Advent 4
Collect: Almighty God, the source of all Joy, come to us in our journey
towards Bethlehem, the birthplace of the King of Joy. Trustworthy God,
I bring my worries and stress to you today. Help me to leave those
things with you so that I can enjoy the peace only You can give, Amen
From the desk of the minister: Unexpected Joy
As we continue our journey in Advent, we are reminded of our Joy in Christ.
Christ is the giver of Joy that never fades away.
In our reading from Philippians, St. Paul is emphasising to his beloved
community in Philippi that the Rejoicing in the Lord is the only way and
the right way to rejoice. When you rejoice in the Lord, it means that you
would never ever regret anything at all. This enjoyment is experienced here
and beyond into the eternal life. All other enjoyments without Christ in this
life, are temporary and they won’t last.
Paul is writing from prison and it is strange
that a man from prison could tell a church to rejoice.
But Paul’s attitude teaches us an important lesson: our outward circumstances
do not need to dictate our inner attitudes. Paul was full of joy because he knew
that no matter what happened to him, Jesus Christ was with him.
As we move closer to Christmas, we need to affirm that our Joy is always in
the Lord. That is the message that the angel announced to the shepherds –
“Do not be afraid. I bring you good news
that will cause great joy for all the people.”
After the shepherds visited the baby Jesus, the bible said they spread the word
concerning his child. That is the unexpected joy that we are to carry out into
the world. The Joy that no one can contain. It has to be spread out to our
families, to our neighbours, to our friends and whoever comes across our
ways. Let us go out into the world and tell the message of Joy that Jesus has
been born into our hearts and our lives. We can make a difference in the life
of others too.
Merry Christmas and Happy New Year to you all, and be
safe in your travels during this festive season.
Grace & Peace, Rev Maile