2025.07.13 | Joyful, Joyful, We Adore Thee

Good morning Beloveds!

“Joyful, joyful we adore You
God of glory God of love.
Hearts unfold like flowers before You
Opening to the sun above.
Melt the clouds of sin and sadness
Drive the storms of doubt away;
Giver of immortal gladness
Fill us with the light of day.”

The words of this hymn succinctly capture the joy of the Spirit working upon us, within us and through us. The lyrics speak of the wellspring of joy that rises up within us through loving God and living in accordance with the Holy Spirit. They remind us of the blessed assurance that can bring us peace in the midst of life’s storms and inspire us to join in singing the songs that the stars began.

There are many things that can bring us happiness from day to day. Being out in nature and witnessing the profound beauty and abundant diversity of God’s creation, verdant fields of sunflowers, lush forests, vast oceans, or majestic mountains. Seeing a young child laughing gleefully as she plays with a puppy. Singing songs around a campfire with friends. Celebrating births, graduations, weddings, family vacations, family reunions, winning a prize…these are things that can bring moments of happiness and elation. But this is not the kind of joy we’re referring to when we talk about the joyfulness of the Spirit. It is not about chasing happy feelings dictated by your circumstances, feelings that pass as those moments fade.

This fruit of the spirit is born from a way of looking at things. It’s a choice, an attitude, a disposition, a faithful anticipation of God’s promise of goodness. It is the outcome and manifestation of our relationship with Christ and the Holy Spirit dwelling within us. As Bob Turner described so well, it helps us perceive the suffering and need in other people and causes us to act selflessly to aid, comfort and console. And I completely agree with him that there was no better example in our time than former president Jimmy Carter who gave so freely of his joy through all of his days.

This is the deep well of joy that undergirds our faith when time
get rough. Because God has reached out and planted something in us that seeded and grew, that rose up in us, and became part of who we are. This is the immortal gladness that reminds us that Jesus’ love for us is deep and enduring, and that our advocate the Holy Spirit is always with us, helping us. It enables us to worship and give thanks in the midst of our troubles, to trust that God’s goodness is running after us. As the song Amazing Grace puts it:

“The Lord has promised good to me,
His word my hope secures.
He will my shield and portion be
As long as life endures.” 1

As we keep turning to God and choosing joy, the Holy Spirit work in us to bear more fruit, so we become confident in God’s promises, rejoicing in our walk with God, regardless of our circumstances. We find examples of such praise in the face of hardship in the bible. In Hebrews 12 for example, when the early Christians were being persecuted for their faith and were encouraged to fix their eyes on Jesus, “the pioneer and perfecter of (our) faith. For the joy set before him (Jesus) endured the cross, scorning its shame, and sat down at th right hand of the throne of God. Consider him who endured such opposition…so that you will not grow weary and lose heart.”

The apostle Paul believed that the gift of Spirit was a sign that Jesus is always present and working to inspire hope in the midst of adversity. Paul details his many hardships and tribulations in 2 Corinthians 6, and describes “Being full of sorrow and yet rejoicing.” 2 We witness this in the book of Philippians, when Paul was locked up in a dirty Roman prison, but was still proclaiming the joy of the Spirit. He praised God for using his circumstances to inspire more and more people to proclaim the Gospel of Christ. We also see him encouraging the members of the church in Philipi to stand firm and

“Rejoice in the Lord always. Let your gentleness be evident to all.
Do not be anxious about anything, but in every situation, by
prayer and petition, with thanksgiving, present your requests to
God. And the peace of God, which transcends all understanding,
will guard your hearts and your minds in Christ Jesus.” 3

This is the very kind of spiritual undergirding we need in these immoral times, when the world is so full of cruelty, corruption and grief. We must lean on the goodness of God and stand firm in the joy of our faith to guard our hearts, protect our sanity and find the courage to follow Jesus’ teachings in these unholy times. As Pastor Marvin said last week, we must take the long view, rooting in God’s goodness, knowing that this too shall pass.

I look forward to the day when all of our current tribulations are behind us and we get to witness the return of compassion and justice - like the day that the prophet Isaiah described in the reading we heard earlier. A day when the captives have been set free and there is an outpouring of joy from all creation. He promises:

“For you shall go out in joy
and be led back in peace;
the mountains and the hills before you
shall burst into song,
and all the trees of the field shall clap their hands.”
and it shall be an everlasting sign of God’s grace and goodness.

As disciples of Jesus, our joy is not dependent on our circumstances, but is rooted in and grows out of our relationship with God. It is a deep sense of contentment and gladness that flourishes through our trust in Jesus. It is a profound decision of faith and hope. It’s a choice, an attitude, a disposition, a faithful anticipation of God’s promise of goodness, the certainty of things unseen.

And so Beloved, I encourage you to always choose joy. Never stop praying. Be thankful. Trust in the Lord. And in those inevitable moments when you find your circumstances getting you down, remember to connect with the joy within. It’s always accessible because the Holy Spirit is always with us. As the song says, ask God to:

“Melt the clouds of sin and sadness
Drive the storms of doubt away;
Giver of immortal gladness
Fill us with the light of day.” 5

And sing a song to remind yourself:

“This joy I have, the world didn’t give it to me.
Oh, this joy I have, the world didn’t give it to me. 6
The world didn’t give it and the world can’t take it away. 6
‘Cause I’ve got joy, joy, joy, joy down in my soul,
down in my soul, down in my soul. 7
Sweet, beautiful, soul saving joy,
oh, God’s great joy, down in my soul.” 8

Amen.

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1 Song lyrics, “Amazing Grace”
2 2 Corinthians 6:10
3 Philippians 4:4-7
4 Isaiah 55:12-13
5 Song lyrics, “Joyful, Joyful We Adore Thee”
6 Song lyrics, “This Joy”
7 Song lyrics, “Joy, Down in My Soul”
8 Song lyrics, “Joy”