Joy to the World

Joy to the world.  The Lord has come. Let earth receive her king.  Now I don’t know about you, but this is my favorite Christmas carol.  I love it.  The picture that is painted by this song is absolutely awesome.  Joy to the world.  And it is a joy unlike any other. 

We experience joy in different places and in different ways.  There is the joy of getting a really cool gift under that tree.  There is the joy of being able to give that really cool gift.  There is the joy of an unexpected snow day in the middle of an incredibly busy week.  And then there is the joy of having to shovel all that snow.  But of all the joys that we experience and know in this world, none is quite like the joy that is sung in this carol.  Joy to the world.  The Lord has come. 

Now this Advent our theme looked at God’s love at Christmas. This love covers us and makes us righteous. It moves us to share that love with others. It comforts us no matter what we are facing. It is the greatest gift of all. There is joy in this theme.  This morning I would like us, as we consider this joy and God’s love for us, to consider a reading from the great book of Revelation.

Now perhaps it seems a little odd that we would be looking at the book of Revelation on Christmas morning.  But I would say not.  For the picture that is painted in these verses, is only possible because of Christmas morning.  Though God has always been present in the lives of his people, the birth of Jesus marks his presence in a new way.  For God became a human being and lived with us.  And so this is the beginning of living with God in a new way.  Here John speaks of that life after Jesus returns.

He writes, “I saw a new heaven and a new earth, because the first heaven and earth had disappeared, and the sea was gone. ² Then I saw the holy city, New Jerusalem, coming down from God out of heaven, dressed like a bride ready for her husband. ³ I heard a loud voice from the throne say, “God lives with humans! God will make his home with them, and they will be his people. God himself will be with them and be their God. ⁴ He will wipe every tear from their eyes. There won't be any more death. There won't be any grief, crying, or pain, because the first things have disappeared.”  I did not see any temple in it, because the Lord God Almighty and the lamb are its temple. ²³ The city doesn't need any sun or moon to give it light because the glory of God gave it light. The lamb was its lamp. ²⁴ The nations will walk in its light, and the kings of the earth will bring their glory into it.”  That is Joy.  And so we sing, Joy to the world.

           

This is a beautiful picture of eternity.  Now keep in mind this is not just talking about heaven and where we will go after we die.  But this is talking about what happens at Jesus’ second coming.  A new heaven and a new earth, a new creation.  And on that day the home of God will be on earth, and he will live forever with his people.  This is awesome.  It is amazing.  It is astounding.  Notice John’s words as he attempts to show us something that indescribable.  To paint us a picture that no one has ever seen before.  There are no words for it.      

He begins by noting that there is a new heaven and a new earth.  And that the sea is gone.  The kinds of feelings that evoke fear, dread and utter hopelessness for us, are similar feelings that the sea evoked for people in John’s day.  It represented, chaos and sometimes evil.  There was no controlling the sea.  And so in this picture that John paints for us, the sea is gone.  On that day there will be no more sin, suffering, pain, evil or chaos.  And God will live with his people.  He won’t be far off, but right there, right in the middle of the place.  That is Joy.  And so we sing Joy to the world.

John goes on to measure the city and take note of the gates and the walls and what they are made of, and those things are significant, but for today we are going to skip ahead to verse 22.  There is no temple in this city because God is there.  But then, can you imagine?  Just as there is no sea, there is also no darkness.  What would this place be like without darkness?  The sun and the moon they are obsolete.  They are like the computer you bought five years ago.  There is no need for the light that they give, because on this new earth, under this new heaven, our light will come from the presence of our God.  Can you imagine?  No night.  No darkness.  No fear, or sickness, or pain, or suffering or death.  And it will be that way forever.  There will be no end to this place and this time with our God.  It is so much better than anything that we can imagine.  That is Joy.  And so we sing, Joy to the world.

And this new heaven and new earth, this city where God lives with his people, this is the Christian hope.  This is for us a great source of strength and comfort.  Because we know that we have this to look forward to, there are times when we are faced with the pain and suffering, fear and dread, hopelessness and brokenness that come from sin. There are times when we are faced with sickness and hardship and even death.  But in the light that comes from our God, these things, these dark things are not as scary as they are without that light, because we know that soon this new day will dawn, and when it does, there will be no more darkness.  For this light is a light that will shine without end.  That is Joy.  And so we sing, Joy to the world.

That’s pretty good news isn’t it? I mean this is really something.  It is life.  It is life beyond death.  And not just in a spiritual sense, but in a real and physical sense.  This is what things will be like after the restoration.  No clouds and harps and wings, but real life here on a real earth.  Lived forever with our God and the great joy and comfort that come from being in his presence.  All of this is given to you and me freely, without any work or worth on our part, but purchased and won for us by our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ. 

Now there is even better news to this whole story.  You see God kind of cheated a little bit.  Because he has taken this awesome future that we look forward with great expectation and he broke into history with it, and we are able to live in this reality now.  It’s kind of like this.  One day in class, my sem. Prof. brought in a sampler box of whitman’s chocolates.  He passed it around and told the class that this box was part of a truckload of whitman’s chocolates.  And that the rest of the chocolates would come sometime during the weekend.  You won’t know the exact time of the deliver, but it will come and in the mean time enjoy this little foretaste of what is to come. 

The future that John paints for us is indeed coming, but while we wait for that day we enjoy the foretaste that our God brings to us here and now.  It began a long time ago with the birth of Jesus.  For in him the kingdom of God had come near.  It had come among us.  And through God’s grace we have been bought and brought into that kingdom.  And while we look forward to that day when there will be no more darkness.  We get to enjoy now the presence of our God. That is Joy.  And so we sing, Joy to the world.

You see he has brought us into this kingdom, into this light, into a day that will never end.  And though we will face times and moments of darkness in our lives, they will not last.  They are only temporary.  For in Jesus this new day has dawned, and we get to live in it now.  And we get to know now his Joy.  And get to sing that Joy to the world.

And so as people of this kingdom of this day, we share that kingdom and that joy with the world.  We proclaim his love and grace, his mercy and forgiveness.  We love those whom society has deemed unlovable and help those who need help.  We share the joy that comes with the good news of forgiveness through Jesus Christ and the relationship with God that we have in him. 

We care for others not just in our words, but in our actions too.  Because in these things we are helping to expand God’s kingdom, and to make it grow.  We are bearing witness to who he is and his great love for the world.  We are letting the light that has come and overcome and will shine forever to shine through us into a world that is couched in darkness.  We are proclaiming his Joy.  And so we sing joy to the world.

And so, while we wait for that day when Jesus will return, we walk now in his light.  And we live in his joy.  For we experience it in word, in the water of baptism, in with and under bread and wine.  And through those gifts we are given forgiveness, life that never ends, and a relationship with our God that will last forever.  That day will be a glorious day, and we get to experience it now, as we walk together in that light and bear witness to the God’s rule and the hope of him living with his people forever.  That is Joy.  And so we sing, Joy to the world.

Surprise

How do you feel about surprises? By now you know me well enough that a question like that at the beginning of a sermon might make you a little nervous. But I promise I have nothing up my sleeve. It is a simple straightforward question. How do you feel about surprises?

Perhaps that all depends on the surprise itself, doesn’t it? I mean if you get a surprise bill in the mail I don’t think anyone looks at that and says, “Yes! Awesome!” Now a surprise check? Absolutely. What about a surprise party? That could go either way, I guess. It all depends on who you are. I know that I would rather be the surprise-er than be the surprise-ee.

Today, in this Fourth Sunday of Advent, we take a moment to pause and reflect on a big and awesome surprise. And what a surprise, I mean nothing like this has ever happened before. This is not anything new. I am not going to share with you some new, never-been-heard-before information. And yet, it is still quite surprising. Because what is surprising is not that it happened, but the way that it happened.

Now from our perspective, from the perspective of the way things usually work, big things happen in big ways. The celebration of Christmas is a big deal (and a big industry). Think about all the extra things that we do at this time of year. How easy it is for the other eleven months of the year to feel overwhelming to us with all the things that we fill our days with. And yet, it the midst of that, we add a whole bunch of extra stuff during this month.

Why do we do such a thing? It’s simple, because Christmas is a big deal. And big things happen in big ways. And, I would suspect, and really hope, that all the extra stuff is not being done so that we can experience seasonally higher stress levels, but in order to enhance our celebration of the Christmas season.

Big things happen in big ways. So we have in our Old Testament lesson today King David. He is kind of a big deal. He defeated a really big guy in his battle with Goliath.   He has been given a really big responsibility in being king over God’s people. He has accumulated a really big amount of wealth. And as a result now lives in a really big palace.

But that is how things go for kings and kingdoms, isn’t it? Wealth, power, might, they use these things to exert their influence in the world and in order to bring about their will. So here is David, king. He notices that he is living in a beautiful house, but that there is no house of the Lord. So David has the desire to build a temple for the Ark of the Lord. He goes to the prophet, Nathan, and tells him his plans.

The word of the Lord comes to Nathan. And guess what? Surprise. The Lord’s response is this. You cannot build a house for me. I have never, in the entire time that I have dwelt with my people Israel had a house to dwell in. Instead I will build for you a household. In a nice twist the Lord makes a promise to David that he will establish David’s household and throne, and that his throne shall be established forever. In the establishment of David’s throne, we have a special connection and relationship that exists between God and the people of his creation.

Well, now that’s kind of a big deal. That is something that is really big. And big things happen in big ways right? Well, normally, usually yes, but not on this one. Not this time. Not in this case. Instead, the fulfillment of this one comes as a bit of a surprise. Because David’s kingdom will only stand as he currently knows it for one more generation. And as soon as his grandson takes his place on the throne, the kingdom undergoes a split. It will only be a few centuries before both kingdoms are finished. They are gone and in exile. And even after God brings his people back from Babylon, things are not what they were in David’s day.

And yet, God’s promise that David’s throne would be established forever remains. So what is going on here? Well, simply speaking God’s ways are not our ways. He works in ways that are different from what we know and understand. And what we would correctly label as a big thing, and expect to find in a big way, we actually do not find in a big way. And that is where the surprise comes in. Surprise!!

The establishment of David’s throne forever, would be something that we might expect to depend on the wealth of the nation, or the power of its army, or its ability to get along with the neighbors in the region. Those would be big ways to bring about that big thing. But that is not the case here. Instead, God brings about the establishment of David’s throne, in a small and unexpected way. He does so in a way that is, well, in a word. . . “surprising.”

But this throne is not established with human wealth, power or might. Instead, it comes though incarnation. This is the word the church uses to talk about the Word becoming flesh and living among us. This is what happens as our God becomes a human being. He becomes one of us. He comes and lives among us, in order that in him and through him we might have and know life.

Incarnation is what happens when the eternal God who exists outside of time, enters into time. The God who is infinite, becomes finite. The God who is all-powerful, becomes dependent on a carpenter and his young bride. The God who created everything in existence, merely by his word, now is knit together in the womb of a virgin. You see, God brings about something very big, by himself becoming very small. Surprise!!

Why? This way, there is no room for doubt. What God brings about in establishing the throne of David forever; what God brings about in giving to us forgiveness, life and salvation. Only comes by the work that he has done. It only comes to us through Jesus. While we may expect to find such big things come about in big ways, with mighty demonstrations of power and force. Instead, they come through a means that is quite surprising. That is quite small. That is incarnation.

You see, we like the big things. We like to think that big things happen in big ways. We even can have a tendency to work for and try to bring about big things in our own lives. So we work and study to better ourselves and provide for ourselves a better lifestyle. We works and study really hard, because we believe deep down in our core that if we just try hard enough, if we just work long enough, that we can earn, merit, or deserve the love and approval of others. We can earn, merit, or deserve the love and approval of friends and family. We can earn, merit, or deserve the love and approval of ourselves, and even the approval of God.

If we just do enough of the right things, in the right ways, then we will have a claim to all that our hearts desire. And yet, forgiveness, life, salvation, love, acceptance and approval do not come from us. They are not earned by our actions. They are not merited through our sacrifice.

Instead they come only from the God whose love for you, and me and all the people of this world, is so real and true that we can hardly comprehend and understand it. While we may be good people, and I don’t think that is a stretch to say. We cannot earn anything from God; no matter how good we are, no matter how hard we work, no matter how much wealth or power or might we have at our disposal.

But none of that really matters here, because the God who has all wealth, power and might at his disposal, brings about a really big thing, not in a big way, but instead in a small way; by becoming a small baby, a child. In the incarnation we see that human beings, and all of human life matters and is important to God. The goal of life with God is not that we would cease to be human, but that instead we would experience the full and abundant human life that can only be found in and through Jesus.

Humanity could not be redeemed apart from the incarnation. Our savior, had to be fully 100% human and fully 100% God, and this is exactly who Jesus is. And this big thing, God brings about through a small means. And because of Jesus, his life death and resurrection, we are able, and indeed we do, know peace with God. We have the forgiveness of sins. We have victory over death and the devil. And we have life. This life is life that will never end. What a great and awesome gift our God gives to us. What a great and awesome surprise that comes to us through Jesus.

May the gift of life in him, always be for you a great source of hope, love, joy and peace. Now and always. Amen.

Always? Really?

 “Rejoice always, pray without ceasing, give thanks in all circumstances; for this is the will of God in Christ Jesus for you.”

Rejoice always. Really? Yeah, right. I mean come on Paul. Really? Rejoice Always? I mean isn’t it more realistic to say rejoice most of the time? That would be hard enough. But always? I just don’t know about that. What do you think? Do you rejoice always? There are certainly many times to rejoice in life; the birth of a baby, a baptism, a marriage, graduation. Life is full of blessings and happy times. Life is full of moments to rejoice in. But it’s not always that way. I don’t know about you, but sometimes I don’t want to rejoice, I would much rather retreat. 

I had a conversation with someone a few years back, during this time of year.  “You know,” the voice on the other side of the line said, “with all the stress of shopping and paying the bills, it is just too much. It really makes me hate the holiday season.”  I was blown away. I mean if there is a season to be rejoicing it is certainly this season. And yet somehow the voice, perhaps overwhelmed by an unrealistic portrayal of the holiday season and the pressure of living up to that, had grown to hate the season. Rejoice? Not this time. Retreat seemed more like it.

What do you think? Rejoice always. Personally, I think Paul means it. He is telling the Thessalonians to rejoice always. And this is a group of people who are not having the easiest time being Christians. They are suffering from persecution. They are suffering from false teaching. It is no small or easy matter to be a Thessalonian Christian. And yet it is in this context that Paul instructs them to rejoice always. 

You and I live in a different world. But it is one that is safer, but not necessarily easier to live in. There is no lack of pain, suffering or injustice in our world. We deal with sickness and debts and rising expenses. There are so many expectations that are placed on us between work and school and home and sports and all the things that we do, that we can’t fulfill all of them. It is no small or easy matter to be a Christian today. And yet it is in this context that the instruction comes to you and me. Rejoice always. 

And let’s face it. We all know that even if things seem to be going along fine now, there will come a point in time when something happens that will make us want to retreat, and rejoicing will be the last thing we feel like doing. So what about those moments when I don’t want to rejoice? What about those times when all I want to do is retreat?

For you and me. When we are burdened with all the expectations that are placed on us in our lives. And rejoicing seems rigorous. It is in those times that we do need to retreat.  But not out in the middle of nowhere, though sometimes quite is nice. Not into ourselves, though sometimes understanding our thoughts and feelings is helpful. Rather when we want to retreat, we retreat into the arms of our God.

These arms are strong and comforting. You look down at the hands and see the scars from the nails. These arms are loving. These arms bring good news to the oppressed. The bind up the brokenhearted, they proclaim liberty to captives and release to prisoners. They comfort all who mourn. The give a garland instead of ashes, the oil of gladness instead of mourning. They give a mantle of praise instead of a faint spirit. 

Our God was not content to allow us to be lost and separated from him by our sin. He was not happy leaving the creation broken without any hope or anything to look forward to. So through the death and resurrection of his son he has restored us to himself.  Which means that we have everlasting life. And in that everlasting life we have hope. So that no matter how bad things may be, we know that when all is said and done, they will be perfect. And so we look for that day when he will return. Because it is on that day that there will be no more pain or sickness. There will be no more sin or death. There will be no more tears. This is what Advent is all about. In this season we are not just looking for the celebration of Jesus’ first coming as a baby in Bethlehem. But we are also looking for his return.

And that is not all. We don’t have to just sit around and wait for that end to come. Because in addition to the everlasting life that we have for Jesus’ sake, we also have the gift of a relationship with him. We live in communion with our God. You and I are able to go to our God. We can go in good times and in bad. He listens to us. He comforts us. He provides all that we need. Not only can we go to him, but he comes to us. He comes to us in the hearing of his word.  He comes to us in the waters of baptism. He comes to us in, with and under the bread and wine in Holy Communion. When we want to retreat, we retreat into his arms. We retreat into the arms that were nailed to a tree.

It is in those arms, that you and I are then able to rejoice. It is in those arms that we are able to rejoice always. If we were on our own we would certainly not be able to rejoice. But in the arms of our God we can. 

Don’t get me wrong. I am not saying that this means that we are to always be happy and to feel feelings of happiness and joy and excitement. We need not be manic. Rather rejoicing in the arms of God is knowing that he is there, right there with you. That he provides and will give you all that you need. And that he loves you so. With the Lord on your side, who can be against you? 

We rejoice in the arms of our God. Because of the close relationship that we have with him. Because of the communication that we share, our lives become conversations with our God. So that in all that we do we are praying without ceasing. Knowing God’s great love in our lives and promises to us, we are able to give thanks no matter what. We trust in the work of his Spirit and love the words he speaks to us. Testing what we hear, even the words of this sermon. Holding fast to what is good and staying away from what is not. 

And here is thing. And this is so cool. We have this life, this relationship with our God, but the implications of that do not end on an individual level. It doesn’t end with me and Jesus. Rather it carries on into our community here, and beyond that into the community around us. 

What a tremendous blessing to be surrounded by people who are living life in the arms of God. Who are able to rejoice always, pray without ceasing and to give thanks in all circumstances. And this is yet another good gift that our God gives to us. He has given you to me and me to you.  We are in this life together. We are in this mission, his mission, to go and make disciples together. Though we feel alone at times, we are never really alone. And so we rejoice. 

He has given us different ministries to participate in together. Things to celebrate and give thanks for. Ministries like altar guild, Fidelis guild, Sunday school and Stephen ministry. By the way, we rejoice with our Stephen Ministers as we commission three new ministers who have just this past week completed their training and will be assigned care receivers at the beginning of the year. For them and all the wonderful things going on in this place for life, we rejoice.

And this is the message of comfort given to the Thessalonians in our lesson. Though they are caught in the midst of persecution and trial, those things cannot separate them from the love of God in Christ Jesus. And so they have hope, they are able to endure, survive and rejoice. And perhaps the greatest comfort comes from knowing that God will indeed see this through.

And this is the message of comfort given to you and me. Though we are caught in the midst of pain, suffering, injustice, sickness, debt and expectations. We know that those things cannot separate us from the love of god in Christ Jesus. And so you and I have hope. We are able to endure, survive and rejoice. And perhaps the greatest comfort comes from knowing that God will indeed see this through.

Rejoice always? Yeah. Right. Because when we are in the arms of our God we are always able to rejoice. And may God bless you and me as we live out our lives in rejoicing, praying and thanksgiving. Amen.

What do we do with John?

Legend has it, that the Russian czar Rudolf the Great, was at home one evening looking out his living room window. As he was gazing at the countryside, he noticed that it had begun to rain. “Look, honey.” He said to his wife. “It’s beginning to rain.” She replied, “What are you talking about? That’s snow.” Being the wise man that he was, he quickly suggested that they go outside to determine who was right. Sure enough, the precipitation was rain. He turns to his wife and says, “See? Rudolf the Red knows rain, dear.”

There is something about this time of year. It’s almost as if there is something in the air. This time of year is different. Our homes look different, as they feature those decorations that only come out of the storage container for a few weeks each year. The songs on the radio and in the stores are different from what we hear during the rest of the year. They start playing and you can almost feel the nostalgia building.

Yes, I think it is safe to say that all in all, there are just certain things that we expect to see and experience during this time of the year. There are angels, shepherds, wise guys, and the manger scene, even a little drummer boy. There are wrapped packages under a tree, and a jolly old saint. But the image that our Gospel lesson presents this morning is not one that we see out there all that much; in fact, not really at all.

Think about all the cards, decorations and things that we see this time of year. Nowhere do we see any images that are depicted in our Gospel lesson this morning. Nowhere do we see pictures, images, or hear songs about John the Baptist. Let’s face it. It’s not like his message is exactly the most popular out there either. Merry Christmas and Repent.

Now, I guess this really shouldn’t be a surprise. It’s not like God’s prophets are the most popular people with the most popular of messages. “Peace on earth, good will to all.” Those messages sell. Those are the messages that we like. But, “repent!” Well, that’s not exactly the most popular of messages. I mean just see what happens the next time someone whishes you a merry Christmas, or happy holidays and you respond with, “Repent!” On second thought, don’t try that.

Yet here is John. What do we do with him? It is not uncommon to see John portrayed in art where he is calling down God’s wrath on sinful humanity. I mean, look at this guy. Is this an image that we associate with Christmas time? Not really, and probably for good reason.

But you know what’s interesting? Mark’s gospel tells us that people went out to see John. All the country of Judea and all Jerusalem were going out to him and were being baptized by him. So maybe there is something to John and his message that isn’t exactly coming across in the art. Not that these are not beautiful works of art, because they certainly are. But maybe our perception of John is off.

After all, if we went down to lighthouse beach, even in the summer. I can’t imagine preaching this message would bring out all of the county of St. Clair and all the people of Port Huron to be baptized by him. So maybe we are missing something about John’s message.

What if John’s message is not one where he is shaking his fist in anger, but is instead waving his hands in invitation? Maybe he is on to something that we don’t know about. Maybe he is not going to get side tracked with all the excitement about hoopla that we see this time of year.

After all, what’s the point in celebrating the birth of this particular baby, if we lose sight of the reason for the birth in the first place? You don’t need me to convince you that if we are honest about the realities of our lives and our world, it looks less like the Christmas card pictures we see, and more like…well, maybe a little more like the Grinch.

This isn’t really that surprising. I mean it’s the reality of living in a broken world. Do you know anyone who has been able to pull off that perfect family dinner? Or do you know anyone who has kids that can walk through a store and not get caught up in the power of the merchandise? Or any adults for that matter?

We kind of chuckle at that, but what about the real problems and struggles in our lives and world? These aren’t anything to laugh at. The reality of living in a world that is broken by sin is harsh. And this shows no prejudice. It affects good people, bad people, and everyone in between. We live in a world where there is death and sickness; where there is injustice and suffering; where relationships are broken; where people are hurting and it leaves us crying out. 

John is the one in the wilderness crying out, “Prepare the way of the Lord. Make is paths straight.” And as he cries this message out, as he proclaims his message of repentance, what we hear from him is an invitation. It is a gracious invitation, to know, to remember, to find comfort, peace and hope in the one who comes as a baby.

You see, it is exactly because the world is the way that it is that God came into the world. And he didn’t just show up as a visitor coming in from the outside. But he became one of us. Jesus is God in the flesh. He is our Emmanuel. He did for us what we are unable to do for ourselves. He won for us victory over sin, death and the devil. Through his own death and resurrection, he has brought us back to God. He has restored us to a right relationship with him.

This means that we can live life with a different understanding and perspective about everything. In the midst of the brokenness, suffering and injustice that we see in our world, we know of the God whose love for us is so great that he became one of us so that we could live life in relationship with him. So that we could know him as our dearly loved heavenly father, who does not see us with contempt and spite, but loves you and me, and all of his creation so much that he would suffer, die and rise again so that we could have that relationship. And in Jesus it is certainly ours.

This is why he came as a baby. This is why the celebration of Christmas is just that, a celebration. Sure the warm and fuzzies can be fun. They can be nice. And there is nothing wrong with a little nostalgia now and again. But those things pale in comparison to the life and forgiveness that our God gives us in Jesus. And because we have this relationship and this connection with our God, we have hope.

It is an unfortunate reality that for some people this time of year is very difficult. But no matter how this time of year is for you, one thing is certain. In our God there is always hope. Hope placed in him and in his promises is hope well placed. Because this is the case, then we live as people of hope. We have and experience this hope in our lives. And we have the great privilege of sharing that hope with others around us.

You see God came into the world, so that he could live life with us. He came into the world so that we could live life with him. He is active in our lives, and gives us many good things. Not because we earn them or deserve them, but because of who he is. He not only gives, but he gives abundantly. More than we need, more than we could ever use. He gives us so much, so that we can then go out are share that good news with others.

And what we find is that in looking at this picture of John, we see a picture of ourselves. As we call out to the world around us. Not in judgment and condemnation do we call out, but in love, in grace, in mercy. We go out, and we tell it on the mountain, over the hills and everywhere. We extend a gracious invitation to know our Great God, and his great love for us. To know the hope that he gives us in Jesus. And having this hope we have a reason to celebrate. This season. And Always. Amen.