Counting Joy

 

Consider it pure joy, my brothers and sisters, whenever you face trials of many kinds, 3 because you know that the testing of your faith produces perseverance.  Let perseverance finish its work so that you may be mature and complete, not lacking anything.   (James 1:2-4)

 

This has been my favorite bible verse since I was 13.  It has gotten me through an awful lot of difficult times.  My eight grade Youth Leader Travis taught us the book of James while we were on a 15-day trip out west to see the Grand Canyon.  I can still hear him reciting the words, “Count it all joooooy, my friends.”  I hear it every time I’m tempted to let go of joy.

 

My friends, there is joy in each and every moment of life.  You might not believe that, but I assure you it’s true.  There are obvious moments of joy - the birth of a new baby, the A on the exam you were worried about, the promotion, etc – but I assure you, there is joy in moments when joy seems impossible.  You have to intentionally seek it or it will not be found.  It won’t be found, because if you’re not looking for it, you won’t recognize it for what it is.

 

A few years ago, I was asked to leave a job I loved.  I won’t lie; I was devastated.  At my lowest point, I heard Travis say from the recesses of my memory, “count it all joooooy, my friends,”  and I was reminded to look for the joy in the moment.  It was over the next few weeks that I saw how there were people who were rallying around me.  I discovered who my real friends were because they were running toward me and not away from the trouble.  I realized that I was in a situation I had feared being in for years and it wasn’t nearly as world-ending as I had imagined it.   I could go on and on, but the long and the short of it is that when I started looking for joy in the moment, it was as if I were given special eyeglasses to see what I could not see before.

 

The other aspect of this verse that I want to point out is the first two words: “Count it. . .”  It has been helpful to me rephrase this as “Name it.”  Name it all joy.  This is to play the long game.  In the unbearable moment, to say, “I name this joy” is to submit to the truth that, with God’s help, this moment will be what I look back on at some point and say, “it was that moment” that brought this growth, or led me to meet this person, or allowed that next thing to happen that’s got me in this good and strong place now.  This moment's name shall be joy.

 

Look for it. Name it.  There is and there will be joy.

“…weeping may stay for the night, but rejoicing comes in the morning.” Psalm 30:5b

 

Prayer:  O Lord, our Lord; how majestic is your name in all the earth.  Even in my misery, your name is Majestic and your joy comes in the morning. Praise be to name of the Lord!  Amen.

 

Prayer Focus:  Pray for people struggling with depression today.

 

Song: It is Well With My Soul – Audrey Assad

 https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=zY5o9mP22V0n

Joy of a Different Kind

“Though you have not seen him, you love him; and even though you do not see him now, you believe in him and are filled with an inexpressible and glorious joy, for you are receiving the end result of your faith, the salvation of your souls.”  1 Peter 1:8-9

 

We move to joy today, the second fruit of the Spirit.  Let me say first that the basic assumption about ALL the fruits of the Spirit IS that they are fruits of the Spirit – they all are the result of the Spirit’s work in us.  So the joy described above is not one we produce ourselves; it comes from us inviting the Spirt to be at work in us.

It is a joy that stems from our redemption (“salvation” in the verse above).  Our messy and imperfect lives are somehow taken by God and redeemed into something deeply gratifying and joy-producing.

Examples from my own life:

·         Sorrow for loved ones lost is, over time, transformed into gratitude for the time I had with them and a different kind of connection to them as they join “the great cloud of witnesses” (Hebrews 12:1)

·         Health scares with my children have given me a unique connection and compassion with others who have are going through similar scares

·         My own failings/sin had led me to teachers and resources that have helped me become a more whole disciple and God has used them to heal brokenness in me.

·         The pandemic forced me to learn new things, become even more clear about the church’s mission, and finally got me writing every day, something I’ve felt called to do for years before that.

·         The death of George Floyd and the events since then has led me to a time of intense self-examination of my white privilege and my participation in hidden systems of injustice and has called be to be better.

I could go on and on.  The point is that I look at the list above and I am connected with a joy that is hard to describe.  It is not a joy synonymous with happiness, for much of the above list does not include happiness.   It is a joy that buoys my Spirit in a way that defies logical explanation.  It is a joy that provides evidence for God is working in my life and in the world.  The word joy is a way to describe the Spirit’s fingerprints on my spirit.  I am so grateful for that joy.

And I pray right now for you to have that same “inexpressible and glorious joy, for you are receiving the end result of your faith, the salvation of your souls.” 

We’ll continue our talk about this joy next time.

 

Prayer:  God, we are a time that few would describe as joyous.  But we believe you have given access to a Spirit-born joy that cannot be snuffed out.  Give us that joy today and every day.  Amen.

 

Prayer Focus:  Pray for your closest friends and family today.

 

Song:  Joy – For King and Country

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=lA7n7TwPDmw

Consider it Pure Joy?

James 1:2-8 - Consider it pure joy, my brothers and sisters, whenever you face trials of many kinds,  because you know that the testing of your faith produces perseverance.  Let perseverance finish its work so that you may be mature and complete, not lacking anything.  If any of you lacks wisdom, you should ask God, who gives generously to all without finding fault, and it will be given to you.  But when you ask, you must believe and not doubt, because the one who doubts is like a wave of the sea, blown and tossed by the wind.  That person should not expect to receive anything from the Lord.  Such a person is double-minded and unstable in all they do.

 

This text has been one of my favorites since I was a teenager.  It is one that I return to whenever I find myself in crisis and/or difficulty.  As you can imagine, it’s come to the forefront of my mind many times over few years.  The opening phrase, “count it all pure joy…” always trips me up.  “Pure joy” has never been the phrase I have used to describe periods of trial.  I guess I’m not that spiritually mature.  It is always much later that I can look back on the time of trial and take joy from it.  But here’s the key to that;  in the moment that I realize that I am in the midst of trial, I need to resolve that it is an opportunity for growth and joy to happen.  I may not be especially joyful about it at that moment, but the resolve to be open to the growth makes future joy possible. 

I am aware that many of you are in the midst of trial right now as well.  I know that, even if you are not personally, chances are that someone you care about is..  We have many who are fighting cancer.  We know families that financially are on the verge of losing everything.  There are other trials that we are not even aware of at this time.  In addition to that, I am aware that there are many trials ahead of us in the coming days, weeks, and months.  I know it is hard, but I ask you to open your hearts to the possibility that, as these trials confront us, joy is not only possible but can be expected on the other side.  As Psalm 30:5 says, “weeping may stay for the night, but rejoicing comes in the morning.”  Count on that. Expect it. Look for it. God is good all the time and all the time, God is good.

 

Question:  How have you experienced strength and blessing coming out of trial in the past?

 

Prayer:  God, you can take any trial and squeeze joy out of it. Do that for all of us who are in the midst of trials this day.

 

Prayer Focus:  Though we are effectively emerging from the COVID pandemic, 1.1 million people died since January 2020.  Pray for all those families today who are still grieving this unimaginable loss. 

 

Song:  Graves Into Gardens ft. Brandon Lake | Live | Elevation Worship

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=KwX1f2gYKZ4&list=PLRZlMhcYkA2HCg8PZnI1EaqcnIhU-Kd3T&index=3

The Resurrection

 

The Resurrection

 

Matthew 28:1-10, NIV - After the Sabbath, at dawn on the first day of the week, Mary Magdalene and the other Mary went to look at the tomb.

There was a violent earthquake, for an angel of the Lord came down from heaven and, going to the tomb, rolled back the stone and sat on it. His appearance was like lightning, and his clothes were white as snow. The guards were so afraid of him that they shook and became like dead men.

The angel said to the women, “Do not be afraid, for I know that you are looking for Jesus, who was crucified. He is not here; he has risen, just as he said. Come and see the place where he lay. Then go quickly and tell his disciples: ‘He has risen from the dead and is going ahead of you into Galilee. There you will see him.’ Now I have told you.”

So the women hurried away from the tomb, afraid yet filled with joy, and ran to tell his disciples.  Suddenly Jesus met them. “Greetings,” he said. They came to him, clasped his feet and worshiped him.

Then Jesus said to them, “Do not be afraid. Go and tell my brothers to go to Galilee; there they will see me.”

The two Mary’s go to the tomb to grieve.  Matthew has been sure to let us know that it is the women who stayed with Jesus to the very end.  They were there for the crucifixion and they were there with Joseph of Arimathea when Jesus’s body was laid to rest.  They were there to see the tomb sealed by the Roman guards and now, on Sunday morning, they return to the tomb.  They will be the first witnesses of the resurrection.

I can’t help but think that they came that morning with hope in their hearts.  Throughout our journey through Matthew, we heard Jesus tell His followers SO many times that he would die, but three days later, he would be raised.  These women would have also known that Jesus raised others who had died.   They come this early morning to grieve, but I feel sure there is some vestige of faith in Jesus’s promise, if only a mustard seed’s worth.

If that is true, then their faith was confirmed in a spectacularly dramatic way.  An earthquake shakes the ground beneath them.  An angel so impressive that two Roman soldiers are literally scared stiff shows up.  The angel rolls back the stone (a feat that would normally take several very strong people) and then takes a seat atop the stone.  The angel says, “do not be afraid,” but that was pointless.  They are afraid nonetheless.  I’m not sure any human who has ever lived would not be afraid. 

I highlight their fear, because I want to highlight the fact that, unlike the “macho” Roman guards, the women are not paralyzed by their fear.  They follow the angel into to the tomb and see that Jesus is not there.  They hear, believe, and follow the angel’s instructions even though they never cease to be afraid.  Matthew notes that as they run to tell the disciples the most incredible news ever given, they were “afraid yet filled with joy.” 

Their faithful action in the midst of fear is rewarded for, in following the angel’s instruction, they literally run into the Risen Christ!  He, like the angels begins with, “do not be afraid” as the women throw themselves at His feet.  I’m sure their was more details to this actual encounter, but Matthew doesn’t give us anymore than Jesus’s instructions about where the disciples can meet Him.  They follow Jesus’s instruction as well, but I’m not sure their fear is completely gone. 

Faith is not the absence of fear.  Joy is not the absence of fear.  The presence of fear does not mean we have to be consumed by it or paralyzed by it.  We can hear God’s revelation in the midst of fear.  We can follow God’s instructions in the midst of fear.  We can even experience joy while simultaneously still experiencing fear.  These remarkable women show us this wonderful possibility. 

 

Question:  Have you ever been, or are you now, paralyzed by fear? 

 

Prayer:  Lord, even in our fear, allow us to hear and follow your voice.  Amen.

 

Prayer Focus:  Pray for people who are being overwhelmed by fear today.

 

Song:  I Just Seen Jesus - Larnelle Harris, Sandi Patty

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_yLgtd_kkxw

Good Christian Men Rejoice - December 24, 2021

 

Good Christian Men Rejoice - December 24, 2021

 

Philippians 4:4 - Rejoice in the Lord always. I will say it again: Rejoice!

 

Today we have another Christmas Carol where we cannot trace the original author.  We do know that it is a macaronic carol which means it was written while eating macaroni.  You should try it sometime – macaroni does get the inspiration going.  You too could write a carol sung 100’s of years from now!  Just joking.  A macaronic carol means that it was translated from Latin and the original language.  They usually were upbeat tunes that begged for extra instrumentation like percussion and they lent themselves easily to dancing.  For this reason, macaronic carols were not sung in the medieval Catholic church.  Baptists didn’t like the dancing either.  Just kidding my dear Baptists.  I think someone put something in my coffee this morning.

 

The fact that this wasn’t sung in church did not keep the song from being sung.  It became what is called a “folk carol,” meaning it was sung in celebrations of more a civic or secular nature.  That is heartening to me because the carol is obviously about the birth of Christ and not one of the more secular aspects that were and still are popular in most English cultures. 

 

A couple of other notes of interest about this Carol should be noted. First, the “men” in the first line has fallen out of favor now in the age of more inclusive language.  For that reason, many modern hymnals have changed it to “friends,” “all” or folk.”  The interesting thing about this is that the original Latin version of this song did not even have a reference to “men.”  The literal translation of the Latin first line is “in sweet jubilation.”  In this case the early Catholics were more “politically correct” than their medieval counterparts. Go figure.

 

The other interesting feature of this hymn something I remember thinking was odd when I sung this growing up.  The “News, News” part is not in keeping with the meter of the rest of the song.  Musically, it doesn’t fit.  I wouldn’t have said it that way growing up because I didn’t know what musical meter was (and largely still don’t)  but I knew it was weird.  Turns out, these notes were added on accident by someone who was transcribing the music for Neale, (the English translator).  Instead of having it done again, Neale added the lyrics to match the accidentally added notes.  The rest, as they say, is history (or, as I call it, weird). 

 

In any case, we have a fun carol that begs for folk instrumentation and makes you want to dance – a true example of music for the masses (but not for mass). It actually commands us to rejoice!  If any event should be worthy of such revelry, it has to be the birth of Christ.  So sing and dance to this folk carol today – I double-dog dare you – and see if it doesn’t lift your spirit. 

 

Question:  Has forcing yourself to do something festive (even when you weren’t feeling it) every actually made you feel more festive? 

 

Prayer:  Jesus, as we look forward to celebrating your birth at our services tonight, may you lift our spirits and bring us the good “news, news.”

 

Prayer Focus:  Take some extra time to pray for yourself today – especially for what you are feeling you need most from God right now.

 

Good Christian Men, Rejoice – King's College Choir

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=c4yYb6yCNws