Joy to the World
I remember well the Christmas Eve of my 13th
year. What I remember of that Christmas
Eve was the joy of watching my grandfather open his gifts. He had a small pocket knife and with each
gift he carefully cut the tape that held the paper in place and then just as
carefully he removed the wrappings and gently folded the paper and placed on the
small table next to him. Then he would
examine the box and finally open the box to reveal the gift inside and then he
would smile and sometimes laugh. I
remember some of the gifts that he received that Christmas however what I
recall the most was the joy, the simple joy I felt in watching
him receive his gifts that evening.
A number of years ago Sandy and I choose to make a donation
to an international project that helps make possible wells in a small villages
in South America for homes and families without access to clean drinking
water. There is always a sense of joy whenever I think of those who
are using that well today.
This fall as we visited with confirmands and their homes it
was not unusual to hear them talked about the joy they experienced in helping
with a host of projects in and around the church, from joining their classmates
and their families in the annual food drive as they do each fall, to helping serve
the fall dinner, to helping fill and then pack the boxes for Operation
Christmas Child together with the residences of Serenity Assisted Living. Some told of the joy they experienced
ringing the bells for the Salvation Army together with family and others. What
caught my attention was that both the confirmands and their homes spoke of
these memories as a reason for joy.
Recall for a moment the story from the Gospel of Luke and
the telling of the birth of Jesus: “And
that region there were shepherds living in the fields, keeping watch over their
flock by night. 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.”
God sent his angels with a message of joy for all the world,
the joy
of our heavenly Father who first loved us; “This
is love: not that we love God but that he loved us and sent his Son…” (1
John 4:10).
This is the message of Christmas, the message of God’s love
given to us, the Joy of God, expressed by angles at the gift we receive, the
grace and salvation that God brings to us in His Son. This is a reason for joy, both at Christmas as
well as the whole year. “Joy to the World, the Lord is Come!”.
A Blessed and Joyous Christmas to all!
Pastor Mark
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