Midway Christian Church sermon for December 7, 2025

Rev. Dr. Heather W. McColl, MidwayChristian Church, Midway, KY

Worship Series: “How does a weary world rejoice?”

Joy is often a companion to many other emotions. We can feel joy in addition to feeling many other things at once: grief, anticipation, anxiety, excitement, disappointment, exhaustion. Perhaps many of us live with the myth that joy is not something we deserve—or that it is wholly out of reach. But our joy is rooted in the truth that we belong to God. Can you tether yourself to that deep truth? You deserve to feel joy—fully. The world needs your joy, even if you are weary. Our joy is better when it is shared. This theme of course alludes to a line in the familiar Christmas hymn, “O Holy Night,” which has an interesting history. The song was originally written by a French poet who was atheist, and the music was supplied by a Jewish composer. The hymn was later translated into English by an American Unitarian minister. In the 1800s, it became a popular hymn for Christian abolitionists due to its justice-focused language in verse 3. Like Mary’s song, the hymn reminds us that justice and joy belong together. Sometimes our joy is an act of resistance.And so, this Advent, we will hold space for our weariness and our joy. We will seek a “thrill of hope” in our hurting world. Each week of our series, we respond to the question, “How Does a Weary World Rejoice” with a statement inspired by our scriptures. These texts bring us into a space of possibility; in them, we find rhythms for rejoicing, even in the midst of difficult circumstances. Each weekly sub-theme is a “we” statement because joy is deeply relational and rooted in the fact that we belong to God. As we move through our series, we hope to create space for acknowledging the weariness of our world while celebrating God’s closeness with great joy. We will welcome joy—even and especially if, like the prophet Isaiah said, while we cry out for comfort (Isaiah 40:1). In this weary world, may we find many ways to rejoice as we claim our thrill of hope.

How does a weary world rejoice?Part 1: “We acknowledge our weariness”Luke 1: 1-23

The thing about weariness is that it tricks us into isolation. There are times when quiet and space are needed for healing of the mind, body and soul, but there is an extra layer of heaviness to weariness. When we are weary, we tell ourselves that we don't have the energy, that we are not good company for anyone, that we would just depress everyone around us, that if we were around others, we would have to put on a fake, happy persona which we were not feeling. All of these things can be true and our faith teaches us that if one part of the body hurts, we all hurt. And if one part of the body celebrates, we all celebrate.

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