Introduction
In a survey of more than 700 subjects, Kathy Caprino— a senior contributor at Forbes, marriage and family therapist, and career coach— asked: “If you could say in one word what you want more of in life, what would that be?” Think about that for a moment. “If you could say in one word what you want more of in life, what would that be?”
The number 1 response was happiness. Joy came in at number 5. Money— which, many think will help achieve happiness and/or joy was number 2. Other answers were freedom, peace, balance, fulfillment and confidence.
The participants in the survey clearly identified a distinction between happiness and joy showing they would rather have happiness than joy. Some would even rather have freedom or peace more than joy.
Now I am choosing to believe the rationale for each answer is that having the one will be the catalyst to the others, but I still find it a strange rationale. And the reason for this is because preachers tend to laud joy as a more commendable emotion than happiness. And the reason we do is because the Bible does also. Our text for today shows this, a text in which the word “happiness” is not used. In these brief six verses, the words “joy” or “rejoiced,” however, are used four times.
So if I asked the question “If you could say in one word what you want more of in life, what would that be?” was asked of the Psalmist their one word answer would likely be “joy”, because this is what comes when we see the blessings of God in our lives at work bringing forth new life. And on this third Sunday of Advent, this is precisely what we are to do in preparation for Jesus’ arrival. But note that on this side of the birth, life, death, and resurrection of Jesus, our answer to the question ought to be different yet.
Move 1
For the first two Sundays of Advent we heard from and explored the prophetic visions of the prophet Isaiah who brought messages of hope and peace from a time of exile—a time when the people of God all felt as if God was long gone.
On this third Sunday of Advent, Joy Sunday, we delve into a text from the Psalms that was written post Babylonian Exile because the author is speaking of the return of the Hebrews from their Babylonian captivity.
With that understanding, it becomes easier to imagine the joy the exiles must have felt when they approached Jerusalem. We can understand why they thought they were dreaming. When they realized their good fortune was the real deal, their mouths were “filled with laughter” and their tongues “with shouts of joy.” The writer is lauding how once again God makes the joy of life a reality, reminiscing in so many words, “Back in the day we were so blessed. Our hearts were full. And now, once again, because of God’s greatness, grace, and love, our hearts are filled with joy.”
And the writer has a ton of providential stories to base such on. The Israelites crossing the Red sea and their survival in the desert for 40 years was replete with memorable examples of God’s greatness, grace, and love that lead to joy.
A pillar of fire by night, and a cloud by day. Manna and quail. Water from a rock. The Ten Commandments. The victory at Jericho. The slaying of Goliath. The kingdom of David. The prophet Elijah. The contest on Mount Carmel— and so much more.
Yes, the Israelites had it good before, but sure things got messed up, and they lost their way, there was sorrow and sadness. But now, the captivity in Babylon has been ended, they are back in Jerusalem, and even though it is now a city kneeling in the ashes of 100 years of war and destruction, their fortunes are restored, and joy is once again with them.
So if asked the question, “what one word what you use to describe this feeling” would they say they were happy or joyful? Truth is, they didn’t care about semantics. The text here says joy, but happy works. So does ecstatic, elation, euphoria, jubilation. They were the antithesis—the opposite of sad, hopeless, sorrowful. And that is the emphasis here. With God there is joy and happiness and all the derivatives of them. Without God there is sadness, hopelessness, and sorrow, and all their derivatives.
Move 2
The Psalmist recalled God’s mighty deeds of the past; and the writer is calling for a fresh visitation of the divine presence in the here and now. It’s a model of faithfulness for us to emulate today because we all have times in life when we are filled with sorrow and we look back with fondness to a simpler time, a happier time— a time when everything was going right. There was love, a special relationship, children, a good job, good health— everything one could want to be both happy and full of joy. A time when our relationship with God was special, too. A time when “our mouth was filled with laughter, and our tongue with shouts of joy.” Our lives were together. The pieces all fit.
But then something happened. The pieces flew apart in a jumble and tangle, and we got caught in a web of sadness, hopelessness, and sorrow, and we wonder—like the Israelites— how things got to be this way. And from within such times we look back at other times—like the Israelites—and hope and pray the future will bring such joy again.
All of us have had times like these. Maybe those times are right now. Our text is speaking of those hard times while reminding us of the good times and showing how God is present in of them all, showing us it is good and right and faithful to ask God to give us joy.
Sure we can seek out joy in other places—we certainly aren’t lacking suggestions from a myriad of sources that say you can jump for joy when you… give thanks, practice forgiveness, exercise, power down devices, journal, create something artistic, volunteer, watch the sun rise, send snail mail to a friend, do a good deed, read a novel, light a candle, take a warm bath, listen to running water, make the bed, spend time with happy people, drink tea, grow your own vegetables, buy this, get that—on and on our culture today gives us methods to find joy and happiness. But do they work? If they do work, do they last? Not usually because they don’t address how to experience the joy that comes when we receive what the Apostle James calls “every good and perfect gift” that comes from above.
This is the type of joy the Psalmist speaks of— something that’s enduring, something that comes only from God.
Move 3
So how do we obtain this kind of restoration and release from our sadness, hopelessness, and sorrow? The writer of our Psalm uses three beautiful metaphors to tell us how: drought, sorrow and farming.
First: “Lord, restore us like a barren desert that is flooded with streams.” Second: “Lord, restore us by turning sorrow into joy.” Third: “Lord, restore us by rewarding our sowing with reaping.” These are all acknowledgements of real life realities—that life is like a barren desert at times; that life is filled with sorrow at times; that life includes planting but no harvest, nothing to reap, at times. This was true of the Israelites throughout their history—and each time when they fully acknowledged to God such in their lives, and they once again put their full faith and focus on God and God’s ways, they were once again led to the joy they were searching for.
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In his book “Low: An Honest Advent Devotional” John Pavlovitz writes, “We all feel the pressure to live without sadness or doubt, but that doesn’t come from God. The scriptures remind us that the journey with Jesus is just as often spent in the shadow places, the rough and darkened stretches where light and hope seem in short supply. We tend to see these moments as defeats, to imagine they are places we need to emerge from in order to be properly spiritual—when in reality the low places are where we meet our Maker.
Today, one of the most faith-affirming acts you can do is to openly admit to your depression, your grief, your not ‘okayness’. This isn’t a moral defect or a character flaw. It’s your authentic confession of faith, which is enough.”
When the deserts of our lives are flowing with water; when our tears are tears of joy not sorrow; and when we can reap a harvest, the fruit of our labor, then joy will indeed be our portion. But to get this promised reality we are invited, implored, to see both the goodness of life and the sorrow of life, and believe that within it all, God was and is, always there—there to show us a way through our sadness, hopelessness, and sorrow, and restore our fortunes with the joy that can only come from God.
Conclusion
On a night long ago, an event occurred that was both terrifying and exciting. The Lord of Lords, the Prince of Peace came into the world.
His arrival was announced by angels with a proclamation…Then an angel of the Lord stood before them, and the glory of the Lord shone around them, and they were terrified. 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: to you is born this day in the city of David a Savior, who is the Messiah, the Lord.” (Luke 2:10-11).
Joy. Great joy. For all people. Not just the people looking for happiness. Not just the people looking for a quick fix. Not just those who have it all together or those who don’t. Not just for those who answered “joy” when asked a survey question.
The joy of God came for all, in a babe wrapped in swaddling clothes who would give us the assurance, once again and for always, that God is with us. And God will always be the way through our sadness, hopelessness, and sorrow to be our source of our joy.
So if we are ever asked “If you could say in one word what you want more of in life, what would that be?” may our one word not be: happiness, money, freedom, balance, fulfillment, or confidence. May our one word not even be hope, peace, joy, or love. May our one word always be… God. Amen.
Pastoral Prayer, December 13, 2020, Advent 3
Merciful Savior, the longings of our heart are deep and profound, and the season of Advent, like no other, makes us acutely aware of our yearnings.
While we are surrounded by glittery tinsel and pretty packages, we are reminded that superficial things do not truly bring the joy we seek. Our calendars are crammed with activities and events, exposing the lie that busyness offers meaning and purpose which will lead to joy. The “to-do” list runs off the page, yet exhaustion and stress, not peace and joy, is too often the end result.
This is to say nothing about the countless who are falling deeper into sorrow and hopelessness, not because they can’t get it all done, but because: a loved one is gone, an illness encompasses them, or fear will not release its grip.
What we all genuinely desire O God, is a sense of transcendence, a story that is bigger than life but enfolds in our lives. We need your Son to become flesh, the baby born in a manger who brought shepherds to their knees and angels to their feet.
We long for a joy that cannot be contained in words but must be sung by the heavenly hosts.
In short, holy God, we hunger for you—for it is you alone who can drive away sadness, hopelessness, and sorrow.
So we pray holy God, come to our restless hearts.
Come to those in need of your transformative presence.
Come to those whose lives are filled with sorrow, especially during the holidays.
Come to those who need a Savior.
And if your presence is to come through our words, actions, and lives, then embolden us to recognize such, and then to step out in faith and offer to those who need you in their lives.
Lord, as we press through this season of Advent preparations, may you make our preparations about the hope, peace, joy, and love that your Son, our Savior brings. May we prepare by being your servants who help transform sadness, hopelessness, and sorrow into the joy that can only come from you.
We ask that you would hear now the prayers of our hearts, offered in this time of holy silence.
All this we pray in the name of our Savior Jesus, who taught us to pray saying, “Our…”