THE THREE “BE’S” OF HAPPINESS: Be Joyful

November 29, 2009 [1^st Sunday in Advent]

Luke 1:39-56

In those days Mary set out and went with haste to a Judean town in the hill country, where she entered the house of Zechariah and greeted Elizabeth. When Elizabeth heard Mary's greeting, the child leaped in her womb. And Elizabeth was filled with the Holy Spirit and exclaimed with a loud cry, "Blessed are you among women, and blessed is the fruit of your womb. And why has this happened to me, that the mother of my Lord comes to me? For as soon as I heard the sound of your greeting, the child in my womb leaped for joy. And blessed is she who believed that there would be a fulfillment of what was spoken to her by the Lord." And Mary said,

"My soul magnifies the Lord, and my spirit rejoices in God my Savior, for he has looked with favor on the lowliness of his servant. Surely, from now on all generations will call me blessed; for the Mighty One has done great things for me, and holy is his name.  His mercy is for those who fear him from generation to generation.  He has shown strength with his arm; he has scattered the proud in the thoughts of their hearts. He has brought down the powerful from their thrones, and lifted up the lowly; he has filled the hungry with good things, and sent the rich away empty. He has helped his servant Israel, in remembrance of his mercy, according to the promise he made to our ancestors, to Abraham and to his descendants forever."

And Mary remained with her about three months and then returned to her home.

NRSV

From a previous sermon, you might recall that on top of my wish list from Santa is a new LCD, HD, 1080p, TV. My wants are simple…and expensive.

And one day, I saw tucked away in a corner of the basement, seemingly out of sight, a box that said on the outside, SONY LCD BRAVIA TV.

I thought to myself, “Oh, that darling wife of mine. She’s scrimped and saved through the years to buy us that TV. I am so very touched.” And a tear came to my eye.

After a couple of days, I couldn’t contain myself any longer [actually, I just wanted to plug it in and look at it]. So I said, “Dear, I couldn’t help but notice that TV box downstairs…”

She gave me a puzzled look, and then understood.

“Oh, yes, that box. I got it as a prop to use in my Sunday School class.”

There was no TV in it—it was just an empty box.

And again, a tear came to my eye.

My wife, quite unintentionally, had played a practical joke on me.

I hope she’ll enjoy her lump of coal this Christmas.

But I remember that feeling of seeing the TV box, and feeling the joy. And what would have happened had there really been a TV in that box? I would have done my dance for joy. I would have watched the NFL playoffs in vivid, crisp, colorful detail. Then sometime, maybe February, maybe March, I’d come home, sit down on the sofa, click on the Sony, and not notice how beautiful the picture was. I will have gotten used to it. The newness, the novelty, will have worn off. I will have taken it for granted—just like I have taken for granted the computer I have and the car I drive.

We’ve all experienced this, haven’t we?

Psychologists have a term for this. They call it “hedonistic adaptation.” We get something new. It brings us joy. Then we “adapt” to it. The joy wears off, and we move on to something else that can rekindle that joy. These psychologists say that if we can find a way to extend how long it takes for the newness to wear off, then we’d be happier people. They say take note of this new thing, and give thanks regularly—appreciate how you were able to get it, appreciate the joy it gives you, that type of thing.

Regardless, though, the novelty will wear off, your joy will diminish, and you’ll put something else atop your wish list for Santa.

The story of Mary shows us a way to prolong that sense of joy—and it has nothing to do with stuff that comes in boxes.

When you look closely at the story, you’ll see that she did two things that are closely related to each other.

First,

SHE YIELDED TO A HIGHER POWER.

You remember what happened when the angel came to Mary and said, “Greetings, favored one! The Lord is with you!” She about died of shock. And the shock grew worse when the angel continued, “You have favor in God’s eyes, and God will conceive a son in your womb, and you’ll call him, ‘Jesus.’” After questioning this, she replied famously, “Here am I, the servant of the Lord; let it be with me according to your word.” [Luke 1:38].

She said this, but I can’t help but think that she was thinking, “If this is what happens when I’ve found favor in God’s eyes, what in the world would happen if I found disfavor?”

After all, Mary had her dreams—being with Joseph, and having kids the natural way. To yield to God meant throwing those plans out the window. Instead of a nice wedding, she risked shame in Joseph and her family’s eyes. Instead of giving birth surrounded by family, she’d give birth in a cow shed, surrounded perhaps by strangers. Instead of a stable homelife, they’d have to flee into Egypt, escaping Herod’s wrath. Instead of raising a “normal” son who’d grow up, continue the family trade, marry, and give her grandchildren—she’d raise a son who at times would seem strange to her, at times distant from her, and who would end up on the cross.

It IS difficult to yield to a higher power at times.

What plans do you have? A career path? A relationship path? A financial path? A security path? Doesn’t matter. When you hear the call of God in your life, that’s the scary trumpet sound of JOY.

God might have a mission for you. It may be in counseling someone who’s confused. It may be in being a role model for someone who needs someone positive in their life. It may be in waiting on others. It may be in addressing the needs of the needy. It may be in lifting up the fallen. It may be in ministering to the sick and lonely. It may be intervening in a tense situation.

Who knows what God has in mind for you?

But one thing’s certain. Whatever it is, it’ll be an inconvenience. It’ll disrupt your plans. It’ll cost you in some fashion: money, time, stuff, tranquility. It’ll disrupt your security, and may even put you in harm’s way. It will make you rely on an unseen, higher power and authority.

Yes, what an inconvenience it is saying “Yes” to God—AND HOW ABSOLUTELY THRILLING! Because now, the world opens up to you in a totally different fashion. You feel connected, grounded. You feel a sense of purpose in your life. You feel excitement that you’re participating in something much greater than yourself. In a humble way, you feel important—that the Creator of the universe is trusting you with a very important task.

What a TREMENDOUS feeling—one that doesn’t go away like when the new TV gathers dust, or the car gets dirty.

Sometimes God gives a congregation a uniting mission. One such congregation, the Church of the Holy Trinity in Toronto, orders its life around worship and the arts, as well as around a commitment to social justice. During the ’30s and ’40s, Holy Trinity provided food and shelter for the unemployed and for servicemen, while addressing issues of affordable housing and the racist treatment of Japanese Americans. In the ’60s and ’70s, pews were unbolted from the floor to allow for creative use of space, and guitars, pianos and congregational singers replaced organ music and a paid choir. Today, the congregation’s commitment to justice is lived out through its ministries, including two downtown affordable apartment buildings, a refugee committee, and hospice care for the terminally ill.

Like Jesus, this group of Christians believes in the power of transformation, and will continue to focus its mission on the needs of the world around it.

That congregation is rock-solid and joy-filled.

So are you, so am I, when we hear the angel’s invitation to join God in a mission.

And when you feel this way—rock-solid and joy-filled—what do you do?

What do you think Mary did?

No, she didn’t sign a book deal or movie rights.

No, she didn’t make a YouTube video.

Rather, what Mary did was this:

SHE CELEBRATED WITH SOMEONE WHO UNDERSTOOD.

She went to Elizabeth.

Who was Elizabeth, and what was she going through?

She was a “relative” of Mary’s, possibly a cousin, as the KJV has it.

She was up in years, and had no children, when the angel Gabriel told her husband that he would be a daddy—that Elizabeth would be able now to have a baby. As a matter of fact, that baby will be a boy, you’ll name him John, and he’ll ultimately be nicknamed, “John the Baptist.”

And it was so. Elizabeth was five or six months along when Mary visited. That’s where the story picks up today. When Elizabeth sees Mary coming, what happens? She greets her with a “loud” voice of happiness, and tells her how the baby in her womb “leaped for joy” when she saw Mary.

Mary knew Elizabeth wouldn’t reject her, or question her, or doubt her. Mary sensed that Elizabeth knew what she was going through. Mary believed that Elizabeth would understand that which, in the eyes of everyone else, others would call crazy or a cover up.

Mary was right. And for three months they stayed together. And that joy both women had took root, and grew, just as their babies grew and developed inside them.

Look around you. In here, you see people who understand.

There are people whose eyes light up when you talk about music or missions. There are people who get real excited when you talk about visiting homebound or sick people. There are people who get real excited about education and worship. There are people who get real excited about painting the walls and straightening the pews. There are people who get real excited about programs helping people overcome addictions, overcome grief, deal with pain.

There are…people. Odds are some of these people have received a calling similar to yours. And you CAN’T experience the DEPTHS of true joy, like Mary had, unless you connect to these people. People…who speak the same language…who feel what you feel...who dream like you dream.

To people outside these walls, you can appear crazy. After all, sacrificing for a “mission from God” is something that comes from offbeat movies, like the Blues Brothers, right? Sane people don’t do that. Sane people don’t give away their time, stuff, and security, right? Sane people know that joy comes from avoiding conflict, getting stuff, going on vacations, and having a nice nest egg, right?

You’re insane if you do what Mary did, right? “Let it be with me as you will, God!” Yes, that’s crazy talk.

Well friends…welcome to the asylum!

It doesn’t—it can’t—get any better than this. Just look around at your Elizabeth’s.

There’s a story about a minister who received a phone call very late one evening. The voice of an elderly woman on the other end of the line said, “May I speak to Martha, please?”

“There is no one here by that name,” the minister replied. Click! The phone went dead.

A few seconds later the phone rang again. It was the same lady. “May I speak to Martha, please?” Again the minister replied, “There is no one here by that name.” Click! The phone went dead a second time.

Only a few seconds later, the phone rang a third time. “May I speak to Martha, please?” The minister replied, using all the restraint he could muster, “Lady, there is no one here by that name. Maybe you are dialing the wrong number.”

“Listen, sonny,” the lady replied. “I am not dialing the wrong number. You are answering the wrong phone!”

Mary answered the right phone. She responded with obedience, and felt a joy that could only grow stronger.

So may we.