Spirit-Filled, Heart-Felt Joy

Sunday 21st December 2025
4th Sunday in Advent

Text: Luke 1: 39-56
  
Life is seldom a smooth journey. For most of us it is punctuated with a series of high and lows, and at times we are tossed about on an emotionally demanding rollercoaster ride of ups and downs. The story of Mary and Jesus certainly bears this out. Today’s passage captures the spirit-filled and heartfelt joy of Mary and Elizabeth regarding their pregnancies. This feeling of deep joy is wound through the whole incarnation narrative of scripture.
 
Today’s sermon explores where this joy fits in the ups and downs of the pregnancy and birth story, why there was such joy and how that joy impacted Mary and Elizabeth.

Watch the recorded sermon here: https://youtu.be/R0pJdwYshyo​

Today we light the fourth candle of Advent, the Candle of Joy.
The apostle writes: “Rejoice in the Lord always; again I will say, Rejoice.”
(Philippians 4:4)
Spiritual joy does not ignore suffering; rather, it springs from the nearness of God, who meets us in every circumstance.
We rejoice because God came to us in the baby Jesus.
Mary and Elizabeth rejoiced to be included in your plan.
We too hear you call on our lives!
Mary and Elizabeth responded with heartfelt joyful gratitude.
May we know that deep joy in our worship today.