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How Great Our Joy
Pastor Greg waited in the narthex to greet his congregation as always. Today was the Sunday of Joy and he was looking forward to sharing the Good News with each and every one of them. From the most venerable to the tiniest babes in arms, this was his family and today was one of the most joyous days of the liturgical calendar.
He smiled and shook every hand as they entered. He greeted them each by name and welcomed them whether they came weekly or sporadically. Everyone was welcome and he was genuinely glad to see every smiling face. As the flow of congregants slowed to a trickle, he stepped into the cloakroom and donned his Advent vestments.
The acolytes were standing at the door with their tapers, waiting for him to light them. He slipped a lighter from under his vestments and sent them on their way.
As they marched down the aisle with as much dignity as a couple of pre-teens could muster, ‘Long Ago, Prophets Knew’ began playing on the organ. Eloise was a splendid performer and she had helped him book the special guest performers for today’s service.
He followed the kids down the aisle, sweeping his gaze left and right for any ‘pastoral abnormalities‘. Everyone seemed to be on their best behavior for the moment, but he was rather surprised to see Jeb packed into the middle of a crowded pew. He supposed their Friday evening chat had made some difference for his friend. Good, it wasn’t good for such a nice guy to spend his life keeping the world at arm’s length.
Pastor Greg took a seat as the acolytes went about their duties. They lit candles ceremoniously and departed just in time for the hymn to conclude. He stepped up to the center of the sanctuary and greeted the congregation.
“This is a day the Lord has made. Let us be glad and rejoice in it. How great our joy! How great our joy!” He smiled broadly. This was his favorite part of the week.
He was looking out over the church family as they settled into their pews. All the familiar faces and a couple of less familiar ones looked at him in expectation of something to rejoice about and he hoped to deliver that for them today.
Out of curiosity, he glanced in Jeb’s direction. Who was it that his friend was pinned between today? Phyllis Detweiler and Aundrea Pritchard sat to the right of Jeb. Trilby Hughes and the entire Kwock Family pinned him in on his left. Greg couldn’t tell if Jeb’s pained expression was due to claustrophobia or being pinned between the two women who were vying for his attention.
The service continued apace. Community concerns and the opening invocation set the tone for today’s service. The first reading was from the Book of Isaiah. The prophet’s words were intended as good news to the people who had recently been released from their exile in Babylon. Greg noticed the look on Aundrea’s face when Isaiah’s words came around to:
For I the Lord love justice,
I hate robbery and wrongdoing;
I will faithfully give them their recompense,
and I will make an everlasting covenant with them.
He made a mental note to talk to her about that. She wasn’t a regular attendee but he hated to see anyone suffer needlessly. Paul’s words of comfort in the reading from Thessalonians seemed to hold little consolation for her. Jeb noticed her distress.
‘Good God, man! Hold her hand! Offer her some comfort or she’ll think your heart is made of wood!’ Greg screamed inside his head.
This was no time to get off track. Everyone rose as ‘How Great Our Joy’ began playing on the organ.
How could you not smile after a song like that? He read the passages from the Gospel of John that spoke of how John the Baptist had pointed to the coming of the Messiah. He had said he was the voice crying out in the wilderness to make straight the way of the Lord. Part of the preparation was getting yourself straightened out so you could fully appreciate the joy of the Savior’s arrival.
Pastor Greg made his way to the pulpit to deliver his sermon.
“Joy, joy, joy! Praise we the Lord in heaven on high! What a great song. Am I right?” He waited for the nodding heads and murmuring agreement to abate.
“The Third Sunday of Advent is the Sunday of Joy. Some people call it Gaudete Sunday, but Gaudete is simply ‘Rejoice’ in Latin. Six of one, half a dozen of the other.” He said with a non-committal shrug. “However you express it, the important thing is that we’re focusing on the joy of restoration that was foreseen by the Prophets as the many promises of God that His people would be delivered from bondage and oppression.”
Again, that look on Aundrea’s face. He was definitely going to have to see what was afflicting her so.
“Back in the days of the Old Testament, things were pretty concrete. Prophecies of deliverance were meant to be taken quite literally. They would be punished for their lack of faith with their covenant with God Almighty. The Temple in Jerusalem was destroyed and a large number of them were taken away into centuries of captivity in what is now the country we call Iraq. In time, they would be free to return and restore their nation under God’s protection again.”
“In the season of Advent, we know that there was more to it than that. Don’t we?” Again, the nodding heads and sounds of quiet agreement. “How great our joy, folks. How great our joy. We’re delivered from something far more oppressive than mere captivity, exile or worldly wrongdoing. We’re delivered from sin and death. Through God’s grace and the redeeming sacrifice of the Lord, Jesus Christ, we are free from eternal captivity and spiritual oppression. How great our joy!”
“Something else that will bring us joy is a special visit from the Laurel Ridge Chorale Society.” Pastor Greg waited for the polite applause. A number of the performers were known or related to members of the congregation. “They’re going to perform two wonderful songs for us today. These songs, however, are not in English. The lyrics are printed in your programs with English translations for those who are curious. Gaudete, as I mentioned earlier, means ‘Rejoice’ in Latin. The song, Gaudete, is a medieval Latin hymn that rejoices in the Savior’s birth. Their other number, Riu Riu Chiu, is a Spanish carol about how God protected Mary from the ravaging beast of evil to give birth to Jesus, who would ultimately save us all. These are such lovely songs but it certainly helps to have an idea of what they’re saying. I hope you’ll enjoy them as much as I do if only because the performers take such joy in sharing them with you.”
“Before I turn this over to our guests, I wanted to share a quote from Ralph Waldo Emerson.” Pastor Greg paused to ensure the attention of his church family. “He said that ‘When nature has work to be done, she creates a genius to do it.’ It’s easy to think that’s meant for geniuses like Thomas Jefferson, Albert Einstein or Timothy Wisler. Those once-in-a-generation, world-shaking minds who change the very course of civilization come readily to mind when you hear a quote like this.”
“Want to know a secret?” Pastor Greg leaned in and whispered into the microphone. “He was actually talking about you.”
“You might not think you’re a genius but you are. God put each and every one of us here to serve His purpose. Some of those purposes are more profound than others. Some of us are doctors, paramedics, police officers, firefighters. People’s lives and safety are their stock and trade. Some of us are librarians, teachers, office staff, retail workers. They keep things running so smoothly that their efforts often go unnoticed. Some of us are creators, artists, entrepreneurs, chefs, performers. They do the things that make life worth living. Everyone has a purpose. Everyone has a gift. Rejoice and be glad when you discover what yours is. Live in the everlasting joy of fulfilling your part in God’s plan when you take your gift and share it freely.”
”Be who God made you to be and do it joyously. Everyone has a place and a purpose. If you haven’t figured out what yours is yet, my friends, you can pray for guidance. In the meantime, be a light unto someone’s path. Help your neighbors lighten their load. Share a smile. The love of the Lord has more than one form of expression. Just be you. Do what you can when you can and you’ll find that the world is a better place because you made the effort.”
“Praise be to God, from whom all blessings flow. I now present, for your enjoyment, the Laurel Ridge Chorale Society.” Pastor Greg slipped his sermon notes onto the shelf under the lectern and headed down to take his seat while the performers shared their gift of song. He noticed Trilby looking a bit sullen. It seemed he’d have to have a chat with her as well.
After the performance, the balance of the service continued as usual. After the benediction, Eloise began playing ‘Joy to the World’ as the acolytes returned to snuff the candles on the altar reverently. He followed the youngsters out as the final song concluded and people began gathering themselves to depart.
As always, he stood by the exit to bid a fond farewell to the congregation. As always, they shuffled slowly from the nave in a long stream of well-wishes and light humor. To his surprise, he found Jeb reaching out to shake his hand.
“Pastor, I wanted to thank you.”
“The pleasure is mine, Jeb. I’m glad you got something out of what I had to say.”
“Always.” Jeb said with a smile. “I had wanted to ask you last week but with the paramedics and the blood on my pants…”
“Sure, Jeb. I’d be happy to. I have some matters to attend to but I should be free in an hour or so. What did you have in mind?”
“Mr. Kwock recommended brunch at The Marbury Inn.”
“Sounds marvelous. Save me a seat and I’ll be there as soon as I can.”
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