Don't Worry! Pray! Rejoice!

Watching the News

The events of our world right now give us little to reason to rejoice. The atrocities of Hamas and the ensuing war with Israel flood our TV screens. Oh wait but if you were watching the little news scroller on the bottom of your screen, you’d know someone one 1.7 billion dollars. The state of our world, our country gives us little reason to rejoice.

Paul, calls us to rejoice in the LORD always, and again I say rejoice! The nightly news gives us more reason to worry than to rejoice. Our House of representatives still doesn’t have a speaker with a government shut down 30 days away. It encourages worry and fear for Israel, and for the displaced palestinians. Paul, calls us not to worry about anything; instead pray about everything.

Paul also tells us to remember that Jesus is coming soon. Which is a convenient reminder of where our joy comes from. The challenge for us today is to lay our worries on the altar, and pray for all our worries and concerns.

Our joy doesn’t come from the news. It doesn’t come from the darkness that surrounds us. It doesn’t come from our worries and fears. Our joy comes from Christ the light that shines in the darkness and the darkness could not over come.

Feasting on the Word: Preaching the Revised Common Lectionary: Year A, Volume 4 Homiletical Perspective

joy and life beyond constant worry come not when one has mastered this or that spirituality, or when they arrive “special delivery” from God, but when one perceives God’s action even amid difficulty and pain.

Don’t Worry! Pray! Rejoice!

Nehemiah 8:10 NRSV

10 Then he said to them, “Go your way, eat the fat and drink sweet wine and send portions of them to those for whom nothing is prepared, for this day is holy to our Lord; and do not be grieved, for the joy of the Lord is your strength.”

Paul, while he is in prison, calls the church at Philippi to rejoice. He even says it again rejoice. Nehemiah, while working on a difficult and sometimes discouraging building project , tells the people of Israel the joy of the LORD is your strength.

In the midst of world conflict, or more personally our everyday worries and concerns, how can we rejoice in the LORD always? Some things are worth repeating. Rejoice! Philippians 4:6 tell us how we can.

DON’T WORRY

1 Peter 5:7 NRSV

7 Cast all your anxiety on him, because he cares for you.

Paul challenges the church at Philippi, and us today, not to worry about anything. The passage from 1 Peter encourages us to cast all your anxiety on him because he cares for you.

God who made you in his image, cares for you. There is joy in knowing that God is concerned about what is going on in our lives, and even more joy in knowing God is with us through our struggles.

Mark 13:7 NLT

7 And you will hear of wars and threats of wars, but don’t panic. Yes, these things must take place, but the end won’t follow immediately.

In Mark 13 Jesus is laying out the future for his disciples, in what appears to be straight from our news headlines. Jesus tells his disciples not to panic, his return is not yet. Paul reminds us and the Philippians that Jesus is coming soon. Until that day comes don’t worry or panic about the darkness we see. Instead rejoice because God is at work in us and through us amid the difficulty and pain.

PRAY

1 Thessalonians 5:16–18 NLT

16 Always be joyful. 17 Never stop praying. 18 Be thankful in all circumstances, for this is God’s will for you who belong to Christ Jesus.

At times like this instead of worrying about what we see on the news. Instead of worrying about our everyday issues, we should pray about everything. Our joy comes from knowing God’s got this. Whatever this may be. Perhaps a better way making of that statement is God is helping us with whatever this may be.

When the news stirs up worry or concern that the darkness is winning, remember that Jesus is coming soon. Jesus is the light that shines in the darkness and the darkness cannot overcome. Don’t panic! Don’t worry! Pray about everything.

Our Response

This morning lets get beyond the news. What worries and concerns are you facing? It’s only human to have worries and concerns. Our joy doesn’t come from our worries and concerns. Our joy doesn’t come from the news. Our joy comes from God. It comes from knowing that God is there for us in our worries. Our joy comes from knowing the darkness of our worries can’t overcome the light of Christ. It comes from knowing Jesus is coming soon to redeem all creation.

Today lets come to the altar and bring our worries, our concerns, our fears to God. Let’s spend some time praying about everything. Then lets rejoice at what God is doing in the midst of our difficulty and pain.