Fields United Methodist Church

Side by Side with Jesus.                                                        Pastor Tom Joyce

December 7, 2020

“For the joy of the Lord is your strength.”

Nehemiah 8:10

As a child I remember singing, “I got the joy, joy, joy, joy down in my heart…” At the time the song was fun to sing as it still is, but as my journey through life continues the meaning is far more profound. The Advent and Christmas season is filled with images of joy, though not in banners, signs, and songs. Joy is the incredible feeling of the presence of the Lord alive and well every moment of our lives. Happiness, unlike joy, is fleeting. There are times when there is nothing to be happy about, and we know that all too well in this lingering season of pandemic. Happiness is fleeting, but joy is eternal. To know with certainty Jesus the Christ is with you not just in the good times but also in hard times is to accept the power of God to into your life, guiding you through even the most challenging of days.  So much is different in our lives today, except one thing; God. God’s love for you has never changed and never will change. Joy is all about knowing that in the midst of living, Jesus is. At Christmas, we celebrate the unspeakable joy of the birth of Jesus, the One who is God in the flesh, who witnesses life lived in the abundance of God’s grace. This year though your celebrations may be different, nothing can take the joy of the presence of God through Jesus in your life away; that is your strength.  The joy of the Lord is knowing despite being alone and isolated you are not alone. The joy of the Lord is hope for a new day, and the peace that comes with faith. Accept the joy of knowing Jesus is with you no matter who you are and no matter where your path has led you in this life.  Joy has come through the birth of a child in the squalor of a manger with profound implications for this life and the life to come. The joy of the Lord makes the ordinary extraordinary and life an adventure. The joy that we share during this very challenging time will certainly offer the grace of our Lord Jesus Christ to a world that needs the love of Jesus and the power of the Holy Spirit more than ever before.

Rev. Tom Joyce