Joy Without the Cross: A Missing Foundation

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What's this?

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This is the Northern Pole.
[00:01:26] No, it's not.
[00:01:27] Yes, it is.
[00:01:28] No, it's not.
[00:01:29] Yes, it is.
[00:01:29] No, it isn't.
[00:01:30] Yes, it is.
[00:01:31] No, it isn't.
[00:01:32] Yes, it is.
[00:01:32] No, it's not.
[00:01:33] Where's the snow?

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Let us pray.
[00:04:25] Thank you for watching
[00:06:07] Ascension
[00:06:32] The Gospel of St. John the Apostle
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[00:08:53] The Gospel of the Lord
[00:09:21] In the name of the Father, the Son, and the Holy Spirit.
[00:09:47] Amen.
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I could go to all of your concerts and get to all of them.

[00:11:42] [SPEAKER UNKNOWN]:
I think it's the best thing I've ever heard.

[00:11:43] [SPEAKER SPEAKER_11]:
I'll go to all of your shows.
[00:11:43] And I have heard that some of you think I'm really interested.

[00:11:45] [SPEAKER UNKNOWN]:
I can go to all of your concerts.
[00:11:45] I've heard you do some of these things for me.
[00:11:46] I hope some of my friends say, I hope you are interested.

[00:12:46] [SPEAKER SPEAKER_06]:
Every time it rains, it rains, pandas from heaven.
[00:12:51] Don't you know each cloud contains pandas from heaven?
[00:12:56] You'll find your fortune falling all over town.
[00:13:02] Thank you.
[00:13:10] Thank you.
[00:13:13] You did it!

[00:13:16] [SPEAKER SPEAKER_05]:
Congratulations!
[00:13:18] World's best cup of coffee.
[00:13:20] Great job, everybody.
[00:13:23] It's great to meet you.

[00:13:26] [SPEAKER SPEAKER_06]:
Hi.
[00:13:26] Come over here, boy.

[00:13:30] [SPEAKER UNKNOWN]:
Sam.

[00:13:30] [SPEAKER SPEAKER_06]:
And don't you know it's confident?
[00:13:36] Don't you know it's confident?
[00:13:38] All over town, all over town, all over town.
[00:13:43] Be sure to add your umbrella.
[00:13:46] It's upside down, we live up.
[00:13:49] I have a salty hose of white.
[00:13:51] He got a lot more hungry.
[00:13:54] It's Zumba load, the Zumba load.
[00:13:56] I knew I'd get you!
[00:14:01] I knew I'd get you!
[00:14:06] Let's go!
[00:14:07] Let's go!
[00:14:34] Hey, you know what?

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No.
[00:14:40] I hate you.
[00:14:40] No.
[00:14:40] All right?

[00:14:40] [SPEAKER SPEAKER_06]:
Get out of here.
[00:14:41] Get out of here.
[00:14:41] And you'll find your fortune falling all over town.
[00:14:46] And the pen is from heaven.
[00:14:50] The pen is from heaven.
[00:14:53] The pen is from heaven for you and me.

[00:15:29] [SPEAKER UNKNOWN]:
In the name of the Father, and of the Son, and of the Holy Spirit.
[00:15:55] Amen.
[00:15:58] Let us pray.
[00:17:15] The Gospel of St. John the Baptist

[00:17:46] [SPEAKER SPEAKER_00]:
It's good to see y'all this morning.
[00:17:52] It is Joy Sunday and I have come prepared.
[00:17:56] I live in a house with the grumpiest guy in the whole wide world.
[00:17:59] I'm not speaking out of turn.
[00:18:05] He's going to tell you the exact same thing in just a minute.
[00:18:09] And so I am the bringer of the fun at our house and my fun gets destroyed all the time.
[00:18:16] It's just not even right.
[00:18:18] So, welcome to Williamson's Chapel for Joy Sunday here in the season of Advent.
[00:18:24] We are on the third Sunday of Advent, so we've talked about hope and we've talked about peace, and this week we're talking about joy.
[00:18:30] Not happiness, friends.
[00:18:34] You know there's a difference, right?
[00:18:36] Not happiness, but joy.
[00:18:39] We're going to be talking today about where that joy comes from and what does it look like for us to embrace and to live into joy.
[00:18:46] We're excited to have you all here for it.
[00:18:49] Welcome if you are a guest with us.
[00:18:51] If it's your first time here or you've been here before but you haven't been in a while, we're so glad you're here.
[00:18:57] Welcome to worship.
[00:18:58] I'm Toni Ruth, this is my husband Wes, and we are the senior co-pastors here.
[00:19:02] If you're worshiping with us online, we're delighted that you are here with us.
[00:19:05] Just ignore my sparkly headband.
[00:19:08] We are just glad to have you here with us in worship.
[00:19:11] We have beautiful music and a beautiful opportunity to worship the Lord this morning.
[00:19:16] So we continue our series, Advent in the Movies, and we're going to be talking about one of the greats today, the movie Elf.
[00:19:24] I had somebody tell me on the way out of church, I've never seen that movie before, but when I laughed through every clip, and so now I've got to go home and watch Elf.
[00:19:32] So if all that happens out of this is that you know the joy of the Lord and you go home and watch Elf, that would be okay.
[00:19:38] It will make you smile and laugh and bring you joy to your heart and that's a good thing.
[00:19:43] So, we're glad that you're here.
[00:19:45] Welcome to worship.
[00:19:46] I'm going to invite you to just take a deep breath in and breathe it out.
[00:19:53] Let's do that again.
[00:19:54] Deep breath in and breathe it out.
[00:20:00] And let's be present for the Lord today.

[00:20:09] [SPEAKER SPEAKER_10]:
And we have included the baptismal font today so that we can remember and bring joy as we lift the water before us that well of salvation is where the water comes from.
[00:20:28] I'm going to invite you to stay seated and normally I would just a minute name I would ask you to stand but I want you to be able to see what is happening but chancel choir you probably can't see over the piano so will you stand and see if you can see a little bit at least readers from the choir surely God is our salvation

[00:20:55] [SPEAKER SPEAKER_11]:
As we wait for the Lord, we will trust and not be afraid.
[00:21:00] With joy we will draw water from the well of salvation.
[00:21:04] Give thanks to the Lord and make known his deeds among the nations.

[00:21:09] [SPEAKER SPEAKER_14]:
Sing praises to the Lord as we await his glory.

[00:21:13] [SPEAKER SPEAKER_11]:
Shout aloud and sing for joy.

[00:21:17] [SPEAKER SPEAKER_12]:
With excited anticipation, we light the joy candle this week.
[00:21:21] We have joy because our salvation is at hand.
[00:21:25] The Holy One of Israel is coming.
[00:21:31] His well of salvation is full and plentiful, and we are filled with a joy which will be known throughout all of the earth.

[00:21:59] [SPEAKER SPEAKER_10]:
Let's join together.
[00:22:01] God of joy, may your Spirit renew in us the joy of our salvation.
[00:22:09] Lead us to share this joy with those around us.
[00:22:14] The light of this joy shines in a world full of darkness so that all may see the path to the deep well of salvation.
[00:22:25] So we proclaim the joyous name of Jesus today.
[00:22:29] In Jesus' name we pray.
[00:22:32] Amen.
[00:22:33] Will you stand?

[00:22:35] [SPEAKER UNKNOWN]:
Piano Concerto No.
[00:22:53] 2

[00:23:06] [SPEAKER SPEAKER_07]:
Angels from the realms of glory, wing your flag for all the earth.
[00:23:31] Ye who sang creation's story, now proclaim Messiah's birth.
[00:23:32] Come and worship, come and worship, worship Christ the new,
[00:23:37] Shepherds in the fields abiding Watching all your flocks by night God with us is now residing Yonder shines the infant light Come and worship, come and worship Worship Christ the newborn King
[00:24:08] Sages, leave your contemplations, but your patience will go on.
[00:24:30] Farewell, ye flesh of nations, living beings, ye shall tempt us now.
[00:24:32] Come and worship, come and worship,
[00:25:15] Join with me in the affirmation of faith.

[00:25:27] [SPEAKER SPEAKER_10]:
Today we have an Advent affirmation.
[00:25:32] We're not.
[00:25:33] We're going to do the one that's on the screen.
[00:25:34] Here we go.
[00:25:35] I believe in God, the Father Almighty, maker of heaven and earth.
[00:25:41] And in Jesus Christ, his Son, our Lord, who was conceived by the Holy Spirit, born of the Virgin Mary, suffered under Pontius Pilate, was crucified, dead, and buried.
[00:25:55] The third day he rose from the dead, he ascended into heaven, and sitteth at the right hand of God the Father Almighty.
[00:26:04] From thence he shall come to judge the quick and the dead,
[00:26:08] I believe in the Holy Spirit, the Holy Catholic Church, the communion of saints, the forgiveness of sins, the resurrection of the body, and the life everlasting.
[00:26:22] Amen.

[00:26:29] [SPEAKER SPEAKER_00]:
What is one thing that brings you joy in the Advent and Christmas season?

[00:26:59] [SPEAKER UNKNOWN]:
Let's take a moment to pray.

[00:27:38] [SPEAKER SPEAKER_07]:
Ding dong, merrily on high in heaven the bells are ringing.
[00:27:53] Ding dong, merrily the sky is green with angels singing.
[00:28:04] Gloria, singing gloria, gloria, gloria, gloria.
[00:28:05] Gloria, singing gloria, gloria, Hosanna in excelsis.
[00:28:09] It's so here below below that steeple bells be swung in, And ee-oh-ee-oh-ee-oh-ee-oh-ee-oh-ee-oh-ee-oh-ee-oh-ee-oh-ee-oh
[00:28:29] Gloria, Gloria, Gloria, Gloria Gloria sing Gloria, Gloria hosanna in excelsis
[00:29:07] Choir singing Choir singing Choir singing
[00:29:24] Deuteronomy, Deuteronomy, Deuteronomy, Deuteronomy, Deuteronomy

[00:30:25] [SPEAKER SPEAKER_01]:
Prayer for Illumination Speak to us in the waiting, the watching, the hoping, the longing, the sorrow, the sighing, the rejoicing.
[00:30:43] Speak to us by your word in these Advent days and walk with us until the day of your coming.
[00:30:53] Amen.
[00:30:55] Please hear the scripture according to Isaiah 35, 1 through 10.
[00:31:00] The wilderness and the dry land shall be glad.
[00:31:04] The desert shall rejoice and blossom like the crocus.
[00:31:08] It shall blossom abundantly and rejoice with joy and shouting.
[00:31:13] The glory of Lebanon shall be given to it, the majesty of Carmel and Sharon.
[00:31:19] They shall see the glory of the Lord, the majesty of our God.
[00:31:24] Strengthen the weak hands and make firm the feeble knees.
[00:31:28] Say to those who are of fearful heart, Be strong, do not fear.
[00:31:34] Here is your God.
[00:31:36] He will come with vengeance, with terrible recompense.
[00:31:40] He will come and save you.
[00:31:42] Then the eyes of the blind shall be opened, and the ears of the deaf shall be opened, and the lame shall leap like a deer, and the tongue of the speechless sing for joy.
[00:31:54] For waters shall break forth in the wilderness and streams in the desert.
[00:32:00] The burning sand shall become a pool, and the thirsty ground springs of water.
[00:32:07] The haunt of jackals shall become a swamp the grass shall become reeds and brushes a highway shall be there and it shall be called the holy way the unclean shall not travel on it but it shall be for God's people no traveler not even fools shall go astray
[00:32:29] No lion shall be there nor shall any ravenous beast come up upon it they shall not be found there but the redeemed shall walk there and the ransomed of the Lord shall return and come to Zion with singing everlasting joy shall be upon their heads they shall obtain joy and gladness and sorrow and sighing shall flee away the word of God for all people
[00:32:57] Thanks be to God.

[00:33:07] [SPEAKER SPEAKER_09]:
Good morning church.
[00:33:10] Normally I would say a prayer right here, but I have my order of worship here.
[00:33:17] That affirmation that we were going to do earlier, Carrie, I love it.
[00:33:20] So I'm going to read it as a way to start my sermon.
[00:33:27] So I ask you to take a deep breath and hear this affirmation.
[00:33:33] We are an Advent people, a people of hope.
[00:33:36] For us, Advent is a time of waiting, and so we wait.
[00:33:41] We wait for the coming of the one who is the fulfillment of God's promise, the fulfillment of hope, the declaration that we have been redeemed.
[00:33:53] Even so, we are not a naive people.
[00:33:57] We know that the world in which we live will continue to be filled with pain and sorrow.
[00:34:03] We know that hatred and violence will continue to exist.
[00:34:06] We know that death and separation will continue to be a part of our lives.
[00:34:10] But because we are an Advent people, we know that none of these things will win in the end.
[00:34:17] The Holy One is coming to make holy once again all that was is and ever will be and in our waiting and our hoping we work and worship we pray and play and all things hoping that peace love and joy will reign in our lives and in our world now and forever.
[00:34:38] Amen.
[00:34:40] I love that because it's gonna kind of sets us up for a point I'm gonna make in a little bit about
[00:34:49] The joy of God and what can sometimes work against that.
[00:34:54] The irony that I am preaching the sermon about joy is not lost on me.
[00:35:02] More about that in a moment as well.
[00:35:08] The joy that Isaiah talks about
[00:35:10] in chapter 35 which Whitney just read for us it's not surface level joy it's it's not manufactured it's not manipulated joy it it's not happiness and it's deeper than just mere contentment it's a deep joy and it's a reaction in isaiah 35 to what seems impossible
[00:35:35] Flowers blooming in the desert.
[00:35:37] Gardens growing in dry places where there once was no water.
[00:35:43] A busy highway through the wilderness that is completely safe, free from any threat or danger.
[00:35:53] That would have been an evocative image in the ancient world.
[00:35:56] Don't think cars.
[00:35:57] Think of people walking, think of a greenway without danger right through the wilderness.
[00:36:06] That's Isaiah's vision, and it's a vision that is meant to inspire and evoke joy.
[00:36:15] Because on this third Sunday of Advent, we focus on joy.
[00:36:19] The focus of the first Sunday was hope.
[00:36:23] The focus of last week, the second Sunday, was peace.
[00:36:28] And in our scripture this morning, Isaiah paints a picture of a time when our hopes are fulfilled and when the peace of God, shalom, wholeness, when that is a reality in our world, when this happens, the only appropriate response is joy.
[00:36:50] Okay, now in this short chapter, Isaiah 35, 10 verses, in this short chapter, Isaiah uses five different words to express this joy.
[00:37:00] Three of them are in the last verse.
[00:37:01] You can go ahead and put that if you have it in there.
[00:37:04] Do we have that picture in there?
[00:37:07] Yes, there we go.
[00:37:09] Five different words to express joy.
[00:37:10] The first word we start with in verse 1.
[00:37:15] In the Hebrew language is Seuss.
[00:37:19] Seuss, maybe as in doctor, I don't know, but that's fun to say.
[00:37:23] Try it out.
[00:37:23] Seuss.
[00:37:25] Seuss.
[00:37:26] And it's the closest thing in Hebrew to our word joy.
[00:37:30] It really just means gladness or happiness.
[00:37:33] It's their basic word for joy.
[00:37:36] But there are four more words that are used in this chapter.
[00:37:39] The second word is Giel.
[00:37:42] Giel.
[00:37:43] which means to spin with joy.
[00:37:46] Literally that word means to go round.
[00:37:51] It's similar to our saying jumping with joy.
[00:37:55] And I was kind of surprised when I was kind of digging into the scripture and learning about this that there was going to be such a connection to that clip from Elf that we watched earlier with Buddy and the revolving door.
[00:38:09] That's an example of Gil.
[00:38:12] Spinning with Joy.
[00:38:13] The third word in verse 10 is ranan.
[00:38:18] Ranan, which means to shout with joy, to give a ringing cry.
[00:38:23] Or in our part of the world, you might say to holler with joy.
[00:38:29] And the fourth word, it's a bit tougher to say than the other four words here.
[00:38:36] I've got to take a sip of water to say this.
[00:38:40] Simcha, Simcha.
[00:38:44] And it means glee, giddiness, like exuberance.
[00:38:51] And then the fifth and final word is related to the first one, but the fifth and final word is Sasson, Sasson.
[00:39:00] And that means cheerfulness, warmth, kind of welcoming.
[00:39:06] So why am I telling you this?
[00:39:09] Why is this important?
[00:39:11] Other than the fact that it brought me a lot of joy to research this.
[00:39:15] Why am I telling you this?
[00:39:16] Isaiah uses these different words to tell us that the joy we will experience when God restores and redeems all creation, that joy will be total.
[00:39:29] The true, deep joy of the Lord involves all of who we are.
[00:39:36] Thinking about joy from these different angles.
[00:39:40] Our feelings, how joy is expressed in our movement, that last word, Sasson, that warmth, welcoming, that extends beyond ourselves and welcomes other people into our joy.
[00:39:52] The different movement involved or expressed there, spinning and jumping or shouting and singing,
[00:40:00] That helps us to understand that the joy that Isaiah is talking about is bigger and deeper than just ourselves and it's bigger and deeper than our circumstances.
[00:40:13] That joy, we can experience that joy and express that joy even in the midst of difficulty.
[00:40:23] And that, you can see that just because of where chapter 35 happens to show up in Isaiah.
[00:40:31] Chapter 35 is near the end of the first section of Isaiah.
[00:40:36] Chapters 1 through 39 make up the first section of Isaiah.
[00:40:41] And that was written before the defeat of God's people, before the defeat of the Jews, before the exile.
[00:40:49] So here's what's happened.
[00:40:50] Quick history lesson.
[00:40:53] God's people, Judah, Israel, located right next to the Mediterranean Sea.
[00:40:59] And so I'm trying to do this directionally appropriately.
[00:41:01] So to the northeast was Babylon.
[00:41:05] Babylon was a big empire, scary, dominant, whatever.
[00:41:08] They were growing.
[00:41:09] And to the southwest was Egypt, also kind of big and powerful.
[00:41:16] The major trade routes kind of went right through Jerusalem where God's people were.
[00:41:24] And so Israel, Judah was tempted.
[00:41:28] There was an offer with Egypt.
[00:41:33] Egypt said, we'll protect you from Babylon.
[00:41:37] Of course, there are strings attached.
[00:41:40] You know, you have to kind of give loyalty and fealty to Egypt, but we'll protect you from Babylon.
[00:41:47] And God tells people, don't take this deal.
[00:41:51] Egypt is not your protector.
[00:41:53] I am your protector.
[00:41:55] I am your God.
[00:41:56] Seek security and safety in me.
[00:41:58] Well, God's people, who do you think they went with?
[00:42:02] Did they go with God or Egypt?
[00:42:04] Egypt.
[00:42:05] You know how it goes in the Old Testament.
[00:42:07] They went with Egypt.
[00:42:09] And the first part of Isaiah, it's full of warnings of judgment against Egypt and Babylon, but also against Judah, against God's people.
[00:42:20] Besides that, there was oppression and corruption, mistreatment of the poor, idolatry.
[00:42:27] And Isaiah chapters 1 through 39, just these extended prophecies,
[00:42:33] of judgment and punishment.
[00:42:37] And then we get chapter 35.
[00:42:40] There are other scenes that talk of hope, but not as direct and impactful as 35.
[00:42:48] When that chapter was written, the defeat and the destruction, that was still in the future, but chapter 35 looks beyond even that to a future that is still yet to be fulfilled.
[00:43:01] The future vision of when God will restore all things, renew all of creation.
[00:43:08] And we are still living and waiting in a kind of in-between situation, an already not yet kind of place.
[00:43:20] The promises of God have already been fulfilled in Jesus.
[00:43:26] It's part of what we celebrate with Christmas.
[00:43:29] Promises of God were fulfilled in Jesus.
[00:43:31] Jesus, who is our hope, our peace, our joy.
[00:43:34] The fulfillment of this promise is the good news of great joy announced by the angels to the shepherds.
[00:43:43] Through Jesus, God has already made our salvation possible, broken the power of sin and death.
[00:43:50] God is working in the world through Jesus for the sake of reconciliation, restoration, and redemption.
[00:43:58] Even so, we're also living in the not yet.
[00:44:04] God's work is not yet fulfilled.
[00:44:06] We are still waiting, longing, and hoping for the time that Isaiah is talking about.
[00:44:15] And in the midst of the waiting in this season of Advent anticipation, through the presence of God's Holy Spirit, through the blessings that God continues to pour out on us, through the love we share together, there are so many reasons to be joyful.
[00:44:33] So many reasons to be joyful.
[00:44:36] Though in our day-to-day lives, things can get in the way, even at Christmas time, which brings us to our second clip from Elf.

[00:44:50] [SPEAKER SPEAKER_16]:
What's this?
[00:44:51] The North Pole.
[00:44:52] No, it's not.
[00:44:53] Yes, it is.
[00:44:54] No, it's not.
[00:44:54] Yes, it is.
[00:44:55] No, it isn't.
[00:44:56] Yes, it is.
[00:44:56] No, it isn't.
[00:44:58] Yes, it is.
[00:44:58] No, it's not.
[00:44:59] Where's the snow?

[00:45:02] [SPEAKER SPEAKER_02]:
Why are you smiling like that?
[00:45:03] I just like to smile.
[00:45:04] Smiling's my favorite.
[00:45:06] Make work your favorite.
[00:45:07] That's your favorite, okay?
[00:45:08] Okay.
[00:45:08] Work is your new favorite.
[00:45:09] Fine.
[00:45:10] Sign for the announcement.

[00:45:13] [SPEAKER SPEAKER_15]:
Okay.
[00:45:13] Okay, people, tomorrow morning, 10 a.m., Santa's coming to town.

[00:45:17] [SPEAKER SPEAKER_07]:
Santa!

[00:45:19] [SPEAKER SPEAKER_15]:
Oh, my God!
[00:45:20] Santa here?
[00:45:22] I know him.
[00:45:24] I know him!
[00:45:25] He'll be here to take pictures with all the children.
[00:45:28] Yeah!
[00:45:29] Just keep your receipts.
[00:45:30] 10 a.m. tomorrow.
[00:45:31] 10 a.m. tomorrow!

[00:45:33] [SPEAKER SPEAKER_14]:
Santa's coming to town.
[00:45:34] Yes!
[00:45:34] Can you sign this for me?
[00:45:39] Oh!
[00:45:39] Hi!
[00:45:39] Santa's coming.

[00:46:00] [SPEAKER SPEAKER_13]:
Are you enjoying the view?

[00:46:02] [SPEAKER SPEAKER_03]:
You are very good at decorating that tree.

[00:46:06] [SPEAKER SPEAKER_13]:
Why are you messing with me?
[00:46:07] Did Krumpet put you up to this?

[00:46:09] [SPEAKER SPEAKER_03]:
I'm not messing with you.
[00:46:11] It's just nice to meet another human who shares my affinity for elf culture.

[00:46:15] [SPEAKER SPEAKER_13]:
I'm just trying to get through the holidays.

[00:46:17] [SPEAKER SPEAKER_05]:
Get through?
[00:46:18] Christmas is the greatest day in the whole wide world!
[00:46:21] Please stop talking to me.

[00:46:23] [SPEAKER SPEAKER_03]:
Uh-oh.
[00:46:23] Sounds like someone needs to sing a Christmas carol.

[00:46:26] [SPEAKER SPEAKER_13]:
No way.

[00:46:27] [SPEAKER SPEAKER_03]:
Best way to spread Christmas cheer is singing loud for all to hear.

[00:46:30] [SPEAKER SPEAKER_13]:
Thanks, but I don't sing.

[00:46:31] [SPEAKER SPEAKER_03]:
Oh, it's easy.
[00:46:33] It's just like talking, except louder and longer, and you move your voice up and down.

[00:46:36] [SPEAKER SPEAKER_13]:
I can sing, but I just choose not to sing, especially in front of other people.

[00:46:41] [SPEAKER SPEAKER_03]:
Well, if you sing alone, you can sing in front of other people.
[00:46:44] There's no difference.

[00:46:45] [SPEAKER SPEAKER_13]:
Actually, there's a big difference.

[00:46:48] [SPEAKER SPEAKER_03]:
No, there isn't.
[00:46:49] Wait.

[00:46:52] [SPEAKER SPEAKER_04]:
I'm singing!
[00:46:53] I'm in a store and I'm singing!
[00:46:57] I'm in a store and I'm singing.
[00:47:00] Hey!
[00:47:00] There's no singing in the North Pole.
[00:47:02] Yes, there is.
[00:47:03] No, there's not.
[00:47:06] We sing all the time.

[00:47:13] [SPEAKER SPEAKER_09]:
You know, we are sometimes really good at tamping down joy.
[00:47:20] Tony Ruth has already threw me under the bus about this earlier so I can go ahead and tell you I'm known in my home as the killer of all things fun by my wife and my children and so when I preach about joy I'm preaching to myself I'm more likely than any other member of my family to be grumpy
[00:47:49] and if I'm like anybody in that cliff, I'm like the manager.
[00:47:54] No singing!
[00:47:56] Yes there is, no there's not.
[00:48:00] But truth be told, a lot of us are probably more like the manager and less like Buddy, especially at church.
[00:48:10] We are really good in the church, not just this one, it's not just Williamson's Chapel, but we're really good
[00:48:18] In church, it's tamping down joy, are we not?
[00:48:21] If somebody gets a little too exuberant, there's a number of us that kind of give them the side eye.
[00:48:30] They just need to calm down.
[00:48:33] I'm chief of sinners here.
[00:48:36] And so it's a lesson for me even.
[00:48:42] As we think about
[00:48:44] Joy and Worship.
[00:48:46] We not only tamp down other people's joy, we often talk ourselves out of expressing or even feeling joy.
[00:48:55] We tamp down our own joy.
[00:48:59] Things often get in the way of our joy, dampen it and suppress it.
[00:49:06] There are some things that happen, maybe some things we have within ourselves
[00:49:12] That do that, that tamp it down.
[00:49:14] Maybe there's some cynicism in us.
[00:49:17] There's got to be a catch.
[00:49:21] I could be joyful, but not too joyful.
[00:49:25] After all, what I'm joyful about, it's probably really not that good.
[00:49:32] We wait for the other shoe to drop.
[00:49:33] We have a lot of what ifs and what abouts.
[00:49:36] We pull back from joy or talk ourselves out of it for any number of reasons.
[00:49:41] I shouldn't be too joyful.
[00:49:43] What if it doesn't last?
[00:49:46] What if it doesn't last?
[00:49:48] I don't really deserve joy after all I've done this or that in my past, so I shouldn't be too joyful.
[00:49:56] I don't deserve it.
[00:49:57] Sometimes we might feel self-conscious.
[00:50:01] This might be a little personal for me.
[00:50:04] How many of you, show of hands if you're willing to, remember growing up and kind of maybe acting a little bit silly or showing some exuberance and you were told, calm down or act your age.
[00:50:18] You need to grow up.
[00:50:22] We've been taught to dampen our joy.
[00:50:27] We've been taught that joy is immature.
[00:50:33] Scripture seems to indicate that true joy is actually a fulfillment.
[00:50:39] It's not a lacking of maturity, but the presence of the fullness of God.
[00:50:49] And yet we tamp it down.
[00:50:53] So we might feel self-conscious.
[00:50:54] What if I show joy and people don't take me seriously?
[00:50:59] What if somebody sees me and tells me to grow up and stop acting like a kid?
[00:51:04] Stop acting like a child.
[00:51:07] That kind of response to joy, that dismissive, belittling, Grinch-like attitude in the face of joy reminds me of what Jesus tells His disciples
[00:51:22] and the Gospel of Mark chapter 10 verse 15.
[00:51:26] Truly I tell you whoever does not receive the kingdom of God as a little child will never enter it.
[00:51:37] Jesus doesn't say in order to enter the kingdom you have to act like a mature grown up.
[00:51:43] Just the opposite.
[00:51:47] Who does the kingdom belong to?
[00:51:48] Children.
[00:51:51] Children.
[00:51:54] What if receiving the kingdom of God like a child means embracing, fully embracing joy in the same way that kids embrace joy?
[00:52:10] Without self-consciousness.
[00:52:13] So many times without reservation.
[00:52:15] Spinning around, singing and shouting, reacting to God's presence in love with glee and giddiness.
[00:52:23] Not caring what Mr. or Mrs. Frowny Face Grumpy Pants thinks about you.
[00:52:31] Finding, feeling, expressing joy like a child means living in the moment.
[00:52:38] Not giving into the what ifs and what abouts, but living in the moment.
[00:52:42] Finding joy even in the small things, things that might just be a reflection, a glimpse of the kingdom of God.
[00:52:53] For example, when Tony Ruth says, I want a cookout milkshake.
[00:53:01] That gives me permission to get a cookout milkshake as well.
[00:53:07] And I feel joy.
[00:53:11] It makes me happy.
[00:53:13] Unreasonably so.
[00:53:15] Did I just compare a cookout milkshake to the kingdom of God?
[00:53:19] Yes, I did.
[00:53:23] And you should ask for an Oreo cheesecake milkshake.
[00:53:26] It's not on the menu, but they'll make it for you.
[00:53:29] And it is a gift of God's grace.
[00:53:33] Like I said, a glimpse of the kingdom, even in the small things, even in the small moments.
[00:53:42] Will they have cookout milkshakes in the kingdom of God?
[00:53:45] Probably not, but they should.
[00:53:49] Calorie free.
[00:53:54] You know, we find joy in glimpses.
[00:53:57] The glimpses we get in Advent and Christmas are not really about presents.
[00:54:03] Quick, what did you get for Christmas four years ago?
[00:54:05] You don't remember, do you?
[00:54:08] I don't.
[00:54:10] I remember time with family.
[00:54:13] I remember the joy of my children.
[00:54:19] Maybe that's similar for you too.
[00:54:21] It's the glimpses that we get of the kingdom.
[00:54:23] It's not about the presents.
[00:54:24] It's not about the perfect decorations or getting every little thing right.
[00:54:33] The glimpses of the true joy of the Lord.
[00:54:35] These are about the kingdom of God breaking in and breaking through like flowers through a crack in the sidewalk.
[00:54:43] Those glimpses of life and joy and shalom and the Spirit breaking through.
[00:54:48] It's kind of like a sneak peek of what's to come in the future when God restores all things when we live in the fullness of God's presence.
[00:54:59] God doesn't want us to wait for that fulfillment to know His joy and to share that joy.
[00:55:07] God wants us to begin embracing that joy now.
[00:55:11] To be open to the joy of Jesus now.
[00:55:14] Trusting that it's a sign of things to come and the future that God has for us and for the world.
[00:55:22] In the name of the Father, Son, and Holy Spirit.
[00:55:29] All right, so friends, this morning, kind of as a way of reflecting and sharing, we're going to put a QR code on your screen.
[00:55:38] Get your phone out if you have it.
[00:55:40] Get your phone out and scan that QR code.
[00:55:43] It'll take you to a...
[00:55:44] A web page, a Minty poll, where you can answer the following question, What brings you joy in your life with Christ?
[00:55:53] Enter that, thanks for giving me my phone.
[00:55:55] Enter that, and once you start doing that, it will post these.
[00:56:00] Y'all might, well, I don't know if choir members have a phone.
[00:56:04] Actually, what you could, we're going to send this out to the congregation this week, so if you all want to email me or Tony Ruth,
[00:56:13] We will include your responses as well.
[00:56:33] Is it not refreshing there?
[00:56:47] Okay, just reflect.
[00:56:48] There it goes.
[00:56:49] There we go.
[00:57:02] So this week, be looking for, we're going to post this from both the 930 and 11 o'clock services about what brings us joy in our life with Christ.
[00:57:17] Thank you, friends.

[00:57:35] [SPEAKER SPEAKER_00]:
Reveals Himself to us and strengthens us.
[00:57:38] It's in response to the fact that we find joy in all of these things.
[00:57:42] Grandchildren, Christmas carols, lights, prayer, church family, family gatherings, fellowship with the choir, innocence of a child.
[00:57:50] All these things that God brings into our life that bring us this deep well of joy.
[00:57:55] And we respond out of that place.
[00:57:58] We're encouraging you to give your offerings today.
[00:58:00] The QR code is on the screen there for you.
[00:58:03] You can also drop your offering in the offering plate.
[00:58:06] Just remind you that all of your gifts support the ministry of Williamson's Chapel.
[00:58:10] Yesterday we had...
[00:58:14] We have hundreds of families here celebrating and receiving Christmas gifts and it was just a joy and a delight to be with them.
[00:58:23] We also have the generosity tree out front.
[00:58:26] This is an opportunity for you to give above and beyond your ordinary offering.
[00:58:30] This is just an opportunity.
[00:58:32] You don't have to do it.
[00:58:33] It's just an opportunity.
[00:58:34] For you to share a thank offering to God about all the things God has done for you.
[00:58:40] So you can, I hope that will be on the screen too, you can scan the QR code for the generosity tree and that takes you to a place where we're inviting you to tell us your why.
[00:58:51] Why do you give?
[00:58:52] What are some of the things that are motivational to you?
[00:58:55] Why do you want to give generously to the work of God's kingdom through Williamson's Chapel?
[00:59:01] I hope you'll take time to go out and read everybody's wise that are already on the tree.
[00:59:06] They are so encouraging and inspiring to me and I hope they will be to you as well.
[00:59:11] If you do not do the QR code thing and you're like, I'm not doing that.
[00:59:16] I wouldn't even know how to do it.
[00:59:17] I have no idea.
[00:59:18] They keep talking about it, but I stopped listening a long time ago.
[00:59:21] You could also just put an offering in an offering envelope and make sure you write generosity tree on it.
[00:59:27] And do me a favor, if you choose to do that, make sure you write on your envelope, what is your why?
[00:59:32] What is your why?
[00:59:33] So that we can share that with the congregation and we can all give thanks together for God's faithfulness.
[00:59:37] Friends, God is good all the time.
[00:59:39] Amen?
[00:59:40] and all the time God is good and we give thanks for all of God's faithfulness to us now the bell choir is going to be playing for us and they are practiced and they've worked so hard and so I hope you will let it speak into your spirit as we receive our offering

[01:03:27] [SPEAKER UNKNOWN]:
Let us pray.
[01:03:47] Let us pray.

[01:04:41] [SPEAKER SPEAKER_07]:
The Gospel of the Apostles

[01:05:32] [SPEAKER UNKNOWN]:
Thank you.

[01:05:59] [SPEAKER SPEAKER_07]:
of Christ Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints, Catholic Church, Catholic Church, Catholic Church, Catholic Church, Catholic Church, Catholic Church, Catholic Church, Catholic Church,

[01:06:45] [SPEAKER SPEAKER_01]:
Good morning church family.
[01:06:46] My name is Whitney Cassell and I'm the care ministry intern at the church.
[01:06:50] I wanted to tell you about three worship opportunities that we have this week so that you can be thinking about them and hopefully we'll put them on your calendar.
[01:06:59] I'm going to save the most recent one.
[01:07:03] For the end, so I can let Carrie say a couple words about it.
[01:07:07] But this Friday, we have Coffee House Christmas, and it's going to be in the Fellowship Hall at 7 o'clock.
[01:07:15] This is a family-friendly event.
[01:07:18] There's going to be lots of desserts and goodies there, and just a great worship fellowship opportunity to really focus on what Christmas is about.
[01:07:27] Then on Sunday, a week from today, we have our Blue Christmas.
[01:07:32] It's the longest
[01:07:33] We will be coming together for those that may be feeling any type of sadness or grief or loss.
[01:07:44] Many of us have these feelings during the holidays and sometimes it's really difficult to know what to do with those thoughts and feelings that we have and the sadness that can be overwhelming at times.
[01:07:57] I invite you, if that is you, to please come to this service, or if you know somebody who has been through something difficult lately, please reach out and invite them to come to this deeply meaningful service that we will have.
[01:08:11] That will be in the chapel a week from today at 7 p.m. Today at 5 o'clock, we have Messiah, and I am so excited about this event, I'm going to let Pastor Carrie tell you more.

[01:08:25] [SPEAKER SPEAKER_10]:
The over 50 singers and orchestra just having a fantastic time coming together.
[01:08:34] We started this a few years ago just because we love the work and wanted to learn the music and what it has developed into is something much more beautiful than any of us could imagine.
[01:08:44] There are folks coming, our own people are here of course, but folks are coming from around Mooresville and Cornelius and Matthews and just all different places
[01:08:53] Different churches, different reiterations of belief, but all of us coming together with the truth and knowledge that Jesus Christ is Lord, and we are proclaiming that together in unity against the divisions of the world.
[01:09:10] And it has been a beautiful experience, and we hope that you will come tonight and that you will see that as well.
[01:09:17] Oh, and there's childcare.
[01:09:18] If you need childcare, there is.
[01:09:21] Now we're gonna sing.
[01:09:23] Hail to the Lord's anointed on page 203 in your hymnal.
[01:09:27] Let's join together.

[01:10:34] [SPEAKER UNKNOWN]:
of the Lord.

[01:11:16] [SPEAKER SPEAKER_07]:
of Joy and Peace.

[01:11:56] [SPEAKER UNKNOWN]:
CONGREGATION

[01:12:32] [SPEAKER SPEAKER_09]:
Okay, I will commit to this week being 10% more gentle, starting now.
[01:13:01] Friends, go now with this benediction.
[01:13:04] May the Lord bless you and keep you.
[01:13:07] May the Lord make His face shine upon you and be gracious unto you.
[01:13:10] May the Lord lift up His countenance upon you and give you peace.
[01:13:13] Go now and know and share the joy of the Lord.
[01:13:16] Amen.

[01:13:27] [SPEAKER UNKNOWN]:
Thank you.