Tag: joy

Tickle Me Pink
Advent · Christmas

Tickle Me Pink

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Early days of advent, the people spent the weeks prior to Christmas in preparation.  This included fasting and prayer.  The third Sunday was a day to break the seriousness.  A rose or pink colored candle was used.  This Sunday we concentrate on Joy.  The joy we have in Christ.  Not the giggly always bouncing around happy type of happiness.  But the deep inner joy and contentment of a relationship with Christ.

John 15:9 As the Father has loved me, so have I loved you. Now remain in my love. 10 If you keep my commands, you will remain in my love, just as I have kept my Father’s commands and remain in his love. 11 I have told you this so that my joy may be in you and that your joy may be complete.

The Joy of Christ comes from keeping Christ’s command.  And what is that command?  What must a person do in order for Christ’s joy to be in you and for that joy to be complete?

John 15:17 This is my command: Love each other.

True contentment and joy comes from loving our brother’s and sister’s in Christ as He loved us.  Christ’s love is sacrificial love.  Jesus loved us so much  He stepped down from heaven to be born in a stable and slept in the trough where the animals ate. Walked the earth and taught the people.  He  died on the cross to cover our sins.
This the type of love we are called to possess for one another.

The idea of loving fellow Christians as Christ loved us has been on my mind a lot lately.  It occurs to me that many of us have become proficient at pretending to love. We hug and kiss and say we love one another when we are together.  But who are we when we are alone or with a different group.  Do we bad mouth? Do we shake our heads?  Are our thoughts about how we are better than Sue?  Or boy, Josie needs to get her act together?

I think the love that Jesus wants is the kind of love that doesn’t talk behind someone’s back.  It cares about the person and will sacrifice for that person.  Joy comes from a heart free of self righteousness,  a mind clean of mean thoughts, and a mouth silent if nothing good can be said.

Prayer:  Lord you know those who I have difficulty with.  Please help me to love them.  I place on the altar before you all my selfish thoughts and self righteousness.  Please forgive me and fill me with your joy.

Meditation: Why do some people make me angry?  Why do I talk about some people behind their backs?  Are there times when I act like I love someone, but actually resent them?

Action: Watch my actions and thoughts during the day, when I start to talk about someone or feel resentment, I will pray for the person.

Action:

Light the Rose Candle of Joy
Christmas · Christmas Traditions

Light the Rose Candle of Joy

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Joy to the World , the Lord is come!
Let earth receive her King;
Let every heart prepare Him room,
And Heaven and nature sing,
And Heaven and nature sing,
And Heaven, and Heaven, and nature sing.

The third candle of advent is different from the rest.  The rose color candle represents the Joy of the coming of the Lord.  The custom comes from the Pope handing a rose to  a person on the third Sunday of Advent.

The news of Jesus arrival was to bring great Joy to those who love God.

The song Joy to the World was written in 1719 based on Psalms 98

98 O sing unto the Lord a new song; for he hath done marvellous things: his right hand, and his holy arm, hath gotten him the victory.

2 The Lord hath made known his salvation: his righteousness hath he openly shewed in the sight of the heathen.

3 He hath remembered his mercy and his truth toward the house of Israel: all the ends of the earth have seen the salvation of our God.

4 Make a joyful noise unto the Lord, all the earth: make a loud noise, and rejoice, and sing praise.

5 Sing unto the Lord with the harp; with the harp, and the voice of a psalm.

6 With trumpets and sound of cornet make a joyful noise before the Lord, the King.

7 Let the sea roar, and the fulness thereof; the world, and they that dwell therein.

8 Let the floods clap their hands: let the hills be joyful together

9 Before the Lord; for he cometh to judge the earth: with righteousness shall he judge the world, and the people with equity.

Christmas should be a time of great joy, but so many find the season sad.  The lights, the music, the family gatherings, the parties leave them feeling depressed.

But, the joy of Christ goes beyond the revery of a song and dance.  The joy of our salvation comes from a contentment in our inner being. We are assured that even in the bad times God is in control.  This world is a journey filled with highs and lows, sometimes very low lows, but God who created the universe is on his throne.  He works all things for good even when we can not see how.

John 15:1111 These things have I spoken unto you, that my joy might remain in you, and that your joy might be full.

Journal exercise

Do you have the deep inner joy of knowing Christ?

 

Are you aware of people who are sad during this Christmas season, maybe they are alone, maybe they lost someone they loved?

 

Can you think of any way you might bring joy into their life?

 

 

Focus during this season not just on purchasing gifts for your family, or even giving gifts to those in need.  Keep your eyes open, looking for those who you might share the joy of Christ with.