In This Post:

• When Pink Breaks Through Purple
• Three Flavors of Joy
• A Joy That Unites Us All
• Making Room for Joy
• Your Invitation to Joy
• What's Next in This Series

When Pink Breaks Through Purple

Picture this: It's December 15, 2024. The initial excitement of December has settled into a rhythm of waiting. Holiday shopping lists have morphed into shipping anxiety, and "joy to the world" competes with "will it arrive in time?" Then suddenly, like a sunrise sneaking up on midnight, this pink candle appears in our Advent wreath, breaking through the purple of preparation with an unexpected announcement: joy doesn't wait for perfect circumstances!

Welcome to the Third Sunday of Advent, where a simple color change declares a profound truth. This pink candle (or rose, if you're feeling fancy) is like a sneak preview of Christmas joy breaking through our waiting. It's God's way of saying, "Yes, we're still preparing - but take a moment to rejoice in why we're preparing!"

Three Flavors of Joy

Joy comes packaged differently than we might expect:

• The World's Joy: "Limited time happiness!" "Satisfaction guaranteed!" "Joy sold here!" These promises sparkle brightly but fade faster than a string of cheap Christmas lights.
• Circumstantial Joy: "I'll be happy when..." This joy depends on everything going right, like trying to build a house of cards in a windstorm.
• Christ's Joy: Here's the real gift - joy that arrived in a feeding trough and persists through every season. When Jesus came as a baby, He didn't just bring temporary happiness but eternal joy. This joy carries us through both silent nights and noisy days, through wrapped presents and wrapped in grief, through celebrations and silence. It's the kind of joy that Mary carried within her - not just a baby, but the knowledge that God's promises never fail, even when they arrive in unexpected packages.

A Joy That Unites Us All

In a season when "joy" often feels more like a decoration than a reality, something remarkable happens. Across every Christian tradition, believers unite in discovering that true joy isn't found in circumstances but in Christ:

• In century-old sanctuaries and contemporary worship spaces
• In traditional liturgies and modern expressions
• In every cultural celebration
• Through every denominational distinction

Though we may express it differently, we share this truth: our joy is anchored in a birth that changed everything - not just for a season, but for eternity.

And that is the important thing for us to remember as a Church family. The thing that unites us. Some may be reading this post and be thinking, "What is he talking about? Our candles aren't purple or pink, they are blue." Or maybe, your candles are all red, or all white, or maybe you don't do Advent candles at all. There unfortunately has been division over things of this nature; and in the midst of disagreements on candle color, we need to remember that we all still can agree on what we put our faith and trust in. We share this truth: our joy is anchored in Christ's birth and resurrection. Whether we choose to follow Advent down one path of remembrance or another, let that Joy, be the Joy that unites us all.

Making Room for Joy

As we light this pink candle, we're doing more than adding variety to our Advent wreath. We're declaring that joy doesn't wait for perfect circumstances - it breaks through them, just as Christ broke through history in a humble manger.

Take a moment today to:

• Light your pink candle (or any candle - joy isn't picky about color!)
• Set aside your to-do lists (they'll still be there tomorrow)
• Breathe in the presence of persistent joy
• Remember what makes this joy different from the world's fleeting happiness

Your Invitation to Joy

The world offers us "joy while supplies last." But Advent invites us to a joy that never expires, never depends on circumstances, and never needs to be recharged - because it's founded on God's eternal promise fulfilled in Jesus.

As we continue our Advent journey together, may this pink candle remind us: true joy isn't found in a perfect holiday season but in a perfect Savior. Whether you're singing classical carols or contemporary praise, you're part of a story of joy that began in a manager and continues through every season of life.

Because at its heart, this pink candle reminds us: joy isn't something we achieve or unwrap -- it's Someone who unwrapped heaven's best gift by arriving as a baby. And that's worth celebrating long after the holiday decorations are packed away.

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Advent 2024