A cartoon shows a husband and wife sitting in a living room that is cheerfully decorated for the Christmas season. The wife, however, has a deep frown on her face, and looks completely exhausted. In the caption the husband is saying: "Of course you're depressed--'tis the season to be jolly."

An American couple planned to travel overseas. They looked forward to their trip for over a year. For the husband it would be a trip back to his heritage, back to where his parents and grandparents were born--a place he had never been. They arrived at their destination, a bit tired from an overnight flight, but glad to finally be at their destination. As they exited from the airplane they looked around at the beautiful scenery and took a deep breath. They felt good. As they were walking toward the terminal a stranger approached them. He asked the couple a question. "Why is it," this stranger asked, "that you Americans are always so sad?"

Or consider an American missionary who lives among the people in South America. At first he thought he could really make a difference. But as time went on he began to wonder and question whether he was doing any good. What was he teaching the people, he began to ask himself. One day he confided to a friend, "These people experience more joy in one day than the average American does in a year!"

Today marks the first Sunday in Advent, that time of preparation for the birth of Jesus. Throughout Advent we will try to rediscover some of the joy of Christmas. Joy is an ingredient that is missing in many people's lives. A holiday shopping trip reveals that few people look joyful, few people walk through the crowded malls smiling. Even though we sing of Christmas joy many times we feel depressed during the roller coaster ride from Thanksgiving to Christmas Day. Something is missing in many people's lives and I believe it's joy. 'Tis the season to be jolly, not melancholy. Part of the medicine Jesus brought to a weary world is "be merry," he is the one whom the Bible describes as "the joy of heaven to earth come down." The word joy and joyful are used a total of 70 times in the New Testament. The Gospels portray Jesus as being full of joy, of really enjoying meals with his friends and even outcasts and sinners. Where has all the joy gone in our lives? And more importantly how can we recapture that joy? Those are the questions before us this Advent season.

The first time we hear Jesus' words recorded in our Gospel lesson they seem to be anything but joyful. In fact they seem to have quite the opposite effect. Jesus speaks of the end of the world and his final coming in glory. But a careful reading shows an inner joy because Christians need not worry about when the end will come. We are in good hands. We need not live our lives in fear wondering when Jesus will return. That's the message Jesus wanted to get across to his followers.

People throughout time have wanted to know the exact day and time when Jesus would return. Every few years someone makes a prediction of when exactly Jesus will return. People sell their property and go to a field at dawn and wait, believing that Jesus will certainly come that very day. They wait and wait. Discouraged, one by one they return home. New calculations are made and a new date is arrived at. I think Jesus would frown on such predictions, because Jesus said, "No one knows, however, when that day or hour will come--neither the angels in heaven, nor the Son; only the Father knows." People are interested in knowing when Jesus will return. Jesus assured his followers that they would not miss that day and they need not fear that day.

People living in the first century wanted to know when Jesus would return. As we have discovered they thought Jesus would return during their lifetimes. Jesus told the people that when the day comes they will not miss it. All of creation will be affected when Jesus returns. Jesus told the people, "There will be strange things happening to the sun, the moon, and the stars." Even "the powers in space will be driven from their courses." No one living will miss these events. We need not worry that we will miss this, or that we will sleep through this event. When Jesus returns, everyone will know it.

There's a word of hope found in these verses. Jesus told his followers that when they saw all these strange things happening they need not fear but instead, "stand up and raise your heads, because your salvation is near!" When the earth shakes and when the sun and moon look strange, we will know that Jesus is about to return. For Christians that means salvation. Instead of living in terror we can look up and sing praises to God because we know that the "kingdom of God is about to come." For Christians Judgment Day is a day of hope and a day of grace. We need not be afraid.

What are Christians to do while we wait for Jesus to return? Jesus tells us that we are to remain centered on God. Jesus warned, "Be careful not to let yourselves become occupied with too much drinking." This time of waiting is not to be filled with fears, or with preoccupations of overindulgence. This time is a time to tell others about Jesus.

When we are able to center on God we can rediscover the joy at Christmas. When we are able to truthfully say that no matter what happens to us God will still be with us, then we can live our lives without fear. We can live our lives without constantly feeling sad or depressed. We have joy that comes from knowing that God is still in control of our lives and that nothing in this world or the next will ever separate us from the love of God.

Consider the story of one young man. He was often sick as a baby. He was always small, puny some would say. As a youth he was always frail and delicate. He was not able to play sports with the other boys his age. Eventually he entered the ministry. But his health was so fragile, he was unable to serve his growing congregation. Amazingly, he did not dwell on his troubles. In fact, his spirit soared. His only real complaint was the poor quality of the hymns of his day. He felt they did not convey hope and joy. Someone challenged him to write better ones. He did. He wrote over 600 hymns, most of them hymns of praise. When his health collapsed completely in 1748, he left one of the most remarkable collection of hymns the world has ever known. His name was Isaac Watts. In a few weeks we will be singing one of his most famous hymns, "Joy to the World!" Isaac Watts discovered joy in his life because he knew that God would never desert him. He was able to live his life with all sorts of health problems feeling close to God and Jesus. He had joy deep in his heart.

THE FIRST STEP IN REDISCOVERING THE JOY OF CHRISTMAS IS TO CENTER ON GOD, realizing that God is still in control of our world and, just as important, realizing that God loves each and every one of us and will never stop loving us, no matter what. When we live our lives with God at the center, we will discover a joy we have never before experienced.

We gather on this the first Sunday in Advent to prepare ourselves for God's great gift--Jesus. Advent is God's doing. God is in control of our world. In a few minutes you will be invited to come forward to drink the wine and eat the bread, knowing deep inside the joy that comes from believing in Jesus. There's not a better gift to be found anywhere!

Amen and Amen.