I Got A Joy

Luke 1:46b-55

And Mary said,  “My soul magnifies the Lord, and my spirit rejoices in God my Savior, for he has looked with favor on the lowliness of his servant. Surely, from now on all generations will call me blessed; for the Mighty One has done great things for me, and holy is his name. His mercy is for those who fear him from generation to generation. He has shown strength with his arm; he has scattered the proud in the thoughts of their hearts. He has brought down the powerful from their thrones, and lifted up the lowly; he has filled the hungry with good things, and sent the rich away empty. He has helped his servant Israel, in remembrance of his mercy, according to the promise he made to our ancestors, to Abraham and to his descendants forever.”

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Perhaps you remember the old Sunday school song, you know, the one that goes, “I got a joy, joy, joy, joy down in my heart.” And then everyone says “Where,” and then you say, “Down in my heart.” And it ends with this line, “Down in my heart to stay.” It's a song that I have memories of singing when I was a child in Sunday school. But it's also a song that has a much deeper meaning that I think goes beyond the comprehension of Sunday School students, and even most adults. Because it asks this question, what kind of joy does one have to have? What kind of joy is so great, that it's strong enough to remain in our hearts to stay? Do you have such a joy in your life? Do you have a joy that is down in your heart to stay? 

Of course, within the context of Sunday school, this song is talking about Jesus or our faith in general. But I think we can expand this simple children's song, which celebrates joy, and use it to refocus what joys are in our lives, and which ones are truly foundational. Foundational in the sense that they keep us grounded, keep us rooted because we find that they are an essential piece of life. But also necessary because they keep us moving forward. They're not things that are static, but keep evolving, keep growing with us. Do we have that kind of joy in our lives? A joy that is continually revealing the life-giving pathway of God?

Mary certainly had such a joy in her life. As we hear this morning Mary's song as she celebrates the birth of her child or the coming birth of her child, should we say, a child who would feed the poor who would overturn kings, who would turn away the powerful and the mighty, and someone who would instead focus on the well being of those who truly needed it. Of course, we are all in need of such attention, such love, such grace. But this child, Mary would give birth to, would pay particular attention to the plight of the outsider, the marginalized. The people who were told that they weren't good enough that they weren't wealthy enough or powerful enough. People who were told that they didn't matter, that's the group of people Mary's child would come to bring the true life-giving joy to, the type of joy that emerges from the wellspring of our hearts and nourishes us.  

Yet, before we continue this reflection on the joy that nourishes us at our foundation, we should pause for a moment to reflect on Mary's joy, as we hear in the scripture this morning. Because you have to imagine that Mary, at this moment in her life, was feeling a lot of different things. A young woman who had conceived a child out of wedlock, I'm sure that there was a lot of pressure on Mary, I'm sure that there were rumors going around about what had actually happened. Just as we today put this kind of speculation, this kind of shame onto other people. So then for Mary, I'm sure that there had to have been a joy. So rich, so meaningful, that it could carry her through the lowest moments of her life. 

And part of that joy, we have to imagine, was found in the angel's message to her, a message that told her what this child she was carrying, would do for all people. I think there's something special that we need to pay attention to. And the fact that God chose to bring such a joyous message to us, in the form of Mary, who carried Christ, a young woman of Middle Eastern descent who was a refugee, who was poor, someone who today would still mostly not be welcomed at an inn, or in our homes. Yet, it was this person. This person of Mary, where God chose to usher in a joy, so revolutionary that it has impacted the lives of countless individuals.

And that's really the point, right? That the kind of joy, the type of joy, we remember, on this third Sunday of Advent is not a fleeting joy. You know, it's not the kind of joy you find when you let's say, eat something that makes you feel good or makes you feel happy, and then that moment vanishes? No, it's, it's something much more intentional and profound. Something that's a little more full, or purposeful. For example, whether it be a lifelong hobby, such as music or writing or gardening, the arts or sports, whatever that is for you. It's in these ongoing core principles or activities, these core joys where we find ourselves being pushed, to keep going. It's a joy that spurs us and inspires us. That makes us feel excited or hopeful to take the next step into the unknown even if at that moment we are feeling anxious. 

So what are those joys in your life? What is it that pushes you forward? What is it that inspires you to keep going on in the valleys you encounter? What is it that makes you feel excited or hopeful? I'm sure that I could name some examples for you. But I think it'd be a good exercise on this third Sunday of Advent for you to take a moment to name or identify those pieces of your life for yourself. So that's what I'd like you to do. I'd like you to take out a piece of paper, with a pen or pencil, perhaps you could draw out these examples for yourselves. Or you could make a mental note if you want to make a mental list. But I want you to spend a moment naming the core joys that are in your life. The things that you can identify the pieces that carry us through the darkest times and give us hope.

Take a moment now to briefly organize some of those thoughts. Because after this reflection, you'll have some time to do this exercise as well. On this third Sunday of Advent, we will remember the gift of joy, the joy that Christ certainly brought into the world for all people, as we know the gift of joy that Mary received, the gift, the joy that we hear now and  receive. And we certainly need to remember the gift of joy, that precious treasure of joy. This year,  2020 certainly has not been a kind year. And in many ways it has stripped a handful, a good handful, of joy from our lives. Which is why we take a moment now to identify what those are, so that we can celebrate them, and hold them close to our hearts. So that we can lift them up with our neighbors, our friends, our family, and also grieve with them if some of these joys are things that have been lost 

I have a joy, down in my heart to stay. And I hope that you do as well. If you aren’t sure what your joy is, talk it out, journal, create something, or try a new activity. At our core we find a joy that takes a different shape and form. There may be some similarities, but they certainly aren’t all the same. It is what magnifies our souls, gives us focus and inspiration, and points us towards our God who instilled within us. Some of us may take longer to discover what it is that gives us strength and courage, some of us may find that we resonate with the joy that Mary embodied. As we discover these things let us also draw close to the source of all joy, knowing that there we will find what our souls long to stay with us. Amen.