It's the third Sunday of Advent and time for a change of mood!  This third Sunday is called "Gaudate!" the Latin word for "rejoice!"  While Advent is primarily a time for repentance, the ancients wisely didn't want this prep time for Christmas to be quite as somber as Lent, so they broke the sobriety of the season with joy and a little mirth.  Sadness turn to laughter, seriousness turn to levity, and purple candles turn to pink.  The apostle Paul, in a rare show of pure joy, said, "Rejoice in the Lord always.  I will say it again:  Rejoice!"  Amazing words of joy from a man most often stern and somewhat unbending!

          As I said last week, it's always a challenge and yet a joy to stand before a crowd of Christians during Advent and move them somewheres - either to action or to higher faith or else out the door - to serve God, of course.  I hope some of you today aren't moved to spend the whole sermon trying to figure out those Christmas song titles in the bulletin.  After I saw it printed, it occurred to me what I'd set myself up for.  But surely you will not let that little insert detract you from the importance of this sermon, but if it does, at least it will keep you awake.

          Most pastors are self-effacing, that is they try not to praise themselves, but rather praise God.  Other pastors, though, are so boring they're what we call self-erasing.  After they're done speaking, you can't recall a single thing they've said.  They're like good campers;  when they go, you didn't even know they were there;  they leave no trace of themselves.  I try never to be that way, no matter what it takes.  This Sunday of Advent, my motto is "make people smile!"  In other words, "Rejoice in the Lord always.  I will say it again:  Rejoice!"

          Advent and Christmas can be times of mixed emotions.  For many, it means going home, in some kind of sacred routine set up years before, by forces unknown and unbending.  It goes like this:  you spend Thanksgiving at his parents home, so for Christmas you must go to hers.  This can go on year after year, with an occasional switch here or there.  So when the year finally comes that Mom and Dad are coming to your house, it's almost like a Lutheran Bar Mitzvah.  Today you are a man!  Or in the case of the daughter-in-law, today you are the cook!

          Many mothers are like Queen Bees, you know.  They hover over everything that happens in the kitchen in charge of all the baking and cooking.  They buy 40 lb. turkeys for Thanksgiving and mash 50 lbs. of potatoes with three pounds of butter.  Queen Mothers bake hundreds of cookies for Christmas and you'd better comment on how good they are!  Daughters-in-law can't do this.  They are lovely people, nice for their boys, but they simply aren't qualified to prepare holiday food!

          So when you, loyal and faithful daughters-in-law, finally get to do Christmas at your home, how can you say no?  Just make sure you make the pie crust with lard, not crisco, and - heavens - never, buy one of those just freshly prepared pies at King Soopers, those that come warm out of the oven.  That'll never do!  And pity the poor people, those ne'er-do-wells, preachers and retirees on fixed incomes who have Thanksgiving dinner at Country Buffet.  No matter if they have ten kinds of meat there, vegetables fit for royalty and the best fresh cinnamon rolls in the world, no one with any kind of conscience would go there for Christmas.  After all, how can you make up for all those wonderful hours of washing pots and pans?  What could ever replace that fellowship?

          Me?  I like a traditional holiday meal, the kind that goes back in my family for generations.  I have a big family back there in Minnesota, and we'd all gather at someone's house (the one with the biggest color TV, of course).  We'd come home from church, watch a little football and drink some beer, and then about an hour before dinner, someone would go to the phone and order Kung Pao Turkey with Steamed Bamboo Shoots or Garlic Chicken with Plum Wine Sauce.  (They have that here, don't they?)  Or maybe we'd order a specialty dish known only in my town:  oven baked ham and pineapple layered over a tomato sauce, covered with a fine cheese and all set atop a specially made round flat bread.  Whatever we'd have, we'd finish it of with cranberry tiramisu or maybe a baked apricot brie, topped off with a great chardonnay.  Yes, friends, that's the way Minnesotans have Christmas dinner where I come from.  What?  You don't eat that way?  Well, then, let's, "Rejoice in the Lord always.  I will say it again:  Rejoice!"

          But it's not always good news.  Sometimes we're just so surprised at what happens around the holidays.  A few weeks before Christmas, a man called his son on the phone.  "Son, your Mom and I are getting a divorce.  We've gone far enough with this and have decided to start proceedings after the holidays."  "But Dad," he said, "you can't do this!  You've been married 38 years and seemed so happy.  And at Christmas - I can't believe it!"  "I know, son," said the father, "but our mind's made up.  I've already called your sister, so she knows about it, too."  "I just can't believe it, Dad.  I'm really sorry!"  The boy hung up and immediately called his sister.  "Did you near what Mom and Dad are doing?" he asked.  "Yes," she said, "and I'm just furious!  They've told us for years about faithfulness and commitment and now they're going against everything they said.  I'm going there for Christmas and I'm going to do everything I can to stop this from happening."  "And I'm coming too," he said, "and bringing my family."  The son called his father, "Dad, Sis and I are coming home for Christmas to talk you guys out of this nonsense.  And we're bringing our families, so don't think you can duck this one with the grandkids.  Goodbye!"  As the father hung up, his wife walked in the door, "What was that all about, honey?" she said.  "Good news, dear!" he smiled.  "The kids are finally all coming home for Christmas and they're footing the bill!"  Ah, yes, "Rejoice in the Lord always.  I will say it again:  Rejoice!"

          Christmas is a wonderful time for children.  Whatever they get under the tree can always be broken that day.  And batteries, if the store has them, are guaranteed at least 24 hours.  As for their clothes, it's "trip and tear" time, and the closer you live to church, the later you'll get there, because kids always know how to spring an emergency on you at the last minute.  And no matter what you feed -- or don't feed -- them beforehand, at least one child in the Christmas program will learn the surprise value of projectile vomiting.  "Rejoice in the Lord always.  I will say it again:  Rejoice!"

          How does one get serious on a Sunday named "Gaudate"?  Consider where Paul writes these words of our text.  He's in prison -- no easy place to rejoice!  Many of our fellow Americans are not rejoicing today.  They are very serious, almost in mourning, or at least very serious.  The stock market isn't the reason, nor is their health or home life or job (indeed, they're just glad if they have one).

          But they may have a loved one engaged in war in a distant land, or they have lost a loved one in a senseless terrorist attack.  They might be in Israel or India, New York or Dublin, and they are wondering when this terrorist madness will end?  I mean, what parent in their right mind can actually believe it's good to raise a son or daughter to become a walking bomb?  Who can be so loveless as to rejoice when the innocent die?  Who can be so unforgiving as to find joy in blowing up hapless civilians over events that happened centuries ago?  We just can't understand...

          Several pastors met and discussed this last week and we all agreed there's no solution for the hatred of Arabs for Jews, or Muslims for Christians.  Friends, I hate to say it, but this one is not going away!  No Middle East peace process will work until God brings the final one on Judgment Day.  When you're dealing with a religion that does not allow forgiveness, how can the fighting ever stop?

          And if we believe what the Bible tells us about the Last Days, it's only going to get worse, until Christ comes in the Second Advent.  It doesn't mean we run out and buy guns and knives.  It doesn't mean we should give gift certificates for self-defense lessons or house alarm systems.  (Oooh - now there's one I hadn't thought of!)  But it does mean we must know the signs of the times and be ready for the Prince of Peace with faith in our hearts.  We can rejoice somewhat now, but it's muted until the End Times of great rejoicing with God in heaven.

          One thing I'm becoming more aware of:  Muslims are right in saying that a goodly chunk of western civilization is decadent.  Far too many of us are living meaningless lives of lust, pleasure and greed.  We fill our emptiness with sex, drugs, and credit cards.  Mindless entertainment has replaced good conversation and Christians are in the middle of it all.  Churches will help some, but more and more of us will die without Christ.

          The Good News is that despite the rise of wickedness, God still loves us.  His mercy and righteousness will prevail over evil.  As Isaiah already told us (Is. 35:3-4), "They will see the glory of the LORD, the splendor of our God.  [So] strengthen the feeble hands, steady the knees that give way;  say to those with fearful hearts, "Be strong, do not fear;  your God will come, he will come with vengeance;  with divine retribution he will come to save you."

          On this day of rejoicing, may the Lord fill us all with a sense of wonder.  He who could have skipped this world for better things chose to enter human life.  He who could have made it all simple by forcing everyone to believe, instead gave us freedom of choice.  And when, by the Spirit's help we choose Christ, we will rejoice eternally with the hosts of heaven.  Grant us this, Lord, Amen!

Copyright © 2001 by Pastor Bob Tasler.  All rights reserved.