Rejoice in the Lord, always,
Again, I say Rejoice !!!
Gaudete is Latin for ‘Rejoice’!
We light a Rose Candle on the Advent wreath to remind us to ‘lighten up’ our penitential load just a bit as we are half way through our time of anticipation of the coming of the Lord.
The Lord is near!
Let us anticipate another year serving our Lord with gladness of heart.
It’s especially difficult this year to take time to quiet our soul, read a little extra scripture, and pause a little longer each day.
It’s as if we have been caged with Covid for two years so every party invitation is a must.
Shopping is a little off the chart.
Travel to see loved ones is top priority.
December is busy enough preparing for all the festivities.
How do we find the time to breathe deep and quiet the soul as worldly noise swarms around us daily?
Perhaps we can take time to remember the physical and emotional weight Mary carried as she anticipated the birth of the seed planted in her by the Holy Spirit. Just as the Ark of the Old Covenant carried the very presence of God, so also, Mary, the New Ark, carried the presence of God in the flesh, the New Covenant.
Perhaps we can take a pregnant pause with Mary.
Perhaps we can find a moment each day to slow down, breathe deep and ponder what is next for us according to God’s will.
In fact whenever we read scripture we take time to humble ourselves before our God.
Zephaniah, a prophet of God, warned the people of Judah to return to God. “Return to Zion, the seat of God” says Zephaniah.
He warns God’s people not to turn their backs on God.
Trust.
Rejoice in God forever!
“Sing aloud, oh daughter of Zion.”
"Rejoice and exult with all your heart, O daughter, Jerusalem!”
“The King of Israel, the Lord, is in your midst; you shall fear disaster no more.”
These are words of hope given to a people who had given up hope.
God’s word, spoken through the oracles of Zephaniah, showed the Hebrew people the error of their ways.
Yet, in the end, there is always rejoicing in the hope of Messiah whom God’s people knew was to come.
The first Song of Isaiah, Chapter 12, begins with words of joy, hope and anticipation.
“The Lord is my stronghold and my sure defense and he will be my Savior.” “Cry aloud, inhabitants of Zion, ring out your joy!”
These words remind us that the Lord, thy God, is in our midst from the very beginning.
All who immerse themselves in the springs of salvation will rejoice!
Paul’s words in Philippians also echo the joy that is possible for us all when we empty ourselves of our burdens and fill ourselves to overflowing with the presence of our Lord.
“Rejoice in the Lord always; again I say rejoice. Let your gentleness be known to everyone. The Lord is near.”
Paul writes these words from Rome where he is incarcerated. He assures the Christians in Philippi that, indeed, death may be near but that is all the more reason to rejoice in the Lord!”
Paul reminds us that if we have been filled with the Holy Spirit in Baptism, we have all we need to draw close to our savior.
The Holy Spirit directs our path if we wait, fill ourselves with God’s presence and fortify ourselves for any adversity set before us, even death.
For Paul, “to live is Christ and to die is gain.”
Rejoice that the Lord is near.
Rejoice that we have all that we need to live eternally. . . or do we?
Have we fortified our soul through God’s word, prayer, worship and Holy Communion regularly?
Have we gathered in community to share our faith-stories or to pray with someone if our burden is heavy?
During this wonderful period of rejoicing, we must also look at reality.
Luke’s long focus on John the baptizer shows us the importance of taking time to prepare our souls, for the Lord IS near.
John’s ministry paved the way for faithful Jews to “make way for the Lord.”
Those flocking to John have been convicted of their prideful ways.
The jews who swarmed to hear good news from John were greeted with words of conviction.
John says it like it is. “You sneaky snakes thinking you can manipulate your way into God’s kingdom as you break God’s laws daily.”
You think your salvation is locked in because of your lineage from Abraham. That's not enough. Righteousness before God must bear fruit. ‘Come, repent as you prepare for the One who is to come.'
"Soldiers, quit your extortion tactics.
Tax collectors, stop taking from the people more than is required.
All of you, if you have a morsel of extra food, share it.
If you have an extra blanket, give it to one who has none.
Return to the matters of the heart."
John wanted God’s people to understand that he had no power other than to be the prophet of judgment, the prophet who would lead others to the One who is to come.
John knew he was unworthy to be in the presence of the most Holy One who would soon appear.
John made sure others knew there was One who would not just baptize with water but who would baptize with the Holy Spirit and clean out the chaff with the fire of conviction.
“The Messiah is near. He will clean up this mess that has been laid to waste. He will burn the chaff that is of no use to God.”
And so we rejoice in anticipation of the One who was, and is, and is to come.
We rejoice that we can repent, clean out our soul and confess our sins to God and our neighbor. Once we come before our Lord with humble hearts, having cleaned our souls, we can know that the Lord is near and rejoice always, no matter how challenging our circumstances.
So, pause,
Take a deep breath.
Breathe out all that gets in the way of the Lord’s presence in us.
Let us “Rejoice in the Lord, ALWAYS.
Again, I say Rejoice, for the Lord is near.”
Let’s celebrate now and throughout the coming year.
[An edited sermon from the third Sunday of Advent: Zephaniah 3:14-20; Isaiah 12:2-6; Philippians 4:4-7; Luke 3:7-18 ]
