Words of Reflection
A writer I can usually rely on for an insightful online laugh (you can follow her here) made an observation the other day that was both funny and astute:
She then went on to offer humorously renamed carols as examples, such as “Shush! The Angels Will Now Perform” and “Small Child Banging On Percussive Instrument.”
It’s so true, isn’t it? Perhaps you feel this tension as you make your way through Advent—there is a pull within us to sometimes shout a joyous word at the top of our lungs, and then sometimes there’s a pull to simply sit in wordless wonder at the gift that God has given to us. I suspect we might be drawn to one or the other based on our personality type and our spiritual inclination to either active or contemplative expressions of faith.
To be honest, for this devotional we tend to lean towards the latter. We focus mostly on the invitation during Advent to be still and sit with our deep anticipation of what we will celebrate on Christmas day. That’s not an uncommon practice during this season. I grew up in a tradition where we sang carols during advent, but there was one we never sang early: we didn’t go anywhere near “Joy to the World” until after midnight on Christmas Eve. It was as if we were saying the joy needed to wait.
But joy can’t always wait. Sometimes our joy just overflows, and we have no choice but to burst out in praise and celebration. Sometimes our hearts can’t help but echo this Advent text from Isaiah:
With joy you will drink deeply from the fountain of salvation!
In that wonderful day you will sing: ‘Thank the Lord! Praise his name!
Tell the nations what he has done. Let them know how mighty he is!’
Sing to the Lord, for he has done wonderful things.
Make known his praise around the world.
Let all the people of Jerusalem shout his praise with joy!
For great is the Holy One of Israel who lives among you.”—Isaiah 12:3-6 (NLT)
The Advent theme of waiting is important because it helps us identify with the generations who waited for the Messiah to come, and it helps us focus on the final expression of God’s Kingdom for which we are still waiting. But it’s also important to also find moments of celebration and joy along the way. While we seek to identify with those who waited for Jesus, the truth is that we are not truly waiting as they did—he has come! He is among us! Let’s never forget that.
During Lent, a season of repentance and prayer, we call each Sunday a “mini-Easter,” so maybe during Advent what we need are some “mini-Christmases”—occasions where we allow the wonder and awe and majesty and excitement to come alive for us in a way that connects us to the truth that God has done wonderful things.
Let all the people shout his praise with joy!
Scripture for Meditation:
“Sing to the Lord a new song, for he has done marvelous things;
his right hand and his holy arm have worked salvation for him.
The Lord has made his salvation known and revealed his righteousness to the nations.
He has remembered his love and his faithfulness to Israel;
all the ends of the earth have seen the salvation of our God.
Shout for joy to the Lord, all the earth, burst into jubilant song with music;
make music to the Lord with the harp, with the harp and the sound of singing,
with trumpets and the blast of the ram’s horn—
shout for joy before the Lord, the King. Let the sea resound, and everything in it,
the world, and all who live in it.
Let the rivers clap their hands, let the mountains sing together for joy;
let them sing before the Lord, for he comes to judge the earth.
He will judge the world in righteousness and the peoples with equity.”—Psalm 98 (NIV)
Song: Hymn of Joy (lyrics here)
Questions for Contemplation:
Do you lean towards the quiet, contemplative approach to Advent or the more celebratory approach? Is it easy or difficult for you to find a balance between the two? How might you invite that balance into your time of preparation?
When you are awakened anew to the joy of what God has done for you, how do you typically express it? What intentional practices of celebration can you build into your journey with God, both during Advent and beyond?
What Christmas songs best help you connect to the joy of what God has done in Jesus Christ? Can you use your CD/tape library or an app to put you in touch with these songs during the season? (If you’d like to join an ever-growing playlist on Spotify of joyful Christmas-themed songs, click here.)