CUI Chapel: November 9^th, 2017

Theme: Joy in all circumstances

Text: Psalm 66

In the Name of the Father and of the + Son and of the Holy Spirit. Amen.

The Psalmist declares:

Shout for joy to God, all the earth;
   sing the glory of his name;
    give to him glorious praise!

It’s easy to have joy in all circumstances life is going well

When you’re hanging out with your roommates or friends.

When you’re celebrating a Holiday with family, not that anyone is counting down to Thanksgiving break here, though, right?!

When a tough final or presentation is done and you’re celebrating a victory dance – it’s ok to admit it; we’ve all done a little happy dance at some point.

Yes, when life is good, it’s easy to join the Psalmist and shout for joy to God, to sing the glory of his name, and give him thanks and praise.

But, of course, we know that life isn’t always like the end of our favorite Disney movie. It’s much harder to have joy in all circumstances when circumstances in life seem about as far from joyful as you can get.

            When …it feels like hope and joy are gone. 

When the world – so broken, so full of disease, terror, tragedy, sin and death – seems to be crashing down upon you.

When we grieve the death of loved ones, and lament our own sin and guilt. 

Joy in all things? That doesn’t just sound hard to do; it sounds down right impossible.

And in fact, it is, if we’re only talking about our own joy. After all, if joy is like our feelings and happiness, it will come and go. If joy is something that is only in the stuff of this world, then it’s fleeting at best. And if joy is something we must search for within ourselves, we’ll always be left looking to our thoughts, desires, and actions instead of Christ, where, the Psalmist says, true joy is found.

And so, the Psalmist gives us a brief history lesson of Israel’s rescue at the Red Sea:

⁵ Come and see what God has done:
    he is awesome in his deeds toward the children of man.
⁶ He turned the sea into dry land;
    they passed through the river on foot.

Israel’s true joy was found in YHWH’s salvation. Our true joy is found in YHWH’s salvation in Jesus; in the awesome deeds he has done for us on the cross. And where there’s Jesus, there’s joy.

Joy in the Good News that while we were still sinners, Christ died for us.

Joy in God’s gift of Baptism where he washes away our sin.

Joy in the Lord’s Supper where we are filled with the joy of sins forgiven.

Joy in Jesus’ crucified for you, where he took all our unjoyful thoughts, words, and deeds, our sin and death itself all upon himself on the cross for you.

True joy, - yes, even joy in all circumstances – is found in Jesus, the author and perfecter of our faith, who for the joy that was set before him, endured the cross, despising its shame, and has sat down at the right hand of the throne of God.

And that means, as the Psalmist declares, that God will never remove his steadfast love from you – not when we’ve forgotten him in good times, or when we cry out to him in tough times.

Jesus’ cross and resurrection for you is your joy, today, tomorrow, and always.

In the Name of the Father and of the + Son and of the Holy Spirit. Amen.