Goodnewsscrolling

Joy Video

Doomscroling has become a word…that is simply the act of what I like to call going down the rabbit hole. In a snapshot “doomscrolling” refers to “spending inordinate amounts of time on devices pouring over grim news.”

Many if not all of us have all done it we may watch too much cable news, FB, Twitter, Etc...when we do this we end up shutting off our device convinced there is nothing to be joyful about...As a matter of fact I would go so far as to say that much of the much of the time we are angry, scared, depressed or convinced that life has no meaning and everything is just terrible.

It seems that instead of engaging doomscroling the endless tragedy we find ourselves living through maybe there is another way.

Not a blind power of positive thinking approach but goodnewsscroling.

Instead of endlessly listening to the deafening negativity around us...what if we replaced that with endlessly listening to the voice of God? Not just christians music, or talk shows or endless sermons but trusting in who God says we are from the Holy Scriptures…talking to a trusted friend or calling on one of your pastors.... Again not simply power of positive thinking self talk.....but....the power of Holy Spirit leading self talk.

What if instead of seeing Joy as some elusive concept we needed to find and understand...we understood that Joy is a muscle that needs to be intentionally exercised so it becomes the dominant muscle in our emotional, spiritual and mental patterns.

As we intentionally flex the muscle of Joy everyday by choosing Joy over despair....Joy then overtakes darkness that is planted by the enemy in the less than ideal circumstances we often face. We become healthier and more inclined to see the World as the Kingdom of God on earth.

Joy is directly connected to the voices we choose to listen to. Do we get caught up in the daily slug it out exchange of opinion or do we choose to get caught up in the Holy voice of God?

Joy is more than happiness. Happiness tends to depend on circumstance where Joy comes from being part of something bigger than ourselves. Joy is attached to meaning.

Joy comes by understanding and participating in God’s life giving mission instead of being part of humankind’s small minded drama.

This is what our passage reminds us of today. Just a reminder from couple of weeks ago the Israelites where at a point where they were looking at the devastation of their homeland and they were at a crossroads of life or death…they had a choice to make Joy or Despair…It was completely up the them.

Isaiah 61:1–4 NLT

1 The Spirit of the Sovereign Lord is upon me, for the Lord has anointed me to bring good news to the poor. He has sent me to comfort the brokenhearted and to proclaim that captives will be released and prisoners will be freed. 2 He has sent me to tell those who mourn that the time of the Lord’s favor has come, and with it, the day of God’s anger against their enemies. 3 To all who mourn in Israel, he will give a crown of beauty for ashes, a joyous blessing instead of mourning, festive praise instead of despair. In their righteousness, they will be like great oaks that the Lord has planted for his own glory. 4 They will rebuild the ancient ruins, repairing cities destroyed long ago. They will revive them, though they have been deserted for many generations.

Isaiah 61:8–11 NLT

8 “For I, the Lord, love justice. I hate robbery and wrongdoing. I will faithfully reward my people for their suffering and make an everlasting covenant with them. 9 Their descendants will be recognized and honored among the nations. Everyone will realize that they are a people the Lord has blessed.” 10 I am overwhelmed with joy in the Lord my God! For he has dressed me with the clothing of salvation and draped me in a robe of righteousness. I am like a bridegroom dressed for his wedding or a bride with her jewels. 11 The Sovereign Lord will show his justice to the nations of the world. Everyone will praise him! His righteousness will be like a garden in early spring, with plants springing up everywhere.

Isaiah is saying that he has no choice but to be filled with Joy becuase of the good news he has just shared.

We have all heard the Love is choice and few of us argue this…but what if Joy is more than what we settle for? What if joy too is a choice we have to intentionally make with the help of God?

Henry Nouwen says this:

I am convinced we can choose joy. Every moment we decide to respond to an event or a person with joy instead of sadness. When we truly believe that God is life and only life, then nothing need have the power to draw us into the sad realm of death. To choose joy does not mean to choose happy feelings or an artificial atmosphere of hilarity. But it does mean the determination to let whatever takes place bring us one step closer to the God of life.

--Henry Nouwen--

So Joy is not a mystery to seek…Joy is a Choice we make.

Isaiah is excited to bring the news that God has sent him not to drive the people deeper into despair but to bring every one of them good news. The poor, the broken hearted, the captives and those in prison.

Why do you think Isaiah is so excited…First of all Isaiah was not used to bringing good news…in fact when the people saw him coming they usually braced themselves for news of famine, disease or exile…So Isaiah was excited to be bringing them news of Joy.

I don’t know about you but I really do like giving people good news. I love it when I get to tell someone that they got a raise, or that their long lost relatives are coming to see them. I love to be there when a doctor says there is no sign of cancer.

To know that I have in some small part been able to fill someones life with purpose and Joy is really beyond expression for me. To bring Joy to others brings joy to our own life.

Joy is an incredible thing to be not only a participant in but a witness too.

When my son was little he had this little expression that came over his face when he felt this sense of joy. If he won an award, accomplished a hard task or even when someone noticed great effort he would breath in really deep and hold his breath with a facial expression that was both a little embarrassed but also extremely happy. He would hold this expression-on his face as long as he held his breath.

It is and expression that I will hold in my mind forever…it’s an expression of joy that I witnessed and my life was enhanced by every time he showed it.

However that expression of Joy would never come if it was not preceded by good news.

Good News always precedes Joy

Isaiah was helping the Israelites choose joy by assuring them that he was there not for judgement but blessing. He was bringing Good news even though things were looking bleak.

The remanent would not be weak forever, the land would be flowing with milk and honey again and those that wronged others will be dealt with...justice would be dealt by the Lord.

Part of that Justice was the rebuilding of Isreal…which they would be an active part of.

They would be empowered by God to rebuild their society. This good news should be met with Joy even though things look impossible.

In order to celebrate this joy they are called to participate in the fulfilment of the good new.

The Good News still precedes Joy.

As my son grew older that expression I spoke about showed itself less and less. Not because there were not accolades or good news moments in his life…but maybe becuase like many of us he was less inclined to believe the good news that leads to joy.

Jesus still has plenty of Good News for your life. This world and its trappings do not compare with the truth of God’s love for us. There is still hope for the hopeless, peace for the tormented, healing for the sick and freedom for those in bondage.

God’s people choose good news, and in so doing build a community of faith that breeds Hope, Peace, Joy and as we will talk about next week Love.

We are called to celebrated the coming good news by dynamically participating in bringing the Good News to all those experiencing pain or those not experiencing the Joy that every Child of God has available to them if they will choose it.

Joy is on the other side of sadness even if we fail to see how it is possible we can still trust God for God has promised us that the return of Jesus is eminent and joy can be had in our lives right now as we wait.

Always Be Joyful

1 Thessalonians 5:16-17

New Living Translation Chapter 5

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.

Don’t Stop praying: Pray for those who need Jesus, Pray for the mission of the Church, pray for the opprotunity to live out our mission in your life.

New Living Translation Chapter 10

2 These were his instructions to them: “The harvest is great, but the workers are few. So pray to the Lord who is in charge of the harvest; ask him to send more workers into his fields. 3 Now go, and remember that I am sending you out as lambs among wolves.

Be Thankful Right Now

It is God’s will for us to be thankful right now not when everything gets better.

Practice intentional focused prayer:

It starts and ends with intentional prayer take out your phones set an alarm for 10:02 am or 10:02 pm and take just a few min to pray for

Communion as Joy