Advent: Joyful Service - Sunday, December 15
Rejoice in the Lord always. I will say it again. Rejoice!
Philippians 4:4
In Liturgical churches, the third Sunday in Advent is the Joy Sunday, symbolized by a pink candle. The other three candles are a dull purple, but this one is a conspicuous pink. St. Paul urges us to rejoice this day and every day. It is interesting that the word for rejoice (charite) in Greek is a cognate of the word for grace (charis). We can rejoice every day because of God’s gracious disposition towards us in Christ. This joy flows over, into service for our neighbor. Because we have joy in God’s gracious gifts to us, we naturally want to serve others.
At our church for the past three years, in the days leading up to Christmas, we have delivered boxes of food, supplies, and a few treats to elderly members of our church and community. The confirmation students and other youth deliver the boxes, and while they do, they get to know those they are delivering to, pray with them, and sing Christmas carols together. This past year, two new young people joined us. They experienced true joy in serving and even began thinking of new service projects we could do more frequently since it was too long to wait until next Christmas!
Joy is beyond sentiment; it is beyond happiness (which depends on circumstances). Joy is the gift of God, through the grace of God. I was joyfully surprised by these young people who caught the idea behind the service project. May you also find surprising joy this Advent.
Dear Lord, I praise and thank you that you have given us grace and joy in Christ, the one who came to heal us, by His wounds. I pray this joy will overflow in my life in service to my neighbor. Amen.