What is Joy for us?
Joy week. That’s where we are in the Advent season. Biblical joy involves a sense of cheer, a vibrant happiness. And from a spiritual perspective, joy expresses God’s goodness. Our joy comes from a deep-rooted understanding of God’s love for us. God did not want to be alone and created us to be God’s companions. We are evidence that God loves us — a true source of joy for us.
Joy to the World
The Christmas carol, “Joy to the World,” evokes a grand and glorious global celebration of the coming of the Christ Child. I chose this video version by the Mormon Tabernacle Choir because of its very formal choral style and rich instrumental arrangement. This is a “big song,” and it conveys a grand sense of utter happiness that we share all over the earth. “Big joy” has so much power to it, and it has special meaning for so many of us at the end of this long, mean, and ugly year.
Another piece that gives the world joy comes from Beethoven’s, “Joyful, Joyful, We Adore Thee.” This flash-mob concert will leave your heart full along with this lucky impromptu audience. It stirs the soul with hope, peace, and joy.
This grand presentation of “Joy to the World” comes from Motown, our very own Aretha Franklin. I love this version because even the military personnel in uniform are clapping. Aretha telegraphs great joy that comes from her deep faith. These performances resonate with our own, closer-to-home experiences of joy, being with those we love, and a time when the world seems to slow way down. That Motown backbeat gives me joy.
Joy in our Neighborhood
We all enjoy national, regional, and neighborhood traditions that give a custom feel to our sense of joy and thanksgiving. And of course, we’re in the Midwest, so snow is always welcome at Christmastime.
Here’s a version of “Joy to the World” by Pentatonix that feels joyful and upbeat. It has a neighborhood feel to it, and you can imagine the group members are friends from nearby. The beautifully stacked vocals give the feel of a church concert where everybody knows everyone else.
A British study says that decorating our homes early gives us a sense of happiness and joy. The bright colors and nostalgia can make us produce more dopamine, a proven mood-lifter. Many more people in our neighborhood have put out Christmas lights, and it has been so nice to see some Christmas spirit after what we’ve all been through — it’s joyful and very welcome.
This year especially, I think we all have to do things for ourselves that we know bring us joy. For example, sometimes I even listen to Three Dog Night’s rendition of “Joy to the Word,” just because it is so happy. But I digress.
Joy at Home and Hearth
At our house, we bring the red and green storage bins from the basement, and joys of Christmas past revisit us through a treasured ornament or photo of one who has crossed over. These items take over a pride of place and help heal our hearts and souls.
More people are buying real Christmas trees this year. Bell’s Tree Farm in New York sold out its inventory. I always look forward to that first waft of pine smell; it makes me smile every time and causes me to take a deep long breath. It is a moment of pure joy.
I experienced that wave of evergreen essence last Saturday because we also have put up a live tree for the first time in several years. It usually goes up in stages — from the roof of the car, then propped in the living room to warm up, and then to the stand.
We let it relax for a day or two to enjoy the natural beauty, and then, as I have for decades, string the white lights. I’m kind of a lighting nerd, so first I string white lights that have a “twinkle” function up and down the trunk. Then the solid ones go around. Usually, the tree sits in the corner, but this year it stands in the middle of a front window for passersby to enjoy as well.
It takes me a while, this ritual of stringing the tree. Time seems to pause when I do this, always in the evening after sundown when darkness has fallen. I always play “A Charlie Brown Christmas Album,” specifically, the instrumental version of “Christmastime is Here,” by the Vince Guaraldi Trio. A Maker’s Mark (God’s bourbon, what else?) completes the ambiance. During this process, I text my brother to tell him I’m listening to the Guaraldi Trio because we share a love of this album, well, that and bourbon.
As the tree’s radiance grows, I often think of Linus telling the story of Christ’s birth “of good tidings and great joy,” As a child, he tells the story so sweetly but with conviction to his doubting friend, and Linus reminds us of what it is truly all about, the good news and joy at the arrival of the Christ Child.
Joy at Heart
Speaking of things that really make me happy, at some point, our celebrations shift from visiting with friends and family to that liminal time I crave at home with Linda and our elder dog, Hermione Gemma. This year, I won’t be leading a Christmas Eve service, so we will watch one, and then migrate to the living room. Only the tree’s lights will illuminate the room, that and a blazing, crackling fire. We’ll listen to a playlist of sacred Christmas songs as we have a quiet meal by the fire.
I’ll leave you with the words of the passage Linus reads in order to consider the very words that I hope will bring joy to your world, to your neighborhood, to your home, and to your heart this Christmas.
The Birth of the Messiah
And there were in the same country shepherds abiding in the field,
keeping watch over their flock by night.
And, lo, the angel of the Lord came upon them,
and the glory of the Lord shone round about them:
and they were sore afraid.
And the angel said unto them,
Fear not: for, behold,
I bring you good tidings of great joy,
which shall be to all people.
For unto you is born this day
in the city of David a Saviour,
which is Christ the Lord. (Luke 2:8-11, KJV)
Blessings on your journey to joy.
