"Sing Joy"

So…

What brings you joy?

When I think about joy, I always think of Shelia Moore’s reminder that we are to be jubilant! One online dictionary describes jubilant as feeling or expressing great happiness and triumph.

Lots of things can make us happy. But joy is, I think another level of delight. A good meal makes me happy. A grandbaby brings me joy!

And the invitation in today’s Psalm is to rejoice, and then take that joy and turn it into praise. We have seen what God has done, so sing and shout and express your joy to the Lord.

Now most Presbyterians are known as God’s frozen chosen. The reason for that kind of implied slight is because we often aren’t very demonstrative - particularly in worship.

We may be delighted - but because of our tradition of a bit of a stiff upper lip  - we sing praise but without a whole lot of emotion. 

I don’t think it’s a matter so much of right and wrong. We are who we are, but…

Our Israelite brothers and sisters were a bit more demonstrative! 

Last week’s reading from Exodus told us that Miriam, Aaron’s sister led the women of the tribes of Israel out to sing and dance before the Lord with tambourines!

But maybe how we be jubilant is less about style, and more about content.

Thinking again about what you are rejoicing in - what is it moving you to joy? And thinking of that might it help clear the way to sing and praise in a way that is authentic to your personality, but also authentic to the joy you are feeling.

So, what brings you joy? Or, what is bringing you joy right now?

The Psalmist seems to suggest that if we simply looked at what God has done on behalf of his people - and on your behalf in particular - you might want to get your praise on!

Fascinatingly, the Psalmist even suggests a whole bunch of ways to do that.

You could shout, you could sing, you could dance, you could play in the band, you could even talk about why you are praising God in the Temple, and one might add the worship center, the streets of town, your favorite restaurant, even the grocery store.

There are no limits to where praise can happen. All that stands in the way of your praise is you noticing what God has done in your life and in the lives of others and saying “Thank you!”

So, what brings you joy?

Because the key to a praise-y life, is you looking and seeing God at work.

Several years ago, I attended a conference that featured one evening a liturgical dance group dancing to a contemporary praise piece of music. 

As part of the dance one hand would come down into what looked like a bowl full of confetti one could imagine, followed by that hand and arm extending up to full height as the confetti was thrown to the wind in an act of pure joy!

If God had delivered you from the Egyptian army, I suspect you might want to dance like that!

For some of us the expression of joy might look a little less like a dance and more like the joy the fans of the Kansas City Chiefs expressed after their Super Bowl win last week.

Jumping around, shouting, throwing arms in the air, lots of fist bumping and some chest bumping; tears of joy, laughter all around, and singing for joy.

The psalmist is inviting us to do the same. To see God’s victory and rejoice.

So, what brings you joy? And what brings us joy as the people of God gathered here at the Otisville – Mt. Hope Presbyterian Church?

Whatever it is, let’s start celebrating like we see what God has done and is doing in our midst!

And always remember to:

Sing, sing a song, sing out loud, sing out strong, sing of good things not bad, sing of happy not sad. 

Sing, sing a song, make it simple to last you’re your whole life long, don’t worry that it’s not good enough for anyone else to hear, just sing, sing a song.

Do, do, do, do it, do doot, do, do dood it, do doot do dootling along!

Amen.