15th December

The third Sunday in Advent is called Joy.

I discovered for the first time that most people use a pink candle for the third Sunday.

Traditionally the color representing Advent is purple or blue. This symbolizes the color of the sky just before dawn. The third week of Advent is represented by the color pink for Joy.

I hadn't known this so next year I will make sure we do the same.

Little did they know that the baby God was giving them would bring so much Joy, freedom and love to the entire world! In fact, God sent hundreds of angels to sing and announce “I have come to bring happy news for everyone –everywhere!” Jesus’ birth into the world was so important that God sent a special star to light up the darkness like a spotlight to lead people to the infant Jesus. Faith Box

Isaiah 25:8-9
Luke 2:10-11
Hebrews 12:2
1 Peter 1:8-9

What does joy do?
How do I recognize it?
Like an underground spring bubbling up from deep in the earth causing a river to form,
like the lift of a heart at a baby’s coo,
like the touch of Spirit on spirit in our deepest prayer, or our shallowest excitement,
joy comes from our recognition of the divine being within, without, around, about, above and below
making our living worthwhile and recognizing us as persons loved by this incredible Creator of all things.