11A Worship - What Are You Waiting For? Joy

Advent Greetings!

This third Sunday in Advent traditionally reflects on joy. This is the most challenging of the Advent words to discuss in some way, because typically we think of joy as an emotional state of happiness. I don’t know about you, but life isn’t always joyful. Even Christmas itself might not feel joyful to those who feel like the best of life lies in memories and not in the future. Joy in the Bible is not just about our feelings, but it’s tied to our hope, and if that hope is bigger than what God might be doing for me, but what God could be doing through me, then the future might still hold a lot of promise. How so? The Bible links joy in the renewal of God’s people to the renewal of all creation. Creation as a whole awaits the coming of its king.

Rev. Dr. Gregory Wagenfuhr