Joy and Hope

Joy and Hope

Thursday, December 11th, 2008

Read Romans 15:4-13.

The third Sunday of Advent is traditionally known as Gaudette Sunday or “joy” Sunday.  For many years in the hostory of the church, Advent was a time of penitent preparation before the festival of Christmas (which began on Christmas Eve and lasted for 12 days) in the same way that Lent is a season of penance and preparation for the celebration of Easter.

Over time society and the church shortened Christmas from 12 days to just one day.   This trend continues in some ways today where all the Christmas music and themes of Christmas are handled in the build-up to Christmas.  It is safe to say that for Americans, Christmas ends on the 26th.  I suspect that very few people are contemplating and celebrating the riches of Christ’s birth as they stand in line at the Macy’s return desk or battle the good people of Wal-Mart at 5 AM for bargains.

But back when Advent was a time for repentance and preparation, the third Sunday marked an uplifting reminder of the joy the believer in Christ experiences.  That is why the candle color on this Sunday is pink.

Here in the 15 chapter of Romans, Paul is finishing up his masterwork.  He has carefully explained through out Romans why the gentiles (non Jews) need the grace of God offered in Christ.  He has meticulously laid out the way of salvation through Christ’s death.  And he has explained how all along God intended for the day to come where he brough Jew and Gentile together into one family of faith through the bond of Jesus Christ. 

All this comes about so that we might have hope.  There is that word again so prevalent through Advent.  The Christian life is a life based on faith, centered in love, and demonstrated by hope.  The hope we have that God is in charge and orchestrating the renewal of all creeation even in the idst of suffering.   The hope we have that despite our deep sinfulness and unworthiness before a Holy God that in Christ we are forgiven and justified to be in God’s presence.  The hope we have that the Spirit can bring us together with our neighbors and forge us in to the people of God despite any and all our differences.

And the emotion that characterizes this hope played out in us is Joy.  Not a blissful pollyanna type happy feeling that disregards real pain and suffering.  We are not a people who ignore suffering and pain.  Christians recognize the pain and suffering in the world around us.  Not only recognize it but can call out its source… ourselves and our sin.

But, we are a people who know the love of God.  Who know peace in teh midst of turmoil and pain.  We are most blessed because we have heard and believed through the power of the Holy Spirit the truth about us in JEsus Christ.  As Paul writes elsewhere in Romans, “the truth of God’s amazing love is this that while we were yet sinners, Christ died for us.”  It is a profound life-changing truth.  When we believe it, then we begin to know that great promise that the Holy Spirit reveals to us.  The promise laid out by Paul in chapter 8 of Romans:

For I am convinced that neither death nor life, neither angels nor demons, neither the present nor the future, nor any powers, neither height nor depth, nor anything else in all creation, will be able to separate us from the love of God that is in Christ Jesus our Lord. 

It is this sort of hope and thinking that lies behind the end of our reading for today: May the God of Hope fill you with all joy and peace as you trust in him, so that you may overflow with hope by the power of the Holy Spirit.

As this Advent continues in the midst of lots of uncertainties we should all pray for a double dose of the Spirit that turns faith in to hope and acts of love.