St. Paul’s United Church Sunday, December 17, 2006

Advent Three

Infectious Joy – Rev. David Mundy

Isaiah 12:2-6 Philippians 4:4-7

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The reminder came recently to renew the anti-virus software for my computer. Those of you who have traded in your pens and note paper for the mixed blessing of electronic mail will know that one of the banes of internet existence is the every-present virus. For those of you who don’t use computers, viruses are the nasty practical jokes of cyberspace. They infect computers that are minding their own business and destroy valuable information or actually take them over. There are regular warnings about viruses and worms and sometimes the cautions are actually disguises for the attack.

I received one of those cautionary notices some time ago in a daily devotional piece that comes from a source in the United States. I’m not sure how I got on this email list, but I am. The heading said ADVENT VIRUS WARNING in bold letters, which was cause for dismay. Even the seasons of the Christian year have viruses named after them. I read on:

WARNING! WARNING! Advent virus is going out! Be on the alertfor symptoms of inner hope, peace, joy and love. The hearts of agreat many have already been exposed to this virus and it ispossible that people everywhere could come down with it inepidemic proportions! This could pose a serious threat to whathas, up to now, been a fairly stable condition of conflict in theworld.Some signs and symptoms of the advent virus: A tendency to thinkand act spontaneously rather than on fears based on pastexperiences. An unmistakable ability to enjoy each moment. Aloss of interest in judging other people. A loss of interest inconflict. A loss of the ability to worry. Frequent overwhelmingepisodes of appreciation. Frequent attacks of smiling. Anincreased affectability to the love extended by others as well asthe uncontrollable urge to extend it ourselves.Please send this warning out to all your friends. This virus canand has affected many systems. Some systems have been completelycleaned out because of it.It’s a pleasant thought that joy can be spread, that it is infectious and that it can have a positive, life-giving influence. This is the third Sunday in the season of Advent and the theme, as you have already heard, is joy. While the colours of the rest of the weeks which lead us toward our celebration of Christmas are blue or purple, today it is pink or rose to remind us of the different character of the day. Because of the theme, there is always a reading or two in the Common Lectionary which speaks about the joy which comes to us as a gift of God. This year is no exception and we heard from the epistle of Paul which is often called the joy letter because the apostle Paul makes reference to joy at least a dozen times, although it could be argued that he had no business doing so.

In the opening verses of chapter one Paul speaks about being in prison as he writes, and we are told elsewhere that when Paul had first established this congregation years before he was beaten and imprisoned simply for preaching the gospel. The recipients of the letter had gone through more than their fair share of tribulation from outside, in the form of persecution, and there are several intimations in the text that members of this little Christian community had been squabbling amongst themselves.

What Paul experienced personally was more than enough to overwhelm most of us. But here is the curious thing. Paul actually believed that the highest form of joy is what we experience out of our hardship and suffering. We might think that he needed psychological help if he thought this way, but Paul was convinced that it was in affliction and care that the power of joy is revealed. It is beyond earthly human joy and is truly a spiritual gift.

Last Sunday the epistle reading we didn’t hear because it was White Gift began with these words, “I thank my God every time I remember you, constantly praying with joy in every one of my prayers for all of you . . . ” The theme of joy continues in the passage for this day with the words “rejoice in the Lord always,” not in our own power, but through Christ who is always with us.

We might need some time to digest that concept. Eventually, though, we might come to the question “Can joy come to our lives today?” Surely that is what we desire, but authentic joy can be elusive. It seems that the longer we live the more difficult it becomes to experience true, unrestrained joy. It isn’t that we don’t want to, but the experiences of life often crowd in upon us and give a weight to life that makes it difficult for our souls to take flight. In some respects we become inoculated against joy by the experiences of life, rather than catching it.

I realize that it is probably easier to speak of joy than it is to define it. Joy is not cheeriness, although there is nothing wrong with being cheerful. There are some people who have a genuinely sunny disposition, but it is probably a spiritual gift for the minority rather because cheerfulness can be hard work at times.

Joy is not happiness either, although again, we all want to be happy, and we enjoy being in the presence of happiness. There is a group of parents and babies which meets here on Wednesdays and often they are waiting in the outer office before the meeting begins. When I hear them coming, I head out to see if I can get a smile to lift my spirits. Sure enough, one of those babies gives me a grin and in a second I’m cooing at them like an idiot. It works for me every single time! Yet, the parents have assured me that their bundles of joy are not always smiling and that makes sense because happiness tends to come and go in our lives, from beginning to end.

One theologian has offered a perspective on Christian joy that I find helpful. She says:

I have little patience for the blind joy of those who fail to see the suffering of the world. I am skeptical of those whose joy seems forced, happy no matter what befalls them. But there is another joy – deeper that the good times and bad times life metes out, stronger than our best attempts and sorest failings – a joy that lifts us when we cannot lift ourselves, a peace that grasps us and returns us renewed.

Barbara Gerlach

This observation brings us a step closer to what Christian joy is all about. So how do we make sure that we get a good dose of the virus of joy this morning? If you have been to a pandemic planning workshop, you will know that large assemblies pose a challenge for virus control. If we want to “catch” joy we come together in worship and in praise and thanksgiving.

The pollsters tell us all the time that many Canadians consider themselves to be spiritual without being religious. They figure they don’t need church of synagogue or mosque to be in touch with the divine. Of course God is present everywhere but they are missing out on the opportunity to participate in the communities of joy where we en-courage one another, and pray together and laugh together.

I’m going to switch metaphors in the twinkling of an eye from infectious joy to the living water of joy.

In the passage from Isaiah which was our responsive reading it speaks of going to the well of salvation with joy. What a powerful image. There will be times when our well is full to overflowing, and as we drink from it our thirst is quenched and it runs down our face in abundance. There is an old, upbeat Sunday School chorus which contains the words, “I’ve got the joy, joy, joy, joy, joy (did I mention it was repetitive?) down in my heart to stay.”

What if we are in a period of our lives when our circumstances undermine the possibilities for joy? In those times we will need to let the bucket down into the depths and pray that when we draw it up from the dark recesses there will be something there.

There was a woman in one of my congregations who was wonderful to her aging mother who lived in a nursing home. This was an unusual mother/daughter relationship because when my parishioner was a child she hardly knew her parent. The mom suffered from mental illness and spent periods of time in hospitals and even living on the streets while her two daughters were raised by family. Somehow the daughter found it in her generous Christian heart to care for her mother as she aged and her health failed. She was a regular at bible study and after one session she decided that the verses we heard today from Philippians would be her theme verses to give her strength.

Then it happened. As she moved into mid-life the daughter began to experience depression and eventually she was diagnosed with bipolar illness, which was probably her mother’s illness. To me it seemed terribly unfair, but you may have noticed that life can be less than fair. Several times she had to be hospitalized and I would visit her the way the two of us had visited her mother.

On one of those occasions I asked if she would like me to read from scripture thinking that she would appreciate a psalm. That’s not what she wanted though. She asked me to read from Philippians chapter four:

Finally, beloved, whatever is true,

whatever is honourable,

whatever is just,

whatever is pure,

whatever is pleasing,

whatever is commendable,

if there is any excellence

and if there is anything worthy of praise,

think about these things.

Even though she could barely speak, and couldn’t stand to have the lights on in her room, she knew enough to let her bucket into Christ’s living water of joy.

We have one more week until Christmas Eve and the pressure to be prepared for the big day could rob us of the true meaning of Christmas. Or, we can choose to live with openness and anticipation for that Christ will bring.

Joy can be caught and taught as the people of Christ! Thanks be to God.