A Word from Pastor Lisa: Mega Joy
And the angel said to them, “Do not fear. Behold! I bring good news to you of great (mega) joy that will be to all the people.” – Luke 2:10, translation my own
Her kindergarten feet were dancing through the kitchen this week announcing how many days until her birthday and the birth of Jesus. While I wish I could bottle up that joy and hand it to others, this is the kind of innate passion of children that’s simply a gift. Everything about her birthday and the Advent season twinkles with delight, from the Christmas tree, to the gifts, to our family tradition of making homemade candy.
That tradition started before I was born as a way to produce some joy after a very hard year in which my 28-year-old uncle died tragically from cancer. What started in heartache grew to an indelible tradition. I have so many delightful memories from my younger years as we rolled peanut butter balls and bonbons in chocolate, overcooked the caramels, fussed over the molds, and popped the rejects in our mouths. At the helm of the laughter was my aunt, my uncle’s wife, whose humor and fastidious attention to detail both delighted and exasperated those of us who weren’t aspiring for Godiva quality.
We hadn’t made candy for the past five years. The middle generation was busy adding to our family five little girls in just five years. Then sadly my aunt passed away right before the pandemic. A week ago we gathered again for a scaled-back operation to introduce the little ones to the family tradition. It was magical to watch them learn, make a mess of dough and chocolate, lose interest to go play, and then return to the kitchen for the next step. We honored and celebrated my aunt with hands covered in chocolate, giving thanks for her love and laughter that we still share.
This Sunday in worship is Gaudete Sunday, which is the week when we light the third pink candle on our wreath and give thanks for the joy we find in this Advent. I’m reminded of the angel’s proclamation to the shepherds, which I’ve translated above: “Behold! I bring good news to you of great (mega) joy that will be to all the people.” I want to draw your attention to the word joy, which in this passage also includes an adjective that we translate “great” but could also mean “mega.” I’m drawn to this notion of the angel proclaiming not just a little joy, but mega joy to all people.
The first recipients of this news were the shepherds, some of the lowest in social standing, who were out guarding their flocks by night. This divine message was the last thing they expected in the difficulties of their daily existence. The angel offered them joy that surpassed contentment or happiness. They could discover delight in the news of their Savior even in the most mundane and challenging circumstances.
My prayer for you as we enter this third week of Advent is that you, too, may encounter God’s mega joy where you least expect it – comfort in your grief, beloved memories of someone you love, a Christmas card in the mail, rolling chocolate or baking cookies, wrapping the presents to give away, or seeing the joyous step of a young person excited for the birthdays ahead.