“Be Joyful”
Lectionary Readings: Isaiah 61:1-4, 8-11; Psalm
126; Luke 1:46-55; 1Thessalonians 5:16-24; John 1:6-8.
“The Lord has done great things for us, and we are filled with joy.” Psalm 126:3
“Be joyful always; pray continually; give thanks in all circumstances, for this is God’s will for you in Christ Jesus.” 1 Thessalonians 5: 16-18
I am sitting in one of my favorite chairs holding a rock with the word JOY etched on it. I received it at the funeral/resurrection celebration of Marilyn Holleran. Marilyn had made the request that the service be as joy-filled as possible. She believed that sharing JOY in all of life’s circumstances increased our blessings and made burdens easier to carry. She was emphasizing SHARING as a means of increasing our own JOY. She challenged us to find JOY in allof our daily activities and in eachperson we meet during our faith journey. But in an examination of my walk, I find that I have a JOY deficiency. I love the Christmas Season, but have I become too immune to the awe and wonder that it was meant to hold?
Paul describes Joy as one of the fruits of the spirit. Joy in this spiritual sense, given by God, far exceeds the joy that we experience because of some worldly gift or circumstance. So the answer to experiencing joy must be a great deal more than just sharing a laugh, smiling cheerfully or wishing others a “Merry Christmas”. Joy comes to us as part of the response we have to God’s LOVE for us. But how do we re-model our daily walk so that we can experience the true Joy of the season? In Thessalonians, Paul tells us to “Be joyful always”. There has to be a consistent connection to the source of the JOY-namely to God. We have to be open to the creative ways that God speaks to us and can fill us with JOY. We have to get in the habit of listening, paying attention and heeding the messages he sends.
In the “busyness” of the holiday season, it is especially difficult to pay attention. There are deadlines, lists and multiple responsibilities. There are work, church and family traditions to carry out. There are too many things to do and not enough hours or days to do them. “Jesus is the Reason for the Season” but I have to admit, I can say the words but my heart and my actions don’t always convey that Christ is at the center of things.
I am going to challenge myself this holiday season to “change my ways”. I hope you can join me in this challenge. I am going to find at least one thing each day that brings a joyful light to my life. Perhaps as others have done during the days of November in finding something to be thankful for each day, we can celebrate a daily “Joy” with such enthusiasm that the Joys we discern far outweigh the stress and burdens of the season. I will try to write these joys in a journal so that I will be more consistent in discovering the abundant life I am meant to live. Maybe by attempting this change in my habits I can grow closer to Paul’s advice to “Be joyful always”. Since Advent is a time of preparation, I want to prepare my heart to truly receive the gift of God’s love this Christmas. I want to be ready to sing “Joy to the World, the Lord is Come” with that JOY in my heart as well as on my lips.
“The Lord has done great things for us, and we are filled with joy.” Psalm 126:3
“Be joyful always; pray continually; give thanks in all circumstances, for this is God’s will for you in Christ Jesus.” 1 Thessalonians 5: 16-18
I am sitting in one of my favorite chairs holding a rock with the word JOY etched on it. I received it at the funeral/resurrection celebration of Marilyn Holleran. Marilyn had made the request that the service be as joy-filled as possible. She believed that sharing JOY in all of life’s circumstances increased our blessings and made burdens easier to carry. She was emphasizing SHARING as a means of increasing our own JOY. She challenged us to find JOY in allof our daily activities and in eachperson we meet during our faith journey. But in an examination of my walk, I find that I have a JOY deficiency. I love the Christmas Season, but have I become too immune to the awe and wonder that it was meant to hold?
Paul describes Joy as one of the fruits of the spirit. Joy in this spiritual sense, given by God, far exceeds the joy that we experience because of some worldly gift or circumstance. So the answer to experiencing joy must be a great deal more than just sharing a laugh, smiling cheerfully or wishing others a “Merry Christmas”. Joy comes to us as part of the response we have to God’s LOVE for us. But how do we re-model our daily walk so that we can experience the true Joy of the season? In Thessalonians, Paul tells us to “Be joyful always”. There has to be a consistent connection to the source of the JOY-namely to God. We have to be open to the creative ways that God speaks to us and can fill us with JOY. We have to get in the habit of listening, paying attention and heeding the messages he sends.
In the “busyness” of the holiday season, it is especially difficult to pay attention. There are deadlines, lists and multiple responsibilities. There are work, church and family traditions to carry out. There are too many things to do and not enough hours or days to do them. “Jesus is the Reason for the Season” but I have to admit, I can say the words but my heart and my actions don’t always convey that Christ is at the center of things.
I am going to challenge myself this holiday season to “change my ways”. I hope you can join me in this challenge. I am going to find at least one thing each day that brings a joyful light to my life. Perhaps as others have done during the days of November in finding something to be thankful for each day, we can celebrate a daily “Joy” with such enthusiasm that the Joys we discern far outweigh the stress and burdens of the season. I will try to write these joys in a journal so that I will be more consistent in discovering the abundant life I am meant to live. Maybe by attempting this change in my habits I can grow closer to Paul’s advice to “Be joyful always”. Since Advent is a time of preparation, I want to prepare my heart to truly receive the gift of God’s love this Christmas. I want to be ready to sing “Joy to the World, the Lord is Come” with that JOY in my heart as well as on my lips.
Joy to the world! The Lord is come;
Let earth receive her King;
Let every heart prepare him room,
And heaven and nature sing,
And heaven and nature sing,
And heaven, and heaven, and nature sing. Isaac Watts
Let earth receive her King;
Let every heart prepare him room,
And heaven and nature sing,
And heaven and nature sing,
And heaven, and heaven, and nature sing. Isaac Watts
Dear Loving, Creative and Generous God: We thank
you for the blessings of all your gifts. We especially thank you for the gift
of your Son to us this Christmas. We are awed by your majesty and overwhelmed
that you love us so much when we are not worthy of so precious a gift. We
desire to be your faithful servants, but often fall so short of those goals. We
ask you to forgive us and to continue to assist us to change our ways. We thank
you for saints in our lives like Marilyn who have shared their walk with us and
help to point the way to a closer walk with you. Renew us during this season of
Advent
Chyrl Budd
Chyrl Budd
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