Third Week of Advent - Joy

The theme of the third week of Advent is Joy. This week we celebrate the Joy of Christ’s coming to earth.

During a time where depression is at an all-time high and people seem to be in the most despair, joy offers a bright light during a dark time. It was during the middle of the night, the darkest time, when the shepherds encountered angels and experienced joy upon receiving the good news about Christ’s birth (Luke 2:8-20)..

Joy is an extreme happiness that cannot be deterred by present circumstances. This type of joy comes from God alone. Joy can often be experienced when a Christian thinks about salvation, eternal life, or Jesus. It is an eager anticipation about wonderful things to come. The shepherds experienced this as they ran to Bethlehem to see Jesus.

While we wait for Christ to come again, we don’t have to despair. God has given us a joy that no one can take away. No matter what happens in this dark world, we can experience light.

Excerpted from Christianity.com. Read more here.

Prayer of Joy

We remember that the good news of Jesus’ birth has the power to bring us great joy this Christmas season. Our joy isn’t dependent on what is going on in our life, in our world, or the people that we are with. It doesn’t depend on the gifts we give or the gifts we find under the tree. No earthly thing can ever give us complete joy. Our joy comes from you.

Blessings, Rev. Glenn