Campfires and singing just always went together. As a camper, one of my favorites was “I’ve got the joy, joy, joy, joy down in my heart.” Maybe you remember it too. We went on with gusto to the second verse, “I’ve got the love, love, love, love down in my heart.” But our favorite was the last verse where we struggled with – “I’ve got the peace that passes understanding down in my heart.” That one was a mouthful.

Joy, love, peace – these could just as well be Advent themes. In fact just yesterday we lit the third candle on the Advent wreath – the candle of JOY. But wait, isn’t Advent a season of quiet expectation, a time to repent, a time to prepare our hearts for the coming of our Lord?

Yes, we are in a time of waiting. Much like the Israelites who wandered through the wilderness waiting to come into the Promised Land, we wait for the coming of the greatest of joys. We wait for the day when we can join our voices with the angels to sing “Joy to the World, the Lord is come!” We wait for the day when perfect joy will be ours forever.

And so we light the candle of JOY. And we remember the Holy Spirit who even now breathes joy into our lives, who even now showers us with God’s unconditional love.

With JOY we wait.

Judy