Sunday December 13

Scripture

Rejoice in the Lord always; again I will say, Rejoice. Let your gentleness be known to everyone. The Lord is near. Do not worry about anything, but in everything by prayer and supplication with thanksgiving let your requests be made known to God. And the peace of God, which surpasses all understanding, will guard your hearts and your minds in Christ Jesus.
-Philippians 4

Hymn - Lo, He Comes with Clouds Descending

Lo, he comes with clouds descending,
once for favoured sinners slain;
thousand thousand saints attending
swell the triumph of his train:
Hallelujah, hallelujah, hallelujah!
God appears on earth to reign

Meditation

At this time of the year, we rejoice that the Lord draws near. One aspect of joy is the way in which we express it. This passage reminds us that joy is not an inner sense of self satisfaction but a love that is so grateful, it comes out as gentleness toward others. When we reside in joy,
we turn our faces away from ourselves and toward God. We end up focussing, not on how difficult things are for us, but on how amazing the gifts are which we’ve been given - and from that point on, we are transformed. Our hearts and minds, our whole selves are guarded in that peace of Christ which is far greater that any of us can understand. What is bringing you joy this Advent season, and how have you shared it with others?