Today’s Lectionary Readings: Psalm 146; Isaiah 35:1-10; Matthew 11:2-11; James 5:7-10; Psalm 30
Today is the third Sunday in Advent and the theme for worship is joy. That’s why many churches will light the pink candle in their Advent wreath since some traditions teach that the pink candle is a visual representation for joy. Needless to say, I’ve been thinking a lot about joy this week. I realized that many of us (myself included!) grow up equating joy with simply getting what we want. Today’s words from Isaiah invited me to think about joy in a new way, however. You see in the passage, Isaiah doesn’t tell the people what they want to hear. He names for them in pretty direct terms exactly what things they are facing. This includes naming things in their lives like deserts and dry lands. Most of us in this situation would conclude that joy means moving oneself to an entirely different location; a location like, say, the beach or the mountains. Isaiah doesn’t do that. Instead, he talks about important shifts that will take place in their current location. He talks about, for instance, the blossoming or blooming that will unexpectedly take place in the desert. He talks about the waters and streams that will spring forth in the dry lands. In other words, he talks about hope breaking out right where we are. This Christmas, when you are tempted to ask God for things that are predicated on a new location (i.e. a new job, a new house, a new relationship, etc), stop and think for a moment about the ways in which God might bring joy into your current setting. May the blossoming crocuses and the cool waters spring forth in your life this holiday season and bring you joy in surprising new ways. Til next time…
Today is the third Sunday in Advent and the theme for worship is joy. That’s why many churches will light the pink candle in their Advent wreath since some traditions teach that the pink candle is a visual representation for joy. Needless to say, I’ve been thinking a lot about joy this week. I realized that many of us (myself included!) grow up equating joy with simply getting what we want. Today’s words from Isaiah invited me to think about joy in a new way, however. You see in the passage, Isaiah doesn’t tell the people what they want to hear. He names for them in pretty direct terms exactly what things they are facing. This includes naming things in their lives like deserts and dry lands. Most of us in this situation would conclude that joy means moving oneself to an entirely different location; a location like, say, the beach or the mountains. Isaiah doesn’t do that. Instead, he talks about important shifts that will take place in their current location. He talks about, for instance, the blossoming or blooming that will unexpectedly take place in the desert. He talks about the waters and streams that will spring forth in the dry lands. In other words, he talks about hope breaking out right where we are. This Christmas, when you are tempted to ask God for things that are predicated on a new location (i.e. a new job, a new house, a new relationship, etc), stop and think for a moment about the ways in which God might bring joy into your current setting. May the blossoming crocuses and the cool waters spring forth in your life this holiday season and bring you joy in surprising new ways. Til next time…
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