Advent Joy

This is the third Sunday of Advent. Today we celebrate Joy ... the joy of Christ's upcoming birth; the joy of our hearts being open (like the shepherd's hearts) to this miracle of God incarnate; and the joy of these long nights soon becoming shorter.

The advent wreath reminds us that there is still green and vibrant life even in this harsh season. We who live in winters of snow and cold need to have these visible reminders. When our evergreen tree friends are blanketed in snowy-whiteness, they are nevertheless vibrant and bearers of hope for us toward spring.

The circle of the wreath reminds us that the seasons are cyclical: the seasons of the world, the seasons of the church, and the seasons of our lives. As one moment dies another is born.

This week we look toward the joy of the birth of the next moment - the birth of Jesus who will be called Christ and Saviour. As we bundle up with coats, scarves, mittens and boots we can set our minds to the joy of spring. As Mary was in the last trimester of her pregnancy I imagine she sometimes set her mind on the joy of the birth of her child, praying for a healthy baby that she would love with all her heart.

In these times of economic, political, and holiday stress, on what can you set your joy? Can you recall a message that you heard, like the shepherds heard the message of the angel and the praise of the host of heaven? Can you set your sights on that message and breathe through the stresses you encounter?

The birth of Christ is, amoung other things, a call for us to hope beyond reason and to praise beyond measure. This hope and praise can lead us to a joy that lives within and in spite of our circumstances.

This week we are called to encounter the shepherd's heart in our own heart and to lift our voices to sing praises of joy with the heavenly host.