Rejoice Always – Thanksgiving/Advent
Good day all. I hope each one of you will have an opportunity to celebrate with friends and family this Thanksgiving. Keep in mind those that are away from or don’t have family to be with. Invite these people to your celebration.
As Christians we can have a party or get together to celebrate to be a part of God’s Kingdom. The Kingdom of God is a party! Let healthy laughter fill our meetings, our meals, and even our worship. Allow the joy of our faith to be clear in our speech and on our faces. The Proverbs quote below reminds us that happiness is very healthy! Happy people recover from illness much quicker than negative people. Happy people deal with stress much better than negative people. Happy people solve problems much better. For some negative people, their illness, stress, and problems never go away. What a better way to be happy than to have a party celebrating God’s grace for us, and the promise of eternal life? I am currently planning a Christmas party for the worship and tech teams at my church. What an awesome time to celebrate the birth of Jesus than with those who work together to provide the best environment for everyone in the congregation to renew their joy in Christ. These opportunities refuel our joy and happiness. Use these gatherings and our worship to fill us with Joy in Christ!
“But his father said to the servants, “Quick! Bring the finest robe in the house and put it on him. Get a ring for his finger and sandals for his feet. And kill the calf we have been fattening. We must celebrate with a feast, for this son of mine was dead and has now returned to life. He was lost, but now he is found.” So the party began. (Luke 15: 22 – 24)
“Always be full of joy in the Lord. I say it again – rejoice!” (Philippians 4: 4)
“A cheerful heart is good medicine, but a broken spirit saps a person’s strength.” (Proverbs 17: 22)
Ideas for Action: Many of us will be celebrating Thanksgiving with friends and family this week. How about planning another party for the coming advent season and inviting a couple of individuals, coworkers, or families over to celebrate. Don’t forget the cake or pie! What’s the occasion? Christ’s birth first and foremost, but also the joy of knowing and serving Jesus and belonging to our church family. What are some ways that you and your church can have parties to celebrate what we have as Christians? How about a church dinner together? Now that the pandemic is behind us, it is time to gather together in fellowship. Fellowship is so powerful! It strengthens us in so many ways. It equips us to go into the world and spread the joy and good news of Jesus.
Be Happy, Christ is in our life!