When we finished up our series on 1 Corinthians 13, the Great Chapter on Love, some of you will recall that day as being the second Sunday of Advent, the day the Christian World lights the Candle of Love. Perhaps you remember that we talked about how this was not simply a coincidence, but was evidence of The Holy Spirit working here at TOCC.
Perhaps some of you saw The Spirit’s hand working again this past Sunday. The Third Sunday of Advent is the day the Christian World lights the Candle of Joy. The theme of Sunday’s sermon was “Preparing For a Visit From The King”, and we referred again and again to the phrase “Let every heart prepare Him room”, which is from one of the most famous Christmas Carols of all time – “Joy To The World”. And, we talked about how serving The King, by serving the overlooked and ignored on this earth, should be a source of great joy for us, and one of the best ways for us to prepare room in our hearts for The King, not only during the Christmas Season, but all year long.
In the Downton Abbey movie we talked about in the sermon Sunday, there was a moment when one of the servants committed a major breach of etiquette in front of the King and Queen and all of the other “nobility” at the dining table. It happened because the servant was so filled with joy at the opportunity to be serving The King that it simply could not be contained, and it burst forth in a way that was “unexpected”. And yet, because the King and Queen were unfailingly gracious, that man was blessed with a moment that he certainly shared excitedly with the rest of the servants; a moment that the entire staff would remember with joy for the rest of their lives.
I wonder if one of the reasons Christianity is struggling in some parts of the world [and yes, the USA is probably in that number] is because Christians [in general, with many exceptions] somehow manage to conceal the “great joy” that the coming of The King has poured into our spirits. I think that, for lots of us, this great joy is there, inside us, threatening at any moment to burst out in some audible and/or visual expression. Yet, because it seems like a major breach of church and public etiquette, we manage to keep it controlled and tamped down. Our “dignity” remains intact, and our worship remains rational and logical. But, is there really much attractiveness in “rational and logical” worship if no emotion is seen? And, perhaps worse, are we missing out on the sweetness of receiving a blessing from The King for expressing the joy that He has poured into our spirits? If you feel led to clap – clap! If you feel led to shout “Amen” – then do it! At the very least, we should allow our joy to be seen on our faces - share smiles of encouragement with your brothers and sisters. Yes, I realize that there are times when we are in need of comfort when we come to church. That is when our family should rise up to share in each other’s burdens, and weep with one another – right there in the assembly of the saints. That kind of display of emotion is NOT something that should be hidden. It is another demonstration of love and of the fact that our joy is not determined by the circumstances of life.
May we all find a spirit of great joy this Christmas Season – not the feeling that comes from receiving a nice present - but the deep, abiding joy that comes from the good news that, “Unto you is born this day, in the City of David, a Savior, who is Christ The Lord.” - Luke 2:11
~Shepherd Ambrose Ramsey
