PBPC Advent Devotional, Week 3 - Joy
Week Three – Joy
Joy is that overwhelming sense of delight and wholeness we feel when a promise is finally kept, when an expectation is met and exceeded, when we experience something more marvelous than we even knew was possible, when we find ourselves totally and completely loved.
Weekly Advent Song - O Come, All Ye Faithful
Monday
Isaiah 9:5-7
6 For a child has been born for us,
a son given to us;
authority rests upon his shoulders;
and he is named
Wonderful Counselor, Mighty God,
Everlasting Father, Prince of Peace.
7 His authority shall grow continually,
and there shall be endless peace
for the throne of David and his kingdom.
He will establish and uphold it
with justice and with righteousness
from this time onward and forevermore.
The zeal of the Lord of hosts will do this. (NRSV)
Every new baby is a source of joy. It has been eagerly anticipated for 9 months. Sometimes couples have difficulty conceiving and it has been anticipated for years. And then it arrives, a new life, a most perfect creation, a most amazing gift from God.
What was an experience of Joy you have had? What caused it? Hold it in your mind for some minutes. Recall and re-delight in the memory until it makes you smile.
Daily Practice
Go to a nativity scene you have displayed at home and hold its baby Jesus into your hand. (Alternatively, find a nativity scene on Google images and zoom in on baby Jesus). Reflect on how long people had waited for this baby to come. Let yourself feel the joy of a promise kept.
Joy, gift and gratitude all stem from the same root word in Greek. And don't we know how interrelated they are! Start a gratitude list. Today, list three experiences for which you are grateful. They are God's gift to you: thank him for them.
Tuesday
Luke 2:9-14
9 Then an angel of the Lord stood before [the shepherds], and the glory of the Lord shone around them, and they were terrified. 10 But the angel said to them, "Do not be afraid; for see—I am bringing you good news of great joy for all the people: 11 to you is born this day in the city of David a Savior, who is the Messiah, the Lord. 12 This will be a sign for you: you will find a child wrapped in bands of cloth and lying in a manger." (NRSV)
Enter this scene in your imagination. Feel the cool of the night; see the expansive light of the full Milky Way; hear the hushed quiet of the slight breeze wafting up the hillside. The angels' appearance is rather jarring. What is the good news they are announcing? Why does it bring joy? Who experiences the joy? What do you feel?
Daily Practice
This winter day, is it early morning before sunrise or evening after sunset? Go outside and look up at the darkened sky. Do you see stars, planets, moon? Pause and imagine it filling with angels. Pause and allow yourself to acknowledge delight, even joy. Thank God for his creation and new creation.
Add to your gratitude list. Today, list three aspects of creation for which you are grateful. They are God's gift to you: thank him for them.
Wednesday
Luke 1:46-55
46 And Mary said,
"My soul magnifies the Lord,
47 and my spirit rejoices in God my Savior,
48 for he has looked with favor on the lowliness of his servant.
Surely, from now on all generations will call me blessed;
49 for the Mighty One has done great things for me,
and holy is his name.
50 His mercy is for those who fear him
from generation to generation.
51 He has shown strength with his arm;
he has scattered the proud in the thoughts of their hearts.
52 He has brought down the powerful from their thrones,
and lifted up the lowly;
53 he has filled the hungry with good things,
and sent the rich away empty.
54 He has helped his servant Israel,
in remembrance of his mercy,
55 according to the promise he made to our ancestors,
to Abraham and to his descendants forever." (NRSV)
Mary understood that her baby was more than just any human baby. As she watched the miracle grow within her, grasped that this was God himself who was coming to restore the world. While she delighted when she felt her baby move within her, even more she delighted in what she came to realize God was really doing!
What does Mary seem to understand and what does she not understand about what Jesus' life and purpose on earth will be? What does it feel like to be used by God to accomplish his purposes? When does it feel joyful and when does it feel downright scary?
Daily Practice
Find a safety pin. Pin it somewhere on your shirt. Maybe it reminds you of a diaper pin. But let it remind you all day of being God's servant: the poke of the pin is the part that hurts, the clasp of the pin is the part that feels safe and joyful.
Add to your gratitude list. Today, list three relationships for which you are grateful. They are God's gift to you: thank him for them.
Thursday
Psalm 30:4-5
4 Sing praises to the Lord, O you his faithful ones,
and give thanks to his holy name.
5 For his anger is but for a moment;
his favor is for a lifetime.
Weeping may linger for the night,
but joy comes with the morning. (NRSV)
We have experienced loss this year. People we know have died or moved far beyond frequent visits. Other relationships may have been damaged. We may have lost employment or income. We have all lost freedom of movement and association. We grieve; we weep. This psalm acknowledges that grief and weeping are real. But it reminds us they are not the end of the story.
List some losses you have known this year. Tell God how you are sad, angry, scared. Feel his listening presence. Know that he loves you even more.
Daily Practice
Go wash your face. Feel the warmth of the water. Pause before you dry yourself and feel the air waft on your face, cooling it. Receive God's comfort for your losses. As he shares them with you, ask him to give you joy.
Add to your gratitude list. Today, list three ways you have seen God provide for you for which you are grateful. They are God's gift to you: thank him for them.
Friday
Matthew 2:9-11
9 [The magi] went on their way, and the star they had seen when it rose went ahead of them until it stopped over the place where the child was. 10 When they saw the star, they were overjoyed. 11 On coming to the house, they saw the child with his mother Mary, and they bowed down and worshiped him. Then they opened their treasures and presented him with gifts of gold, frankincense and myrrh. (NIV)
Weeks, maybe months, earlier, these Persian astrologers had seen an astronomical sign that revealed to them the birth of a new King of the Jews. They caravanned a long and tiring journey, seeking to honor him. What joy they experienced when they finally met him! They paid tribute to him with the expensive gifts that are now familiar to us.
In the well-loved carol, The Little Drummer Boy plays his drum and plays his best for the baby Jesus. In John 12:1-11, Mary of Bethany anoints Jesus' feet with precious perfume. What gift – of goods or service or attitude of the heart – would you like to give Jesus?
Daily Practice
By now you are accumulating gifts to give your family and friends for Christmas. Go look at your piles. Think of those intended recipients and your love for them. Thank God for the gift of family and friends and of Jesus, the baby, the man, the savior, the Lord.
Add to your gratitude list. Today, list three aspects of Jesus for which you are grateful. They are God's gift to you: thank him for them.
Saturday
Psalm 96:1-3
1 O sing to the Lord a new song;
sing to the Lord, all the earth.
2 Sing to the Lord, bless his name;
tell of his salvation from day to day.
3 Declare his glory among the nations,
his marvelous works among all the peoples. (NRSV)
These verses in the psalm just about say it all: God created us; God rescued us. God is marvelous and we rejoice and sing to him.
What is a piece of God's marvelous works that moves you to joy? As you ponder that, know that you give joy to God when you notice and take delight in him.
Daily Practice
Put on a YouTube of a favorite hymn or worship song. If you need a suggestion, go to the PBPC YouTube channel and listen to one that Mary has recorded for us. Sing a song to God!
Park Blvd YouTube Channel: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCgHDy5_06rqiPfpPXp4jSDQ/playlists?view=50&sort=dd&shelf_id=4
Add to your gratitude list. Today, list three little things for which you are grateful – a warm cup of coffee; a friendly smile on a Zoom or voice on the phone; the sun on your face, or refreshment of rain on our arid landscape; the beauty of a sunrise or sunset. They are God's gift to you: thank him for them. Is there anyone with whom you can share something for which you are grateful?