Weighing Truth & Life: Week Oct. 19-25

There was a simple chorus that was very popular in Christian circles, back in the 70’s, whose refrain was: “The joy of the Lord is our strength.” Someone has said that joy is the most vulnerable emotion we feel because it combines so many experiences at once that are fleeting, but deeply felt like a beautiful sunset, a glimpse of a loved one, a child’s laughter, a moment of grace and gratitude, and more. The following are some thoughts about joy from Lizzie McManus-Dail.

“Joy is our resilience.  Joy is why we stay alive.  Joy is why we believe.  Joy is what waits for us when we rest.  Joy is a spiritual discipline.  In my Episcopal tradition, we have a simple prayer service we can say at night called Compline, which has my most favorite prayer: ‘Keep watch dear Lord, with those who work or watch, or weep this night, and give your angels charge over those who sleep.  Tend the sick Lord Christ, give rest to the weary, bless the dying, soothe the suffering, pity the afflicted, shield the joyous, and all for your love’s sake.  Amen.’

Notice that in the midst of the litany of losses we ask God to shield the joyous.  This is how we practice joy as a spiritual discipline. We allow joy in, and we nourish joy when it arrives, and we pray God will shield it, although we must not armor it.  We nourish joy, not by keeping it secret, or building walls around it, but by choosing joy, especially when we don’t feel like we deserve it.  We choose joy when the world wants to see our happiness as empty, consumerist, and cheap. 

Because we know it is God’s good pleasure, God’s delight, to give us the kingdom of God, we can trust our joy without dosing it in small measures. Because God made us for joy, we can laugh at the devil.  Because in the midst of violence and death and upheaval and betrayal, God is still in the vineyard and will ensure the harvest is plentiful.  Here is a translation of Psalm 78 we can pray:  

She who speaks life: You are the author of our joy and the threader of our connection, because all of us, all of us are your children.  Shield our joy, nourish our interdependence on each other, and give us courage to trust the goodness of our divine inheritance in you.  Alleluia.