9am Worship Service, Advent 3, December 13 2020

Today is the third Sunday of Advent. It is the day we recognise the gift of Joy that has come into the world in the person of Jesus Christ. Indeed the notion of Joy is at the heart of the Christian faith. As children of a Triune God: we are to experience the wonder of God’s creation anew, we are to understand our relationships with one another with a depth revealed to us through the love of Jesus Christ, we are empowered to live life to the full as the Holy Spirit dwells and moves within us. The ancient ones called this process ‘being Born Again into a new life of faith’. As Christians we are baptised to be joyful. And yet Christians also know what it means to live in a time that is often referred to as the ‘now and the not-yet’. We are called to be joyful in a world filled with sorrow. We gather together to sing songs that witness to the way of glad-tidings – even though for many of us we are surrounded by fear and brokenness, and our hearts are heavy with lament. For Christians – the meaning of joy stands in stark contrast to the pursuit of happiness that so often preoccupies the hearts and minds of those who follow after the way of the world. Joy is a gift of God – a wellspring that never runs dry.. happiness is based on happenstance – our response to the things that happen around us… Christians are called to joyful no matter what is happening around us, even during a global pandemic.. Not as a form of escapism or denial – but as part of divine conspiracy to see the world transformed. And so – may this Advent Season be one where we learn what it is to be people who weep for joy. May this advent season be one where we see tears transformed into laughter. May this advent season be one where we rejoice because through thick and thin – good times and bad – we know that Christ is coming.