HUNTING JOY

The 322nd school shooting of the year took place this past week. The nations of the world are rattling nuclear sabers in what seems like escalating violence and conflict. Governments that we thought were stable bastions of democracy are falling apart. Health care is a mess. I could go on… I won’t. We always look for a bit of joy in the holiday season. This year, maybe more than ever.

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​So, to control the chaos – or just get a brief break - we hunt for some joy. It is a tricky thing to find. We fill our calendars with all the activities we can bear. We buy tickets for events that will give us a couple of hours of escape. We buy gifts hoping to soak up the happiness on the faces of those who have longed for the latest phone, gadget, game, or designer bag. We book travel – maybe it is more peaceful elsewhere? We plan parties hoping to gather people we enjoy so we can forget our fears for a while. 

Then we find that the people we enjoy are not as enjoyable as we remembered, the gifts fell flat, our team lost, the show was just “meh,” and the place we travelled to was just as chaotic as home.  The result is not joy, but exhaustion and disappointment. 

The trouble with hunting joy is that we long for something we cannot create. It is not something we can buy, book, chase, or acquire. Joy is a gift. “Joy to the world” happens because “the Lord has come.” The angels declare that we should not be afraid, anxious, or joyless, because God is doing the giving. In this world of uncertainty and pain, do not be afraid!

This Christmas we invite you to receive the gift of joy declared in worship. Join us on Christmas Eve at 3:00, 5:00, or 7:00 PM or on Christmas Day at 10:00 AM. Come, celebrate and receive the joy revealed in the birth of the Messiah. While you’re at it, invite someone to come along with you. What better gift is there than to dispel someone’s fear and chaos and let them receive the joy of the Lord? Stop hunting for joy. God will give it to you free of charge. 

Pax Christi,
​Tim Olson – Lead Pastor