From the Pastor |
Psalm 126
Today is the third Sunday of Advent and we lit the pink candle… the candle of Joy. Today is a day that reminds us… as Paul said… to “rejoice always!” We are in the midst of what one carol refers to as “the most wonderful time of the year.” A time of celebration, hope, peace and joy. Unfortunately… for many, it is a hectic and stressful time… many look to this season and are filled with grief and sorrow, depression and pain. Add to all of this our current pandemic crisis which is once again spiking all around us… and it seems difficult to find joy! I mean… How can we rejoice in the midst of tears, grief and suffering? How can we rejoice in the midst of such wide spread illness and pain? That is the question... In fact scripture answers that question and so does Charles Dickens: Charles Dickens published his famous story A Christmas Carol in 1843. Since then, this popular tale has been reprinted and sold countless times… It has been made and remade into movies and plays… recreated and adapted over and over again. The main character, Ebenezer Scrooge, is a timeless character who embodies the selfish, self-centered, unforgiving and unloving qualities that we may deny, but are a strong part of far too many people… including… at times… us! This story reveals the awesome truth… that joy is found in repentance. Think about it… In this story, Scrooge is guided through the reality of his miserable, miserly life by a cast of ghostly visitors… he is given the chance to repent for his cold and heartless behavior. So, after years of living a life devoid of love, faith or joy… his repentance… his amazing change of heart… his big turnaround… leads him to being filled with immense joy and excitement as he comes to understand what is truly important in life… love, forgiveness, caring and generosity. This is the message of our scriptures today. Psalm 126 is filled with joyful celebration as the author remembers Israel’s deliverance from pain and hardship in the past. Through this short song, we find that repentance and rejoicing are linked together… they go hand in hand. Repentant joy is what our psalmist offers this morning Repentant joy doesn’t really fit with the joy of Christmas people talk about… It’s not the joy of Rudolph who finally finds acceptance when it turns out he is needed… Or Frosty who is saved by Santa so he does not melt away. It is not the joy of succeeding in having a perfectly decorated home… or beautifully wrapped presents… or even a wonderful candlelight service on Christmas Eve. This repentant joy might not be the “joyful happiness” the world looks for as we count down to Christmas Day… but… it is truly what the world… and we… need more than anything. Repentance means to turn back… to turn away from sinful behaviors and back to God. To focus on God, instead of on ourselves… on our own selfishness. It is genuine repentance that leads to rejoicing. We see it with Scrooge… we hear it in the psalm… Like the other two Psalms we have looked at this Advent season… Psalm 126 is a plea for a restoration… for help during a time of trial and difficulty. But the psalmist has no doubt that restoration is possible because they have experienced it in the past. The people had rejected God, and after repeated warnings from the prophets, God finally had enough. Israel was conquered and the people taken into exile. They had tried to find joy from idols and sin… and they paid the price. Are things any different today? This world… our own society tries to tell us that we can find joy and happiness in things other than God. We are taught that money, possessions and power will bring happiness. We tend to live by that old Burger King slogan “Have it your way” instead of God’s way... living by the adage that it is easier to ask for forgiveness than permission. We do what we want, but rarely does that path lead to joy because the truth is… the things of this world do not bring satisfaction… joy cannot be found in money or power… or people. The happiness… the “joy” those things bring is fleeting… short lived. The psalmist reminds us that it was after Israel repented… after they turned back to God… they were restored back to their homelands… “When the Lord restored the fortunes of Zion… Our mouths were filled with laughter, our tongues with songs of joy.” When was the last time your mouth was “filled with laughter?” When songs of joy rolled off your tongue? All too often we end up running around… so totally self-absorbed that we end up putting God on the back burner of our lives… or worse… we shut God out altogether. We become distracted and turn away from God… sometimes without even realizing it. Then one day, we find that, like Scrooge, our lives are miserable and seriously lack joy. The word we need to hear and remember this Advent season is that real joy… true joy… lasting joy… is only found in God. It takes repentance… turning back to God for us to be able to refocus our lives and once again find the joy that escapes us. The experience of being restored by God is not just some outward reality… It is an experience that changes us from the inside out… filling us with joy and hope and love and strength… even in the midst of tears and suffering. During this time of trial and suffering… Let us cry out with the Psalmist saying, “Restore our fortunes, Lord, like streams in the Negev. Those who sow with tears will reap with songs of joy.” Rain in the desert causes new life to spring up… tears of sorrow can bring us to new life as well as we are lead the joyful beauty of forgiveness. We struggle yes. Life is hard and sometimes painful as we struggle to focus on the will of God when it is easier to focus on ourselves… on our own wants and desires. But there is only way to find restoration and joy… and that is through repentance and faith in the forgiveness of our sins in Christ Jesus. Unfortunately… Repentance isn’t easy… but the rewards are great… When you turn your heart… your eyes… your mind and your life back to God… we are forgiven… we are restored to new life… and this new life brings unrivaled joy. This is the joy made possible through the love and grace of God who “so loved the world that he gave his one and only Son, that whoever believes in him shall not perish but have eternal life.” Made possible by the love of Christ who gave his very life on the cross for our sake. Made possible by Christ’s resurrection from the dead. It is the joy made possible by the knowledge that no matter how bad your sins might be… God’s love is greater… the joy that comes from knowing… knowing in your heart… that you are forgiven, and loved by God. Knowing that through God’s love our heavenly fortunes have been restored, and we can rejoice and say, “The Lord has done great things for us, and we are filled with joy.” It is the joy that causes us to go out and share God’s love with others each and every day. Repentance is not a one-time thing. Our nature requires us to do it again and again. But thankfully… God offers forgiveness again and again… enabling us to know that we are not held captive to our sin… but only to God’s awesome love and amazing grace… In God’s forgiveness we can truly “Rejoice always, pray without ceasing, [and] give thanks in all circumstances; for this is the will of God in Christ Jesus for you.” So this year… even in the midst of sadness, depression, and despair… May we refocus our whole selves on God and come to know the joy that fills our mouths with laughter and our tongues with joyous song. And may we continue to be comforted, encouraged, and uplifted by our God who has done and continues to do great things for us. Amen.
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Yeon Shin
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