Joy Sunday

by Rev. Eric Folkerth

Every week of Advent brings the chance to contrast the values of Christ with the values of our world.

This week’s Advent theme is JOY.
And the juxtaposed-values of our world are grief and sorrow.

For some of us, this holiday season is the most “normal” in three or four years. For others of us, we can only now look back at the losses of our loved ones and find ourselves still in grief and sorrow.

This week, as if to illustrate where I am on this spectrum, something drew me to one of the schmaltziest Christmas songs ever: Jerry Herman’s “We Need a Little Christmas.”

The version I well remember was on the old “Firestone” Christmas records. Those records were so much a part of my young childhood, and I’m sure some of you recall them as well.

There was a version of “We Need A Little Christmas” on one of those records performed by the New Christy Minstrels. As a small child, I had no idea who they were. I just knew that this song was about the peppiest, most overly-optimistic Christmas song ever. And even today, when I think of that song, I think of those energetic, mid-century modern harmonies.

Last week, I opened up the turntable on my stereo and I found that very record….still cued up from when I’d played it last…

It was Christmas Eve 2021 and already our Christmas plans were going off the rails. Covid was, yet again, keeping our family separated. But one thing had become clear to us between Thanksgiving Day and that one: our mom had serious memory issues.

We didn’t yet know she also had advanced cancer. (That news came later…) But we did know she was forgetting things. Lots of things.

I’d always heard how music can help people with memory issues. And so, that Christmas Eve day, I pulled out Mom’s old Firestone records (I had saved them since I love old vinyl)  and my Mom sat in my overstuffed chair in our living room and just listened to them for hours.

I’d like to think it helped her.

So now it’s almost a full year later —last week— when I opened up the turntable and there was that same record…still there. And I had an instant realization that things had gotten so busy, so hectic, that I hadn’t played a single other record the entire calendar year.

A silent testament to the roller-coaster year that had passed.

I then thought of the words of the schmaltzy song I mentioned earlier. I picked up my guitar, slowed it down, and as it turns, if you can listen past the peppy music, the words perfectly describe the grief of many during the holidays. (I’ll post a video at the end for you to hear…)

Listen to these words:

"For I've grown a little leaner,
I've grown a little colder,
I've grown a little sadder,
Grown a little older,
And I need a little angel
Sitting on my shoulder,
I need a little Christmas now."

Yes. Yes I do need it. And maybe you do too?

Perhaps for some of you this year, the idea of JOY this Advent seems preposterous. If so, this would be a good time to remind you about our “Longest Night” service coming up on December 21st. It’s specially designed for folks who are having a hard time with the holiday season.

And even if you are in the midst of grief, I invite you to hear the joy of Mary’s “Magnificat,” which will be our Gospel Lesson this Sunday. This is her remarkable poem from the Gospel of Luke…her testimony about her OWN Joy and her testimony about the joy of the world at the coming of the Messiah. Our faith calls us to hear these words of joy even when we personally don’t feel them fully.

John Wesley was once speaking to a young Methodist preacher who apparently had lost his faith. Wesley told the young man, “preach faith until you have faith.”

We can say that same about joy: “Sing of joy until you again have joy.”

As we light the Candle of Joy this coming Sunday, the Rodgers family will read the following words from Isaiah. These words speak not only of *human* joy, but of a joy to all the created earth…this is where we get our concept of “joy to the world…let heaven and nature sing..”

Hear this promise of Joy from Isaiah. Trust that the notes of Joy are singing in our world, even if it’s hard for you to personally hear them.

Joy is POSSIBLE in your life…even this Christmas…even in the midst of your sorrow.

“Then the eyes of the blind shall be opened, and the ears of the deaf unstopped; then the lame shall leap like a deer, and the tongue of the speechless sing for joy.

For waters shall break forth in the wilderness, and streams in the desert; the burning sand shall become a pool, and the thirsty ground springs of water; the haunt of jackals shall become a swamp, the grass shall become reeds and rushes.

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.”

See you Sunday,

Eric Folkerth