I've received a new book "A little book on joy: The secret of living a good news life in a bad news world". It is wonderful because it is not a harangue and it is not guilt-inducing. Haven't you noticed that most sermons preached on joy, or lectures on joy are really quite depressing because the overall impression is that joy is something you create within you. Joy is something you have to manufacture, and if you are sad, then it is your fault. And that stinks!
Joy is gift! Joy acknowledges that sometimes there is no joy. But joy is gift because joy is Jesus.
At the end of this book are some daily passages to ponder and reflect upon- joys upon joys. There are 90 such passages that cover the seasons of joy in the Church, the seasons of Lent and Easter. I endeavor to post these things daily for our benefit. Here we go for Monday:
"And Hannah prayed and said, 'My heart exults in the Lord; my strength is exalted in the Lord. My mouth derides my enemies, because I rejoice in your salvation.'" {1 Samuel 2:1}
Like Hannah, I offer to you, O Lord, the favorite son of my soul- my pride, my bitterness toward others, my thankless joyless heart. Cause my enemies- sin, death, and the devil- to flee before you, that I may rejoice in your salvation. In Jesus, Amen.
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