“Practice Joy in All Times” was preached at First Presbyterian Church of Allentown, PA on May 15, 2022. You can hear/watch this sermon here, starting at 35:35.
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John 16:1-24
1 “I have said these things to you to keep you from falling away. 2 They will put you out of the synagogues. Indeed, an hour is coming when those who kill you will think that by doing so they are offering worship to God. 3 And they will do this because they have not known the Father or me. 4 But I have said these things to you so that when their hour comes you may remember that I told you about them.
“I did not say these things to you from the beginning, because I was with you. 5 But now I am going to him who sent me, yet none of you asks me, ‘Where are you going?’ 6 But because I have said these things to you, sorrow has filled your hearts. 7 Nevertheless, I tell you the truth: it is to your advantage that I go away, for if I do not go away, the Advocate will not come to you, but if I go, I will send him to you. 8 And when he comes, he will prove the world wrong about sin and righteousness and judgment: 9 about sin, because they do not believe in me; 10 about righteousness, because I am going to the Father, and you will see me no longer; 11 about judgment, because the ruler of this world has been condemned.
12 “I still have many things to say to you, but you cannot bear them now. 13 When the Spirit of truth comes, he will guide you into all the truth, for he will not speak on his own but will speak whatever he hears, and he will declare to you the things that are to come. 14 He will glorify me because he will take what is mine and declare it to you. 15 All that the Father has is mine. For this reason I said that he will take what is mine and declare it to you.
16 “A little while, and you will no longer see me, and again a little while, and you will see me.” 17 Then some of his disciples said to one another, “What does he mean by saying to us, ‘A little while, and you will no longer see me, and again a little while, and you will see me,’ and ‘because I am going to the Father’?” 18 They said, “What does he mean by this ‘a little while’? We do not know what he is talking about.” 19 Jesus knew that they wanted to ask him, so he said to them, “Are you discussing among yourselves what I meant when I said, ‘A little while, and you will no longer see me, and again a little while, and you will see me’? 20 Very truly, I tell you, you will weep and mourn, but the world will rejoice; you will have pain, but your pain will turn into joy. 21 When a woman is in labor, she has pain because her hour has come. But when her child is born, she no longer remembers the anguish because of the joy of having brought a human being into the world. 22 So you have pain now, but I will see you again, and your hearts will rejoice, and no one will take your joy from you. 23 On that day you will ask nothing of me. Very truly, I tell you, if you ask anything of the Father in my name, he will give it to you. 24 Until now you have not asked for anything in my name. Ask and you will receive, so that your joy may be complete.
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Philippians 4:4-6
4 Rejoice in the Lord always; again I will say, Rejoice. 5 Let your gentleness be known to everyone. The Lord is near. 6 Do not be anxious about anything, but in everything by prayer and supplication with thanksgiving let your requests be made known to God.
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Long, long ago, in the beginning of beginnings, there was an artist that surpassed all other artists. So beautiful; so divine. The architect of eternity; the designer of infinity. The alpha and the omega of all masterpieces.
She was known as the Great Creator. And in the beginning of beginnings, the Great Creator began to create. She would devote herself to a new piece, a piece of wonder and beauty. It would be considered one of her greatest works. As she worked, time ceased to exist. How many days passed as she dedicated herself to her art? How many years? Centuries? Generations? It was just the Creator and her work with limitless time to dream and to create. Her fingers flew and her creation swirled. It was almost like a dance – a grand whirlwind of color and formation. There was separation. There was configuration. She shaped it all. Everywhere was individually designed and formed by her touch.
Her fingerprints were on everything. They built up the mountains. They dug down the valleys. Rivers like ribbons wove throughout the two. She created lakes, ponds, and oceans to speckle the creation with ripple and movement. Light bounced off the waters, devising a mirrored reflection of dazzling lights that danced with the Creator herself. It was the finest display of jubilation. There were trees that climbed their way toward the sky, and there were sprouts that flecked the ground with animation. Every plant ideally placed to give her art a purpose. After everything was built and created, after everything was shaped and crafted, after everything was fashioned and formed, the Great Creator began to paint.
She started with blue. Blue everywhere. In the sky and in the waters. There was blue. Then green to hint at world filled with growth. The plants were given green. So much green. She used white and black and every shade in between to distinguish between light and shadows. It gave a contrast in her art. The sun was given gold and the moon was given silver. Each precious color had its moment to shine. And when sun and moon would switch dominions, she would use orange to signal the transition between night and day. She used red here and yellow there. Every color – every shade of color – was painted into her piece. She had given beauty to this world. Her hands had formed this world; her fingers had painted it. But she had one thing left to do before her piece was complete.
With a giant gust of air, the Great Creator breathed into her creation. Every creature and creation felt her breath like a rushing wind traveling through the trees, up the mountains, and down the valleys. And with this breath, the piece was given life. And with that, she was done. Her masterpiece was finished. Every creature and creation bowed down to the glory of her work. They rejoiced in their artist. She smiled down upon them, and in that moment she gave thanks. And when the creatures and creation saw the Great Creator smile down upon them like a sunrise of dazzling lights, they too rested and gave thanks. For one moment – for just one small moment – If only for a moment… all of creation rejoiced.
There was still so much work to be done. The Great Creator would have to sustain her masterpiece and eventually she would have to redeem it, but here, here in this moment, she and Creation rejoiced in the work she had done. She took a moment to give thanks for the gift she had given to her people for it was one of the greatest gifts ever given. It was a gift to be shared by every creature and creation. It was the gift of life. And the world rejoiced.
The practice of joy is as ancient as creation itself. From the very beginning of everything, the earth itself sang for joy at the notice of God’s presence in its midst. Look at the natural world around us, from the gateways of morning sunrises to evening sunsets, the roar of the waves and the strength of the mountains, the flow of the rivers and the breadth of the plains – Creation’s beauty practices joy.
And so should we.
Over the last few weeks, starting on Easter morning, we moved into a season of joy. This followed our six Lenten weeks of practicing spiritual disciplines. There we talked about fasting and prayer, listening and resting.
But then we moved into a new discipline, perhaps for some of us one of the most difficult disciplines. On Easter morning, with a church full of life, we rejoiced that Christ has risen; he has risen indeed! For a moment, all of us rejoiced! And we, as a community, made the commitment to continue to rejoice, to practice joy – for at least the next couple of weeks. As our Easter numbers dwindle, as we talk about sabotage and conflict in workshops and small groups, as we move further from the celebration we felt that morning, we still are called to practice joy.
No matter the present circumstance, whether good or bad, if we practice joy at all times, it moves us beyond just a fleeting feeling but into a great act of faith. While it may be easy to practice joy when we experience God’s love, grace, or mercy; it is a true act of faith to practice joy in times of danger, distress, grief, or fear. While experiencing joy during these times of hardship and pain may be more difficult, it is in these moments where God intervenes and where we may experience our most valuable moments of joy. And that is why we must practice joy at all times.
Think of Paul’s joy in his letter to the Philippians. At this point, Paul has accomplished a big part of his ministry, and empires – not just people – empires have noticed this. In fact, when Paul writes to the Philippians, he is currently imprisoned for spreading a message that is too great for the people to hear. He knows there is so much more work he and the Philippians both must do. They must spread the gospel, live actively in their faith, avoid enemies of the cross, obey and imitate Christ, maintain unity, stand firm in the Lord – there’s so much work that needs to be done and right now he is facing hardship and his upcoming doom, but in the letter to the Philippians, Paul rejoices in what has happened and what will happen. He even begins his letter by writing to the Philippians, “I thank my God for every remembrance of you, always in every one of my prayers for all of you, praying with joy for your partnership in the gospel from the first day until now. I am confident of this, that the one who began a good work in you will continue to complete it until the day of Jesus Christ.”
Paul uses his joy and the joy of the community of faith around him as an anchor. There is an emphasis on joy because the Philippians are beginning to distinguish things that truly matter from things that do not. And the good news is the things that truly matter are going well. The Gospel is advancing. Ministry is expanding. The work is being done, and this work will continue to be done until the coming day of Christ when their work will be complete. In this moment, Paul calls on the Philippians to rejoice with him. To be joyous and to be glad. Because, yes… while there will be disappointment and worry along the way, God’s promises will be fulfilled.
We could replace the Philippians’ story with our story.
First Presbyterian is beginning to distinguish things that truly matter from things that do not. And the good news is the things that truly matter are going well. The Gospel is advancing. Ministry is expanding. Our work is being done, and this work will continue to be done until the coming day of Christ when our work will be complete.
Think of every moment of God’s blessing to us in our past. Think of God’s current presence in our midst. Think of whatever is true, honorable, just, and more that is happening here!
By looking at God’s unending faithfulness in our lives and in the lives of God’s people throughout time, we can trust in God’s promise of future restoration.
And look at God’s unending faithfulness.
The same Great Creator who gave us of the gift of life also gave us the gift of grace. The same Great Creator who fashioned the world out of nothing also came down in the Word made Flesh to live among us. But instead of coming to us in extravagance and glory, Christ came as a humble servant born in a manger. He lived a life serving others – healing the sick, feeding the 5000, performing miracles of all kinds. With twelve disciples and hundreds of followers, he traveled the countryside. He told stories and preached parables. He lived out God’s love for all us, especially the outsiders – the least of these. In his final days, when Christ knew something was about to happen to him, he had a special supper with his family. The Last Supper; The Lord’s Supper. He broke the bread and poured the cup. It was a promise to our salvation. Then the people who once loved him turned on him. The people who Christ loved betrayed him. They sent him to his death. Christ – the one true Son of God – died an agonizing, painful death on the cross. With his blood – the red of his blood – the same red used in creation – the sins of humankind were forgiven with the gift of grace.
On the night of that supper, Jesus warned his disciplines of his impending death and of their own suffering that was to come. He tells them of their own pain, trauma, and death. But then, he looks at each of his friends, and he tells them the presence of the Holy Spirit will be with them in every moment, and pain will not have the last word.
In fact, Jesus compares their present moment to the pain of childbirth, which is why I wrote God as female in my creative creation story. Jesus said, “Very truly, I tell you, you will weep and mourn, but the world will rejoice; you will have pain, but your pain will turn into joy. When a woman is in labor, she has pain because her hour has come. But when her child is born, she no longer remembers the anguish because of the joy of having brought a human being into the world. So you have pain now, but I will see you again, and your hearts will rejoice, and no one will take your joy from you.”
In creation, the world was given life. In the resurrection, the world was given new and eternal life. And Christ promised to dwell among us once again.
“So you have pain now, but I will see you again, and your hearts will rejoice, and no one will take your joy from you.”
There are and will be times in all of our lives where joy feels impossible. Whether from our own errors, the choices of others, or the systems around us, sometimes the present feels grim at best and sometimes, at its worst, the future shows no end in sight. But it is then, that the practice of joy – rejoicing in God’s blessings throughout time as well as rejoicing in the blessings in the lives of those around us – it is then that practicing joy will bear its greatest fruit.
Dietrich Bonhoeffer, in his last letter to his friends, while acknowledging the deaths of so many who died at the hands of the Nazis, urged his friends to practice joy. Bonhoeffer was worried that the horrific daily anxiety, the constant threat of death, and the unceasing war would deaden his friends’ souls. And it would, right? So he wrote this to them: “The joy of God has gone through the poverty of the manger and the agony of the cross; that is why it is invincible, irrefutable. It does not deny the anguish, when it is there, but finds God in the midst of it, in fact precisely there; it does not deny grave sin but finds forgiveness precisely in this way; it looks death straight in the eye, but it finds life precisely within it. What matters is this joy that has overcome.”
Invincible, irrefutable joy…
That is no passing joy; that is not just a feeling.
That is God’s joy present among us, a joy that has overcome all things.
In the midst of whatever pain we endure in this season, we can trust that there is new life ahead, when sins are forgiven, justice is restored, and our broken world is once again made whole.
Embrace this joy. Practice this joy in all times.
In the name of the Father, Son, Holy Spirit, one God, Mother to us all. Thanks be to God for the Word this day. Amen.
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