On Sunday, our pastor’s sermon was on joy. We were handed the lyrics to “Joy to the World” and ever since then I’ve had that carol on my mind. My little studious heart had to do a little research and look up the story behind this gorgeous song.

What I found was that this song was written as a response to a challenge. Isaac Watts was tired of the dreary, lifeless worship songs that were sung in church and when he complained, he was told (in so many words) “Don’t complain if you can’t come up with anything better”. He took on the challenge, inspired by Psalm 98, and “Joy to the World” was written.

Joy to the world, the Lord is come!
Let earth receive her King;
Let every heart prepare Him room,
And Heaven and nature sing,
And Heaven and nature sing,
And Heaven, and Heaven, and nature sing.
Joy to the world, the Savior reigns!
Let men their songs employ;
While fields and floods, rocks, hills and plains
Repeat the sounding joy,
Repeat the sounding joy,
Repeat, repeat, the sounding joy.

The line that has been on my mind is “Repeat the sounding joy.” What exactly does that mean?

It makes me think of how my son can watch the same show over and over again, play the same game over and over again and still laugh like it’s the first time.  I think of how we each have our traditions, or things we want to happen the same way each time, that we are hoping bring the joy to the season. This time of year is one of that sense of repeat: of pulling out the tree, watching the same Christmas movies we watch every year and partaking in our family traditions. How often have we said, “But we have to do that! It’s Christmas!” This time of year we can partake in the sameness and yet still feel the joy. This is the idea.

I have to admit, this year I’ve been more “Bah Humbug” than anything else. “It just doesn’t feel like Christmas” I’ve said again and again. In the back of my mind I’ve thought of all the things I usually love to do around Christmas- the movies, the decorating, the shopping, the gift wrapping, the cozying up in front of the tree…but it just hasn’t quite clicked yet. You know what I mean- the Buddy the Elf-like Christmas spirit just hasn’t hit me…yet. I’ve been focusing so much on what needs to be done for Christmas that I’ve forgotten the why.

 

I’m reminded that I need Christmas to come every year. I need the chance to ponder the birth of Jesus, to be reminded of Immanuel (God with us), and to truly remember all that His birth brought me. Thank God for the opportunity, for the season, to repeat the celebration! I can’t take it for granted. It doesn’t mean I have to be “Miss Christmas” but I do need to be willing to remember, and share, what the season is truly about.

I’m reminded, too, that any sort of joy isn’t going to come because we plan it. It isn’t going to come when we’ve made everything perfect and crossed everything off the list. It is going to come in unexpected moments, in moments that probably weren’t on our scheduled Advent calendar. In these next few days, and in every day after, I just want to open up myself to the unexpected. I want to see the joy in the sameness and yet want to be surprised by it all.  I want to make room for God to move and not begrudge the season because of all that has to be done. I don’t want tradition to take away joy, but to increase it.   

So, let’s celebrate, on repeat, the moment that changed it all. Let’s celebrate, on repeat, the birth of Jesus. If you’re feeling a little “Bah Humbug” this season, it’s okay. But as you spend these last few days before Christmas partaking in your traditions, let your heart prepare Him room and remind yourself of the reason for the season.

We all need to remember.  

I am the kind of person who listens to songs on repeat. I wore out tapes and CDs and when I love a song, I turn it up loud and listen to it again and again. This year, let’s take the challenge and write our own song of joy. Then repeat it. Listen to it over and over. Share again and again what Jesus has done and how it began in the manger. In traditions, and in the every day, repeat the sounding joy. The joy the world needs to know. The joy our hearts know and need to be reminded of again. The joy that can be shown in the sights and sounds of the season, in that sameness, in the moments that arise again and again. We truly do have joy- joy that is for us to share and the world to know because our Lord has come! Be open to the joy even in the doing of the things, even in the again and the again.