The theme for this week of Advent is joy, and this Sunday we light the pink candle. Are our lives ordered by the fear, anxiety, and frustration of society, or as Christians are we learning to live by the rhythms of hope, peace, and love? Hope is anticipated joy in all that God has for us. Christianity is uniquely a religion of joy centered in good news. The writers of the New Testament share with us this simple spiritual discipline: stare at Jesus. At all times and in all circumstances look at Jesus (who grasped the joy in front of Him and endured the cross and now shares His joy with us). Joy is a resistance to the rage of our age. Joy is also an alternative to all the ways our society likes to choke out life, and it reminds us that we are on the receiving end of God’s good gifts. Our study this week is called: Joy to the World.