It’s Time For Joy!
Yesterday, Sunday, December 14, 2025, marked the start of the third week of Advent called Gaudete Sunday, from the Latin word for "rejoice," marking a shift from penitence to celebration as Christmas nears, symbolized by lighting the pink (rose) candle on the Advent wreath, if you have one, and wearing rose-colored vestments - oooh maybe I need to get a rose colored stole with shoes, a cross and earrings to match. Due to the weather yesterday, we did not have worship, but I had my sermon ready to go. This week I will share parts of it each day. Here is installment one.
When I served a very large Lutheran church in Livonia, MI, as the Assistant to the Pastor for Youth and Families for ten years, I oversaw the children’s Christmas program each year. It was quite the production with about 100 children involved. As I was in the middle of rehearsals and more one Christmas, my daughter, Shannon, was 12 years old going on 21. She was at that in between age – not old enough to do all the things she wanted and too young to just do childish things. We kept clashing. One day she said to me, and I quote, “You bring me no joy!” The next day was the Sunday of the Christmas program. My children always sat in the first or second pew so they could see better and hopefully participate more. As I got to the service, I was told the lead angel was sick. There was no time to get a replacement so, I went up to the balcony microphone and said the part: “I proclaim to you good news that brings great joy to all the people!” Shannon turned and looked up at me in the balcony and smiled with that cunning smile.
The angel said: “Great joy to all people.” Even people who are depressed? Even people grieving the death of a loved one? Even people who just lost their job? My ex-husband had been laid off right before Christmas that year. Even people living on the streets? We could go on and on. The answer to all these questions is a resounding “YES!” God gives all people great joy because of the birth, life, death and resurrection of his son Jesus. (More to follow tomorrow)
