Advent Day 8 - Joy of Every Longing Heart

A friend asked me today, "How was church?" I thought about it a bit and finally answered that the sermon was very good. But even as I was thinking about it, I realized that didn't really sum up my joyous thoughts about church today. In fact, these snippets of thought ran through my mind -- emotions that are hard to sum up in a text message: the glorious feeling when our worship team hit the right chord for the key change, and also when we belted out the final song ("O Come, O Come Emmanuel") at the celebratory tempo of 106bpm... the satisfaction when we finished service 3 minutes early so that we didn't make the next congregation start late... my confession moment during communion admitting my judgmental attitude to God... the enjoyment of our leadership Sunday school and the camaraderie of the youth counselors. All these thoughts and emotions were rolled up together: joy in worship, joy in community, joy in God.

Joy is a funny thing. You know when you have it, but it's definitely not something you can manufacture or fake. It seems to go hand-in-hand with a deep repose of spirit - the times when I know I have joy are when I'm not striving and fighting to get anything, but I just can relax and see where God takes me. It's a gift that goes along with trust. 

Here's a song from our service today which made me grin from ear to ear (Ah, the swell of music and meaning in the line: "Israel's strength and consolation, hope of all the earth Thou art"). As I read the song now, the last line of the first verse reminds us what Joy is really all about -- it is the fulfillment of that deep desire in each one of us, that emptiness inside that we think will be filled by food, sex, money or love. In reality, the fulfillment, the satisfaction, comes only in Jesus. 

Come, thou long-expected Jesus,

Born to set your people free;

From our fears and sins release us,

Let us find our rest in thee.

Israel's strength and consolation,

Hope of all the earth thou art:

Dear desire of every nation, 

Joy of every longing heart.

Born, your people to deliver,

Born a child, and yet, a king.

Born to reign in us forever,

Now your gracious kingdom bring.

By your own eternal spirit

Rule in all our hearts alone;

By your all sufficient merit

Raise us to your glorious throne.

--Charles Wesley 

May you be blessed with Joy today and fulfillment in Christ.