Rejoice Always!

Third Sunday in Advent – Year B

December 14, 2014

1 Thessalonians 5:16-24

Rejoice always, pray without ceasing, give thanks in all circumstances; for this is the will of God in Christ Jesus for you. Do not quench the Spirit. Do not despise the words of prophets, but test everything; hold fast to what is good; abstain from every form of evil.

May the God of peace himself sanctify you entirely; and may your spirit and soul and body be kept sound and blameless at the coming of our Lord Jesus Christ. The one who calls you is faithful, and he will do this.

This time of year, one of the things that many people struggle with is depression. It seems contradictory that in the midst of the season of happiness and joy, so many people have to struggle with depression; but its a fact that many people have personal experience with.

For some people the onset of depression is the result of fewer hours of daylight during the day. The shorter days and longer nights bring about Seasonal Affective Disorder. For people who deal with it, this depression comes back every year. And they annually must deal with those feelings of hopelessness, increased sleep and appetite and less energy. They must work against a loss of interest in work and other activities. I struggle with feelings of depression every year over the winter months. Yet, once the sun breaks through the cold of winter and summer comes, I am once again my happy self.

For many people, depression in winter isn't about the lack of daylight hours, it's about the reality of life itself. The holiday season is a time when we will spend much more time than normal with friends and family. For many of us it is a time of joy. Yet, for many people, those holiday events are a reminder of the loss of loved ones. As others gather together in festive joy, we recall those who are not with us. The parents and spouses who have died. The siblings and children who we will not see. The focus of the holidays on family and friends, can turn into a reminder of the family and friends we will not see. When you add in the increased stress of the season, all the extra expectations that we have on our plates, it can all become overwhelming.

Experts in the field of psychology have some suggestions for dealing with those occasional dark periods during the holiday season. They recommend keeping our expectations for the holiday season manageable by not trying to make the holiday “the best ever.” Try to set realistic goals for yourself. Be realistic about what you can and cannot do. Do not spend too much time preparing for just one day. They tell us to let go of the past! Don’t be disappointed if your holidays are not like they used to be. Life brings changes. Each holiday season is different and can be enjoyed in its own way. You set yourself up for sadness if everything has to be just like the “good old days.” Look toward the future. Do something for someone else. Try volunteering some time to help others. Enjoy holiday activities that are free such as driving around to look at Christmas decorations. Go window shopping without buying anything. Don’t be afraid to try something new. Celebrate the holidays in a way you have not done before. Spend time with people who are supportive and care about you. Make new friends if you are alone during special times. Contact someone you have lost touch with. But, you also need to find time for yourself! Don’t spend all your time providing activities for your family and friends.¹

It can be hard to remain positive when there are negative things happening around us, when our expectations either do not come to pass or are slow in coming. The child that has been talking for weeks before Christmas about that special toy, the one they want more than anything else. Her parents have searched literally in every store in the area, and its sold out. You can't get it anywhere. So, on Christmas morning, even though there were many other wonderful items found, the fact that that gift was not under the tree makes the holiday a failure in the eyes of a child. Disappointment can be a terribly draining thing, it's hard to rejoice when your hopes have been dashed.

When Paul wrote to the Thessalonians, they were in a time of growing disappointment. The early church fervently believed that Jesus would be coming very soon. They looked for his return before most of them died. Yet, they looked around. Many of the first generation of believers were dying. The disciples were dying. The signs around them seemed to point to the imminent return of Jesus, yet he still has not come. They were disappointed, they are losing heart and hope. And we now nearly 2000 years later, are still watching and waiting. And, the apostle Paul writes, “Rejoice always.” Sure thing, no problem.

The dryer just stopped working, the toilet is over-flowing, the kids are fighting, and you just got a call from your aunt telling you the cancer is back. Rejoice! Not realistic is it. Let's face it, there are times in life when rejoicing is the furthest thing from our minds. Bad things happen, unfortunate things happen, we get news that we really don't want to get. Sometimes, let's be honest, life sucks. It would be pretty cold and unfeeling of the apostle Paul to tell us to rejoice when your son breaks his arm, rejoice when your spouse loses their job, rejoice when the car is totaled. So when Paul tells us to rejoice always, and give thanks in all circumstances, he isn't telling us to ignore the bad, or try to put a good spin on what has happened.

No, we know from his other letters that Paul freely admits that his life is full of hardship. But, he doesn't dwell on it, or allow it to drag him down (though, I'm sure there were times when he was sitting alone, chained to the wall of a dank and dark dungeon that he was far from happy). When Paul writes, “Rejoice always!” what he really means isn't to react to the bad things that happen with joy, but to be joyful, to be in the mode of rejoicing at all times. Why? Because of what God has done for us Christ Jesus.

2000 years ago, far from any hospitals or comfortable surroundings, a child was born whose birth was welcomed by shepherds and angels. He lived a quiet, holy life until he was around 30. Then, after he was baptized by John in the Jordan River he began to teach and do amazing acts of healing. After three years of teaching and bringing hope to people throughout Israel, he was killed as a common criminal on a hill outside of Jerusalem. But, death could not hold him and he rose from the dead. In his death our sins were forgiven, and in his resurrection we received the confirmation of our own futures. In our baptisms we were joined with Jesus and his death, and if we have been joined with him in his death then we shall surely be joined with him in his resurrection. And we know this because God is faithful.

Rejoicing can be hard when we see no reason to rejoice. We tell our children that Christmas is coming, but if they do not see the signs around them will the believe us? If they do not see the decorations, if they do not see trees being found and decorated, if they do not see Santa in the stores, if they do not hear the Christmas carols on the radio, they will have a hard time believing that Christmas is coming. We wait, but we see around us signs that God is faithful. Even in the midst of the world's brokenness, we see signs of its redemption, signs of its righteousness around us and within us that signal the presence of God's Spirit in and among us. The people of God continue to reveal godly and holy lives: the Word is proclaimed, the sacraments are celebrated, the homeless are housed, the hungry are fed, acts of mercy take place as Christ is among us anonymously. In this we can also rejoice.

Traditionally, this third Sunday in Advent is referred to as Gaudete Sunday. The word meaning “Rejoice Always”, taken not from this text, but from the Latin first word of the introit of this day's Mass in the Catholic Church. We rejoice, and Paul's call for us is to rejoice. Yet, this call is not a command it is a promise. A promise just as sure as the promise that we are not alone, and will never be alone. That we are loved by our God, who loved us so much that Jesus came and died for each and every one of us.

It is only by Jesus Christ that what seems like a demand in fact becomes a promise. Whatever is going on "out there," or in our own lives, when we see the struggles for racial justice in our country, the fighting between elected officials, the ever present face of poverty and hunger, the cries of children without parents, the cries of parents whose children die in their arms, the presence of disease and illness, the burden of loneliness, the pain of sorrow and loss, "in here"---in our liturgy, in our public work before God and the world---it is Gaudete -Rejoice-Sunday. And we believe we have reason to rejoice, to pray, and to give thanks. Amen.

1http://www.iup.edu/page.aspx?id=40187