Tag: Joy

Advent Benediction ~ The Song of Mary

image Rejoice in the presence of the Lord, may His face shine upon you.

May you walk in anticipation of the promise kept,

and may you fall to your knees in humility and repentance.

 

May you join with your sister Mary and your soul glorify the Lord, your savior.

I pray that you will be known as people of mercy as the Lord works through you

and that you will give to others the same love that He has given to you.

 

May you remember to be merciful, humble, and faithful,

even when you face uncertainty as Mary did.

May you trust in Him as His ways are perfect.

Amen

Ravenhill Meditation: Complete Joy

“As the Father has loved me, so have I loved you. Now remain in my love. If you obey my commands, you will remain in my love, just as I have obeyed my Father’s commands and remain in his love. I have told you this so that my joy may be in you and that your joy may be complete. (John 15:9-11)

The dream of the follower of Christ is to know the unspeakable joy that he promises to be complete. In response to our tendency to seek joy in the world, Leonard Ravenhill provides the road map to help us arrive at our desired objective:

The way to enjoy indestructible peace and joy is to determine:

  1. To do whatever God commands, however difficult.
  2. To endure whatever God appoints, however severe.
  3. To obtain whatever God promises, however seemingly unattainable.
  4. To die daily, however costly the crucifixion.
  5. To love my enemies however misunderstood in this.
  6. To pray without ceasing, and in everything give thanks.

Advent: Happy, Happy, Joy, Joy

Many folks use happiness and joy synonymously, especially this time of year, but there is a world of difference between the two. Happiness is more often than not circumstantial, that is, it is dependent upon your current situation. There are times when we are happy and times when we are obviously unhappy. Happiness is dependent on things that can be out of our control and so, as I drive this morning, I may be happy when all the lights are green or a bit unhappy when all the folks on their way to the airport slow the flow of traffic down. Happiness is fleeting.

Joy, on the other hand, is an internal condition that is wholly within you. It is not connected to the ups and downs of daily life nor is it dependent on circumstances out of your control. As we say earlier this week, Jesus points to something that lives within us as the source and meaning of our joy…

“As the Father has loved me, so have I loved you. Now remain in my love. If you obey my commands, you will remain in my love, just as I have obeyed my Father’s commands and remain in his love.  I have told you this so that my joy may be in you and that your joy may be complete. (John 15:9-11)

The true joy of the Advent season is knowing the King. Our joy as followers of Christ is rooted in relationship with Jesus and the security that this communion brings. Unlike happiness, this joy is not affected by our external circumstance. We, like Paul, learn to be content in all circumstances knowing that our greatest reward still lies ahead.

Maranatha!

Advent Joy – To Free All Those Who Trust in Him

Our anticipation rises yet again as we meditate on Joy during this Advent week. From the plaintive choruses of O Come, O Come Emmanuel, our hearts bear witness to what we know, that the Lord Jesus came to us a man. John speaks to this:

The true light that gives light to every man was coming into the world. He was in the world, and though the world was made through him, the world did not recognize him. He came to that which was his own, but his own did not receive him. Yet to all who received him, those who believed in his name, he gave the right to become children of God — children born not of natural descent, nor of human decision or a husband’s will, but born of God.

The Word became flesh and made his dwelling among us. We have seen his glory, the glory of the One and Only, who came from the Father full of grace and truth. (John 1:9-14)

We break into song exclaiming our joy, knowing in advance what’s inside the packages. God Rest Ye Merry, Gentlemen ( listen ) lets us recite the story of Christmas Joy over multiple verses like this one:

“Fear not then,” said the Angel,

“Let nothing you affright,

This day is born a Saviour

Of a pure Virgin bright,

To free all those who trust in Him

From Satan’s power and might.”

O tidings of comfort and joy,

Comfort and joy

O tidings of comfort and joy

Maranatha!

Advent Joy – A Franciscan Benediction

May God bless you with discomfort

At easy answers, half-truths, and superficial relationships

So that you may live deep within your heart.

May God bless you with anger

At injustice, oppression, and exploitation of people,

So that you may work for justice, freedom and peace.

May God bless you with tears

To shed for those who suffer pain, rejection, hunger and war,

So that you may reach out your hand to comfort them and

To turn their pain into joy.

And may God bless you with enough foolishness

To believe that you can make a difference in the world,

So that you can do what others claim cannot be done

To bring justice and kindness to all our children and the poor.

Amen

(Thank you Mr. Yancey)

Thanksgiving Two

3 A.M. is a lonely hour. There is little to sway your thoughts as you peer into the darkness outside to try to determine what that howling wind is doing to the trees in the neighborhood. You look over and notice that the lights are on in a neighbor’s house and you wonder what they might be doing up at this hour. Mostly, you are alone with your thoughts, undeterred by the work of the day ahead.

You examine your life and reflect upon how you come to find yourself precisely where you are. The struggles and heartbreaks that you have endured have not always been welcome companions. As a follower of Christ, perhaps you thought that things would be different. Maybe things would be easier and a certain level of comfort and success might be yours. As your mind looks out into the early morning blackness you wonder why things couldn’t be different. Your Bible opens to James and you read a well known passage…

Consider it pure joy, my brothers, whenever you face trials of many kinds, because you know that the testing of your faith develops perseverance. Perseverance must finish its work so that you may be mature and complete, not lacking anything. (James 1:2-4)

This may be one of the greatest challenges that the Christian faces on their journey through this world. The message that bombards us is that trials are not what we should be facing, the road should be smooth and wide. When travails become the norm, well-wishers ask us to look at what we might have done to bring this on ourselves. “Are you being punished for something?” they unknowingly ask. The Bible reader, on the other hand, discovers that these things are from the hand of God for the benefit of his sons and daughters.

James says to consider it PURE JOY when trials come into our lives because this means that our Father is strengthening us and maturing us for what comes ahead. When we begin to  look at things in this way, suddenly our perspective on everything that comes our way shifts. Our reflection on struggle A or trouble B moves from the woe is me, why is this happening stage to the thank you God, what should I be learning from this stage in life vantage point. When each trouble, big or small, increases our trust in the ultimate goodness of God we become more and more aware of how thankful we should be for these troubles. And thanks we will give…