And the angel said to them, “Fear not, for behold, I bring you good news of great joy that will be for all the people. For unto you is born this day in the city of David a Savior, who is Christ the Lord. (Luke 2:10-11 ESV)

It was perfect! I had never seen anything like it. As I walked into Lowes, I thought I had hit the Church Christmas Decorating Jackpot. Before my eyes was a giant 6 foot tall J-O-Y, lit from the inside. It was sturdy yet light and it was foldable for easy storage. This was going to be perfect! I went up to it hoping to find it on sale. But I failed to find a price tag. Guessing at the price, I sought out a sale person to verify the cost. “How much for that giant bundle of Christmas J-O-Y?", I asked. The clerk looked above his glasses at me. ‘You don’t really want to know.’ he said. ‘I’m interested in it for a decoration for our church.’ I replied, kinda confused at that moment. ‘More than you can afford', he retorted. He continued, ‘For some reason they only sent us 2 and decided to price them at $1200.’ Wow, that is some pricey joy!

We acknowledge that money can’t buy happiness. But as much as we deny it, at Christmas, the large attractive force between ‘things’ and ‘happiness’ prove almost impossible for us to separate. So, is the joy of Christmas in what we give or is it in what we receive? Or maybe the joy of Christmas comes from something we could never afford? This week, we examine the theme of joy. How do we get it? Where does it come from? How do we hold on to it? In addition to our advent reading and worship, we will have a special event from our youth! Bring a friend with you to celebrate this Advent season. And don’t forget to check out what else is going on at Hope, including our party on Sunday night.