Psalm 118; Psalm 145
Jeremiah 23:16-32; 1 Corinthians 9:19-27; Mark 8:31-9:1
Psalm 118 proclaims 'this is the day that the Lord has made, let us rejoice and be glad in it.'
When I led preschool chapel we sang this line every Wednesday and sometimes when we encountered eachother in the halls or on the playground. We developed a culture where seeing eachother called rejoicing to mind. So, whether we were down, up, tired, happy to be with friends, playing, missing Mommy and Daddy, fussy, tantrumy, bouncing off the walls... the songs we sang each week helped us have a way to return to joy in the Lord.
Nouwen writes: "The surprise is not that, unexpectedly, things turn out better than expected. No, the real surprise is that God's light is more real than all the darkness, that God's truth is more powerful than all human lies, that God's love is stronger than death."
An exercise like what I did with preschoolers risks a fake joy, putting on a face when things feel terrible. Yet, it points us to the truth of our rejoicing because Jesus overcame the world and its troubles. It required meeting a child where they were, letting it be okay to be however they were feeling. Then once they were sure it was okay to be where they were, smiling until they were naturally smiling before we could sing of joy and praise to God that was real in the face of troubles.
Questions for reflection and comment:
What is a place or time in your life you are so thankful for that you return to it to praise God again and again?
What is something today real joy in the Lord has shown up?
Sunday, April 10, 2011
Source of Our Joy
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1 comment:
I return to the images and experiences I had in Theophostic sessions, and remember how alive and active God is in my life, whether I perceive Him or not. His truth is so powerful,and changes you forever.
I love that He never stops working, and works in ALL people's lives. Even those that don't know Him yet. The one and two year olds I work with totally encourage me to move from fake happiness to the real thing. When I get a hug, a smile, or a cuddle session with these wonderful little ones, it reminds me of how loved and relevant I am. God truly works through everyone and everywhere.
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