Changed in the Waiting
THIRD SUNDAY OF ADVENT - JOY
December 15, 2024
SCRIPTURE
ISAIAH 12:2-6
Surely God is my salvation;
I will trust and will not be afraid,
for the LORD is my strength and my might;
he has become my salvation.
With joy you will draw water from the wells of salvation.
Shout aloud and sing for joy, O royal Zion,
for great in your midst is the Holy One of Israel.
ISAIAH 12:2-3, 6 (NRSVUE)
ISAIAH 12:2-6
Surely God is my salvation;
I will trust and will not be afraid,
for the LORD is my strength and my might;
he has become my salvation.
With joy you will draw water from the wells of salvation.
Shout aloud and sing for joy, O royal Zion,
for great in your midst is the Holy One of Israel.
ISAIAH 12:2-3, 6 (NRSVUE)
Joy seems to be much more a Christmas thing than an Advent thing. We associate joy with the sense of relief, accomplishment, and finality that are so emblematic of Jesus’s birth story. The wait of pregnancy and the suffering of labor are over, and a tiny baby has arrived. Joy to the world, indeed!
But here in the third week of Advent we are introduced to another form of joy that is not dependent on a specific outcome. This joy is the surprising gift that shows up in the midst of all that is yet to be completed. As a hallmark of God’s kingdom, joy is not only the promise of what's to come, but it’s also a reality that is available and present now. This experience of joy is not only unexpected; it is even subversive. We know “joy comes with the morning” (Psalm 30:5, NRSVUE), but who would expect to experience joy in the dark of night, while the sunrise is still such a long way off?
In our times of waiting, like Advent, we become acutely aware of what is wrong in our world and how desperately we need a Savior. But if we only see all that is wrong, we have already succumbed to the oppressive forces of death and despair. The reality of God’s kingdom bears witness to the fact that there is more going on in the world than the work of death. Joy itself is resistance to the principalities and powers that are constantly at work to steal, kill, and destroy all signs of life. This is because joy doesn’t wait until everything gets better to make its appearance. Joy is defiant, subversive, and persistent. Like wildflowers finding their way through the cracks of asphalt, or pinpricks of light shining through the darkness, the joy of God cannot be shut out!
But please hear me—this is in no way the same thing as putting on a happy face. Joy cannot be faked or manufactured. It doesn’t show up by ignoring all that is wrong or distracting ourselves with something fun while we wait it out. It is truly the fruit of the Spirit, growing wherever there is space and time for the Spirit to do its work. Like all fruit, joy is something we can either squash or nurture. It is the Spirit’s fruit, but the soil in which it grows is ours. So if we cannot muster it up on our own, how do we experience this surprising, subversive gift of God’s joy? How can we learn to see the joy that comes before the morning?
Like all things worth doing, it requires intentionality and practice. Joy comes naturally as a result of being given good gifts. If we're not used to seeing them, it can take effort to recognize and name the gifts we've been given. But once we know what we're looking for, we start seeing gifts everywhere! We call the practice of naming gifts gratitude, and it is an indispensable tool in cultivating joy. Throughout this third week of Advent we will practice gratitude, naming the good gifts around us and making space for God’s joy to flourish.
A gift is anything good that you did not create or make happen for yourself. It can be anything—from your favorite ice cream, to the smile on your kid’s face, to the beauty of a flower or an energizing conversation. Because we live in a world that God created, and live in relationship with other humans who help supply everything we use and eat, there are few things we can take sole credit for. Even things you purchase can count as gifts because there is a long chain reaction of other people’s work, creativity, and our own opportunities that we did not make happen.
Throughout this week, look for the gifts in your life with a goal in mind of listing one hundred gifts before the end of the week. Each of this week's readings may help you notice the gifts that come in different shapes and sizes.
But here in the third week of Advent we are introduced to another form of joy that is not dependent on a specific outcome. This joy is the surprising gift that shows up in the midst of all that is yet to be completed. As a hallmark of God’s kingdom, joy is not only the promise of what's to come, but it’s also a reality that is available and present now. This experience of joy is not only unexpected; it is even subversive. We know “joy comes with the morning” (Psalm 30:5, NRSVUE), but who would expect to experience joy in the dark of night, while the sunrise is still such a long way off?
In our times of waiting, like Advent, we become acutely aware of what is wrong in our world and how desperately we need a Savior. But if we only see all that is wrong, we have already succumbed to the oppressive forces of death and despair. The reality of God’s kingdom bears witness to the fact that there is more going on in the world than the work of death. Joy itself is resistance to the principalities and powers that are constantly at work to steal, kill, and destroy all signs of life. This is because joy doesn’t wait until everything gets better to make its appearance. Joy is defiant, subversive, and persistent. Like wildflowers finding their way through the cracks of asphalt, or pinpricks of light shining through the darkness, the joy of God cannot be shut out!
But please hear me—this is in no way the same thing as putting on a happy face. Joy cannot be faked or manufactured. It doesn’t show up by ignoring all that is wrong or distracting ourselves with something fun while we wait it out. It is truly the fruit of the Spirit, growing wherever there is space and time for the Spirit to do its work. Like all fruit, joy is something we can either squash or nurture. It is the Spirit’s fruit, but the soil in which it grows is ours. So if we cannot muster it up on our own, how do we experience this surprising, subversive gift of God’s joy? How can we learn to see the joy that comes before the morning?
Like all things worth doing, it requires intentionality and practice. Joy comes naturally as a result of being given good gifts. If we're not used to seeing them, it can take effort to recognize and name the gifts we've been given. But once we know what we're looking for, we start seeing gifts everywhere! We call the practice of naming gifts gratitude, and it is an indispensable tool in cultivating joy. Throughout this third week of Advent we will practice gratitude, naming the good gifts around us and making space for God’s joy to flourish.
A gift is anything good that you did not create or make happen for yourself. It can be anything—from your favorite ice cream, to the smile on your kid’s face, to the beauty of a flower or an energizing conversation. Because we live in a world that God created, and live in relationship with other humans who help supply everything we use and eat, there are few things we can take sole credit for. Even things you purchase can count as gifts because there is a long chain reaction of other people’s work, creativity, and our own opportunities that we did not make happen.
Throughout this week, look for the gifts in your life with a goal in mind of listing one hundred gifts before the end of the week. Each of this week's readings may help you notice the gifts that come in different shapes and sizes.
QUESTIONS FOR REFLECTION, DISCUSSION, AND PRAYER
What brings you joy?
How have you noticed the two kinds of joy at work in your life—the joy of completion and the joy that comes while things are still in progress?
Is it commonplace or challenging for you to notice and name gifts in your life?
What brings you joy?
How have you noticed the two kinds of joy at work in your life—the joy of completion and the joy that comes while things are still in progress?
Is it commonplace or challenging for you to notice and name gifts in your life?