"Rejoice in the Lord always. I will say it again: Rejoice! Let your gentleness be evident to all. The Lord is near. Do not be anxious about anything, but in every situation by prayer and petition, with thanksgiving, present your requests to God. And the peace of God, which pases all understanding, will guard your hearts and your minds in Christ Jesus."
(Philippians 4:4-7)
Over the years I’ve made numerous trips to Ohio to visit my family. From here, it’s about a 9 hour mostly interstate drive. And while the trip is always long, one of my favorite places along the way is crossing over the Ohio River near Point Pleasant into Ohio. From the moment I drive across The Silver Bridge onto Ohio soil I know I’m getting close to home. I know that I only have a few more hours to go. I know I will soon be there. Some of the people I love best in the world are near. The same is true on the return trip as well. As soon as I cross the North Carolina State Line, the sleepy numbness that comes with long trips falls away, and I find a reserve pack of energy and adrenaline I didn’t know I had. The familiar landscape becomes a welcome and hospitable friend to my weary traveling self. I know I’m getting close to home. I know I only have a few more hours to go. I know I will soon be there. Some of the people I love best in the world are near.
I think this is what it’s like to find our selves near the Third Sunday of Advent. We are close to home. We only have a few more miles to go. We will soon be there. The One Who loves us best in all the world is near. And as we look back we can see that we’ve already come a long way. We’ve journeyed through winding roads of apocalyptic prophecies and prophetic words of hope, a detour by way of Zechariah and Elizabeth’s house, and have traversed wild and precarious paths in the wilderness with the one we know as John.
But the road before us now is not long.. Today, just 10 days shy of Christmas, we find ourselves being escorted out of the wilderness by the Apostle Paul onto some very familiar soil. His words come like a reserve pack of energy and adrenaline we didn’t know we needed or had. And in Paul's words we hear some faithful direction for our remaining trip to the manger.
They are not the Christmas words we hear on Christmas Eve but words- all the same- that let us to know that it will not be long before we see Mary and Joseph on the road beside us. They are words that tell us The Lord is near, that Bethlehem is on the horizon, that even now there are shepherds keeping watch over their flock by night, that a nearby cave will serve as a shelter for Jesus and His family, that the trough the animals eat from in this cave will serve as Christ’s bed, and that the greatest gift of love the world will ever receive is soon upon us. All of this familiar and life giving territory is the reason we are rejoicing. The Lord is near. He is just up ahead. And knowing that he’s just down the road lets us know we’re getting close to home. It’s what we’ve been preparing for, celebrating and planning for. It’s why, in liturgical circles, the third Sunday in Adavent is known as Gaudete (Gau da te) Sunday….Gau-da-te being the Latin word for “REJOICE.” In Philippians 4, Paul offers this word and others as a farewell blessing to guide us on our way: “Rejoice in the Lord always;” he says. “Again I say rejoice. Indeed the Lord is near. Rejoice, The Lord is near.”
Perhaps this can be Paul’s way of offering hope and encouragement, at a time- even though we know we're getting close- when we’re not sure we can fully see or trust the joy before us.” It’s as if we can hear Paul say, “Don’t give up. Hang in there. You’ve almost made it! The Lord is near!!”
Like some booming television announcer shouting… “We interrupt our regularly scheduled program to hear a word from our sponsor God”…These 'joy marked days" before us come as a faithful reminder of why we celebrate this Holy season. It is not a season, however, where we're being told to tighten up our bootstraps and proclaim, “Don’t Worry, Be Happy.” We are not being told to rejoice for “rejoice’s” sake. This time has not been gifted to us so that we might sweep under the rug all of the darkness and despair the world produces and knows. No. We are not being asked to manifest joy when we do not feel joy.
Rather, we have cause to rejoice because we are fast approaching the time when we will celebrate again God’s steadfast and saving love for this broken world. We are drawing near to that time when we are asked to wonder and believe anew what it means that, “The Word-Jesus Christ- the Son of God was made Flesh and dwelt among us.” “The Lord is near” are words given to trigger and embolden our faith… to help us know more faithfully that, in facyt, "THE LORD IS NEAR," not only down the road in a manger- but near as the One who defeated sin and death on a cross... whose love knows no end… whose presence is with us on our best days and on our worst…. “THE LORD IS NEAR” are our fighting words- they are our light and hope against all in this world that is dark, evil and full of despair. They tell us what the Apostle Paul trusted and believed in spades: “That nothing will separate us from the love of God in Christ Jesus.” The prophet Zephaniah says it this way: “The Lord is in your midst: you shall fear disaster no more.” “You shall fear disaster no more… “ Because the Lord is near. He is on duty. It is His watch. It is forever His watch. And THIS is what gives us cause to rejoice.
In her book, Through the Advent Door, Jan Richardson says it this way”
“Advent is a season for remembering that the joy that makes its way toward us does not depend on mere happiness. Joy is made of stronger stuff than this. Joy is what comes when, in days that tempt us toward despair, we choose to celebrate—not in denial of the causes of despair, but in defiance. In hope. In delight. In gladness for the One who comes to sing for us and with us, ever renewing us in his love.”
Friends, let us “Rejoice! Again I say Rejoice for indeed, THE LORD IS NEAR.”
We are getting close to home. The One who loves us best is near…But wait, He's not only near He is ALSO already HERE. He is HERE with His love that knows no end. He is HERE with an eternal presence that will not let us go on our best days and on our worst. HE IS HERE which gives us every reason to rejoice and empower us to meet every need before us with hope and love. HE IS NEAR and HE IS HERE! ""Rejoice in the Lord always. I will say it again: Rejoice! May we follow Paul's lead and live as he guides. May it guide all we say and do. The hope for this world is counting on us to do so.
Advent Blessings Friends.
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