Being the Beloved - A Monthly Blog from CFDM Northwest
By Rev. Mona Chicks
Suddenly a great company of the heavenly host appeared with the angel, praising God and saying, “Glory to God in the highest heaven, and on earth peace to those on whom his favor rests.”
– Luke 2:13-14
This year, it may seem particularly difficult to find joy. So much of what we have come to expect from the season looks different this year. Family traditions are frayed; in some cases, this holiday season is unrecognizable from what it has “always" been.
Yet the angels still sing! Joy isn’t dependent upon happy feelings. Joy lives deep in our hearts and can be present whether we feel happy or sad. Joy is a Fruit of the Spirit, given by the Holy Spirit as we lean into relationship with God.
We tend to associate joy with happiness. We think that next cool phone, the perfect holiday meal, or looking a certain way will bring us joy, when maybe what we’re seeking is an endorphin rush. Joy is deeper. Joy is bigger. Joy can’t be stuck in a 700-sq ft apartment or a 4000-sq ft house.
Author C.S. Lewis says,
Our Lord finds our desires not too strong, but too weak. We are half-hearted creatures, fooling about with drink and sex and ambition, when infinite joy is offered to us, like an ignorant child who wants to go on making mud pies in the slum because he cannot imagine what is meant by the offer of a holiday at the sea. We are far too easily pleased.
~ C.S. Lewis (The Weight of Glory, and Other Addresses)
Joy isn’t a feeling; it is a gift, a mindset.
It’s when the heavens burst forth because the joy can’t be contained.
It’s when we may be sad not to see grandma and grandpa for Christmas, but find hope in creating a new tradition or way of honoring the season.
It’s when our hearts are warmed by lights in a tree and we are filled with a sense of peace and comfort.
It’s that sense of contentment when we help our neighbor rake leaves or shop for groceries.
Joy sneaks into our soul’s deepest crevices when we’re least expecting it, like it did for the shepherds - but it can’t be contained there.
The angels still sing. A baby is still born, wrapped in cloths and found lying in a feeding trough. Joy is given, present because God is present – Immanuel. Joy isn’t small, it’s HUGE. It can’t be contained by our finite ideas of happiness just like it couldn’t be contained by the heavens. Joy bursts forth.
Perhaps we are far too easily pleased. What if we were to think bigger than “mud pies”? Let your imagination explore what joy looks like for you. Ask the Spirit to burst forth through you. Discover the holiday at sea God offers.
Imagine yourself as a character in the Christmas story (Read Luke 2:4-20). Are you Joseph? Mary? The Innkeeper? A shepherd? One of the animals? What do you see, hear, smell, taste, feel with your hands/on your skin? What is the weather like? Are you outside or inside? Are you sitting, standing, or lying down? What emotions pass through you as you experience Jesus’ birth? What thoughts? If you have more time, try a different character.
Please share with another who would like to participate with a community in practices like these and more. Train to be a spiritual director through CFDM’s programs. Check out our offerings at www.cfdmnorthwest.org.
What books, media, activities are nurturing your heart, soul, mind, strength in this season as we are loving God and our neighbor as ourselves? Post in the comments below or hop on over to our Facebook page and share with one another.