Adventure - Day 17

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

Joy to the world, the Savior reigns
Let all their songs employ
While fields and floods
Rocks, hills and plains
Repeat the sounding joy
Repeat the sounding joy
Repeat, repeat the sounding joy
- Isaac Watts

If you were anything like me when I was a kid and teenager going to church, it seemed like we had to check our joy at the door.  As my friend Rick says, we exchanged our joy in worship for what we perceived as reverence.  So we hushed the children to make them more reverent, we dressed in our Sabbath best so we could be reverent, we stood when we were told to stand, sat when we were told to sit, and spoke only when spoken to (usually in what was called a responsive reading), all in an effort to be what we though was reverent.

But the Scriptures, including this picture of the angels, tells another story.  They tell of a joy that cannot be contained, like that time King David danced before the ark of the covenant and told his embarrassed wife that he was willing to become even more undignified than this if it brought glory to God.  Or those times in the gospels when the children ran up to Jesus.  Or the wedding in Cana that Jesus was invited too and then supplied the best of the wine so the party could continue.  Rest assured friends, when it comes to Jesus and the kingdom of God, there is a party to be had and the guest of honor is the son of a carpentar from Nazareth.

“You make known to me the path of life; in your presence there is fullness of joy…”
Psalm 16:11 , ESV

I am so thankful for our Crosswalk communities that seek to chase after that fullness of joy, and I think it’s something we can share not just on Saturday morning, but everyday of the week as we respond more freely to the Lord, our King, the Savior who reigns.

Maybe we should let the children run and dance from time to time; maybe we should join them.  

JOURNAL

1. Can you remember a time when you experienced the fullness of joy in the presence of God?
2. Why do you think so many of us mistake being somber and serious for reverence?
3. If you struggle to enter into that joy when you gather with others to worship, what do you think might be holding you back?