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THE NINETEENTH SUNDAY
of THE PENTECOST SEASON
Philippians 4:6-9/ Lasting Joy6 Do not worry about anything, but in everything by prayer and supplication with thanksgiving let your requests be made known to God. 7 And the peace of God, which surpasses all understanding, will guard your hearts and your minds in Christ Jesus. 8 Finally, beloved, whatever is true, whatever is honorable, whatever is just, whatever is pure, whatever is pleasing, whatever is commendable, if there is any excellence and if there is anything worthy of praise, think about these things. 9 Keep on doing the things that you have learned and received and heard and seen in me, and the God of peace will be with you.
One of the common misunderstandings of our time is that serving God is a joyless activity. One of the great misunderstandings of our time is that we can only be joyful in happy times. One of the subtle temptations of our time is that preachers and listeners regard preaching and worship as a duty but hardly a privilege or a delight.
We live in a self-indulgent society which hardly knows anything about real joy. Saint Augustine said joy makes a Christian a hallelujah from head to foot!
Saint Paul was inspired to write today’s text from a prison cell. This reading is that for which he died rather than deny the Lord.
Prisons are joyless places. I’ve made pastoral calls there, and I can’t imagine what it means to spend years behind walls that are anything but joyous. Yet, Paul knew joy even in prison and shared his joy with the congregation in Philippi which sent members to visit him, comfort him and bring him the joy of Jesus Christ.
1.) In our day, we confuse joy with pleasure.
We get pleasure from things. If you are like me the aroma and taste of good Danish pastry is a pure pleasure. Thank goodness the West End Bakery is going to reopen.
Or the colors of Autumn in October.
It gives me great pleasure to hear Praetorius’ Mass for Christmas Morning, or Leontyne Price sing an aria from Puccini’s La Rondine. Pleasure is a gift from God our Creator which comes through our senses.
But pleasure has limits because our senses have boundaries. That’s why pleasure cannot be an end in itself. Leon Bloy, a French novelist, essayist and poet wrote: you were not created for pleasure, you were created for joy. Popular advertising campaigns try to seduce us into believing that the right things will always insure our pleasure. Not so! Keep a clear understanding of the limits of pleasure.
2.) Sometimes we confuse joy with happiness.
Happiness is an important part of the life that’s a wonderful gift of our Creator.
It’s a sad person who’s given up on being happy. Happiness comes in family life, trying though it can be. Happiness is at the heart of every friendship. It’s like a refreshing stream that blesses hours and days that might otherwise be unhappy.
But happiness like pleasure has its limits. People are flawed. Marriages break down and families drift apart. We can outgrow some friendships. Fear, worry and anxiety can stifle happiness. If happiness becomes the focus of our lives, we’re in trouble.
So, what’s joy?
1.) Joy is a gift of God through the Lord who was crucified and is risen for us and for our salvation.
2.) Joy comes because we know our sins are forgiven.
3.) Joy is the gift of the Holy Spirit through whom we learn to know who we are and whose we are.
Rejoice in the Lord always! Not sometimes. Not just when things go well. But, in everything by prayer and supplication with thanksgiving let your requests be made know to God.
Feelings are never the measure of joy nor do our feelings create joy. God is with us even when we don’t feel joyful. Joy is there precisely because God is there.
God supports us and sustains us. There’s no better place to discover God’s grace than in praise. The author of psalm 126 was inspired to write:When the Lord restored the fortunes of Zion, we were like those who dream. Then our mouth was filled with laughter, and our tongue with shouts of joy; Then it was said among the nations, The Lord has done great things for them, The Lord has done great things for us and we rejoiced. Restore our fortunes, O Lord, like the watercourses in the Negeb. May those who sow in tears reap with shouts of joy. Those who go out weeping, bearing the seed for sowing, Shall come home with shouts of joy, carrying their sheaves.Joy doesn’t exclude going out weeping, but it outlasts sorrow and brings us home with shouts of joy, carrying our sheaves. Joy is the result of doing the work God has given us to do. It’s our worship. Saint Paul was inspired to write to the small congregation in Philippi: whatever is true, whatever is honorable, whatever is just, whatever is pure, whatever is pleasing, whatever is commendable, if there is any excellence, and if there is anything worthy of praise; think about these things. Keep on doing them. Our world needs joy and so do we. When Saint Augustine began his autobiographical journey of faith, he wrote these lines in praise of God’s grace: You awaken us to delight in Your praise; for You made us for Yourself, and our hearts are restless, until they rest in You. May the same be true for us as well. Amen.