#Rejoice
On this 15th day of Advent the #AdventWord is #rejoice.
This elephant seems to be rejoicing in the moment. That is why I chose it for today's word 'rejoice'.
Today happens to be the 3rd Sunday of Advent, sometimes called 'rejoicing Sunday' or 'Gaudete' Sunday. Some churches indicate that this is a Sunday to rejoice by using rose coloured vestments or lighting a pink candle among the otherwise purple or blue Advent Candles.
For those churches that follow the Revised Common Lectionary, at least one of the Bible readings used in church on this 3rd Sunday of Advent gives a reason to rejoice or has a call to be joyful. It provides a more upbeat tone in what can be a solemn season.
How can Christians rejoice when there is so much wrong in the world? When so many people face seemingly hopeless situations that never seem to get better? Isn't that to put our heads in the sand, to use religion as an escape from real problems? What if you are feeling miserable when you go to church? Are you supposed to pretend to rejoice when you might have good reasons not to feel joyful? I don't think so. To fake joy would be to add guilt to the misery and also misunderstand the nature of Advent rejoicing on this day.
The whole 4 weeks of the Advent season are about looking forward in hope. In spite of whatever feelings we may have today or the circumstances we are in, the message of Advent is that God comes to save, the coming of the Saviour is near. Things will not always be as they are now. There is joy to come, even when we can't feel it now.
The rejoicing we are encouraged to share in today is rejoicing in hope, rejoicing in Christ our Saviour. The Christian hope is based on trust in Christ, God with us in the reality of this world with all that is wrong with it, a light in the darkness, a blossoming in the desert.
The rejoicing we are encouraged to share in today is rejoicing in hope, rejoicing in Christ our Saviour. The Christian hope is based on trust in Christ, God with us in the reality of this world with all that is wrong with it, a light in the darkness, a blossoming in the desert.
One of today's readings is from St Paul's letter to the Philippians:
"Rejoice in the Lord always: again I say, Rejoice. Let your gentleness be known to everyone. the Lord is near. Do not worry about anything, but in everything by prayer and supplication with thanksgiving let your requests be made known to God. And the peace of god, which surpasses all understanding, will guard your hearts and your minds in Christ Jesus." Philippians 4: 4 - 7 (NRSV)
In the 17th century the composer Henry Purcell wrote a beautiful anthem, 'Rejoice in the Lord alway' (Z49) based on those words. Here it is, enjoy!
Image Credit: Su Neko on flickr, CC license