see a bluebird that I'm posting it anyway. 

I was in a waiting room today with a woman who was more negative than anyone else I've met recently.  No matter what anyone said, no matter what comment was made on the television, her reaction was a negative one.

When I got in the car to drive to my next destination, the radio announcer said, "We need to adapt a joyful attitude."  Too bad she couldn't tell the lady in the waiting room that.

I believe in God.  I don't believe in the magic of a positive attitude -- I don't believe that if we just are optimistic, that nothing bad will happen.  I do believe, though, that a joyful, optimistic attitude can make our lives easier to live, and more enjoyable to walk through.

I think that joyful attitude would include the following:

• There is enough worry for today without borrowing it from tomorrow.  Face and manage the problems for today, but let tomorrow's problem wait until tomorrow. Most of the time (not always, but most of the time), what we worry about doesn't happen.
• Assume that you don't have all of the information you think you have.  Usually we don't know everything, and sometimes what we don't know makes a huge difference in reality.
• When the time comes, deal with whatever it is (this is the hardest one for me).  You'll feel better once you've tackled the problem.
• Pray about it.  Don't forget.
• Forgive people, even when they don't ask for forgiveness, even when they don't act regretful, even if the other person never knows you have forgiven them, or even that they hurt you.  Forgive and let go.
• Apologize.  Even if you think the other person did something wrong.  You probably did something wrong, too.  Even if you didn't do anything wrong, you are sorry for the break in the relationship.  Apologies build bridges and repair rifts in a relationship.  Sometimes the healing is more important than the rightness. (maybe always?). 
• Find the positive in the situation.  Find the humor.  Find the story you will tell your friends. 
• Sometimes, just walk away. Disengage.
• Forgive yourself.
• Move closer to God, for there you will find joy.

A Song of Joy

Inspired by Zephaniah 3:14-20

Sing a song of Joy, my children.

Shout your praise of God, my beloved.
Celebrate and proclaim the Word of God,
You, who are a precious creation
of the Lord of the universe.
 
Our God has taken away
the judgments against us.
He has restored our relationship
with our enemies.
 
God is here.
He is moving among us,
and we have nothing to fear.
 
Today, God speaks to us.
His words ring true,
full of grace and power.
A pure note of joy,
Vibrating through our spirits.
 

Fear not.  Be strong.

I am your God,
and I am here.
You are in my presence.
 
I have given you victory over sin,
victory over pain and tears.
I have made you
and remade you,
and you bring laughter and joy
to my face.
 
You are my beloved children.
I sing of my love for you
with every breeze,
every ray of sun,
every bird song.

My love for you has removed

all blame, all guilt,
all sin.
I have made you clean.
 
I am here with you,
and I have forgotten none of you.
The outcast, the broken, the lost,
the stubborn, and the brave,
all are my beloved creations.
I will make your names known
throughout the earth.
I will make my salvation for you
obvious to all.
 
I will wrap my arms around all of you
and welcome you home.
You will see me
and you will know
that you rest in my hand,
and you have nothing to fear.

Seeds

Part of Jack's sermon today included the phrase, "sow seeds of happiness."

How can I do that?  What would I need to do to make that a reality?  A goal? What does it mean to sow seeds of happiness?

Is there anything I do that plants seeds of happiness in someone else?   Is anyone smiling today because I lifted a load from their shoulders?  Is anyone closer to God, closer to joy, because of something I said or did?

How could I be more intentional about that?

Passionate Worship

Consider passion. With a capital P -- as in the Passion of Christ. I've always thought of that to mean the suffering of Christ. I avoided the movie by the same name. My theory was that if I allowed myself to be put to death because of love for my children, I would not want them to watch.

But, anyway, Passion of the Christ -- suffering.

This morning, I read about Passionate Worship in Bishop Schnase's book. He says, "In theology, the Passion refers to the complete outpouring of Jesus Christ, the offering of himself, even to death on a cross in order to complete our relationship with God through Christ." I like that, because it focuses on the purpose rather than the pain. The love of God is evident in a definition such as that one.

We often speak about worship -- what we like and don't like -- why we do certain things -- should worship be traditional or alternative.... We were having such a conversation in Sunday school a couple of weeks ago. JtM said that worship is about what you bring with you rather than what you get out of it. What do we bring with us to worship?

Passionate worship. Worship that is a response to the love of Christ as expressed in his own Passion. Do we bring our love of God with us to worship? Does it seem like our worship is an acceptable response of love?

Don't read in that sentence "equal" or "worthy." I don't believe our worship can ever be equal to Christ's passion, but does it seem to be a response?

When we were discerning our church's mission and vision statements, the one phrase that causes a whole lot of angst was that part of our mission was to "worship God joyfully." Why would that bother people? I think the issue was that joyful was thought to be the opposite of somber -- the opposite of thoughtful. I think it was a reaction to loud worship. We kept the phrase "worship God joyfully" in our mission statement, and I'm glad.

Joyful worship -- passionate worship -- is worship that expresses our love of God. It has nothing to do with volume or instrumentation or the presence or absence of screens. It is about relationship with God and response to God in love.

Be passionate in your worship, and I'll try to do the same.

Image: Some kind of red berry on a tree in Ritter Park (image taken in October).

Joy to the World

The following is the end of a sermon I am delivering tomorrow.

Joy to the world
The Lord has come.

Now what do we do? What is our response to joy such as this? How will our lives be changed?

I think the answers to those questions are in the Philippians passage (4:4-7).

“Do not worry about anything.” That’s easier said than done, but we are called to set aside fear and worry and to live as confidence children of God. Zephaniah says that God is in our midst and that he will rejoice over us with gladness, he will renew us with his love and will exult over us with loud singing. Think back to the image I told you about – my son sleeping on his father. We are called to that kind of confidence and trust in God. He has promised us his presence, and he will not disappoint us. “Do not worry about anything.” Those words were written by Paul when he was in prison, waiting to die.

Joy to the World.
The Lord has come.

Paul tells the church at Philippi to bring everything to God in prayer and thanksgiving. We are called to do the same. I am currently part of a bible study class at my church. It involves a lot of reading. As I sit down each day to read, I start my time with God by listing the things for which I am grateful for that day. I always have a list. And then I pray. And THEN I read. Bring God thanksgiving and praise, and then reaching toward him in prayer opens my eyes and heart to his presence. I have no doubt that he is here. Sometimes I don’t notice him, but if I remember to pray; if I remember to be grateful, then I will see him. And I can say,

Joy to the World
The Lord has come.

Paul also says, “let your gentleness be known to everyone.” What does gentleness or kindness have to do with joy? Everything, I think. It is in sharing God’s love that we receive it. It is in shining brightly with Christ’s presence that we are completely convinced that he is with us. I read yesterday that joy is peace in action. I think that may be the real reason we give Christmas gifts – to demonstrate our love to those around us. We know joy when we give of ourselves and when we allow others to see God shining through our lives. When we do this, we can sing together

Joy to the World
The Lord has come.

And then, the peace of God, which surpasses all understanding, will guard your hearts and your minds in Christ Jesus.

We will know joy
We will know the love of God.
We will be able to declare that the Lord has come.

The hymn written by Isaac Watts, Joy to the Lord, was based on Psalm 98. I’ll close with verses 7 through the first part of 9:

Let the sea roar, and all that fills it;
The world and those who live in it.
Let the floods clap their hands;
Let the hills sing together for joy
At the presence of the Lord.

Joy to the World
The Lord has come. Amen

Choosing Joy

I've always had problems with the idea of the "power of positive thinking." Yes, I do believe that the choice to have a positive attitude can make a difference in how we react to life and to how much we are open to the good which can come from anything. I've always worried, though, that the concept of powerful positive thinking could lead people to the idea that we can control what happens to us through positive thinking.

We are a society which believes that we have control. We value control; we covet control. We are very quick to believe that we can control our circumstances, and quick to grab hold of that positive thinking can be a way to control our lives.

I disagree.

I do believe that a positive attitude can make us more open to the work and presence of God in lives. I do think it makes a difference.

But today I read a passage from the Nouwen book Here and Now. He is talking about joy. Joy is a relationship with God. It is closeness to God. I have considered before that even the saddest circumstance can be a source of joy.

Nouwen talks about choosing joy; that we can choose to be joyful, even in the worst circumstances. Maybe I knew that, but I stopped what I was doing today to consider it. We can choose joy.