"Overwhelmed by Joy"
worship in these weeks before Christmas. Realizing that there are many different ways of observing this ancient tradition, I don’t want to impose our planning schedule on yours; but our four Advent themes are Repentance, Anticipation, Joy (this week), and Hope. Today’s WORSHIP QUOTE is a personal reflection on “Christian joy� by poet Ulrich Schaffer. [WARNING: This is free verse. If you need regular meter and rhyme in order to enjoy poetry, you’ll have to look elsewhere today.] OVERWHELMED BY JOY 1 I experienced it again today. You were suddenly there with your surprising presence. You were suddenly there without any visible reason, without my having done anything, without preparation, without warning. Suddenly you were there with your complete joy, With the relaxation which emanates from you, with the sense you put back into life. There you are And I can only smile At how connected everything is in my life. I sense your liberation and I see that you have come to me as a human being again and I am happy to live in that realization. 2 I become strong in this joy. My life receives a new elasticity and becomes interesting for others. but only because this joy is in contact with you because all manufactured, drummed-up joy leaves a great emptiness behind. 3 But I also know that this joy which seems so secure now can come to an end very quickly. I don’t want to think about that. 4 Yes, I do want to think about that because the beginning of joy, the climax of joy, and the end of joy all come from God, for those who love God. 5 Then the amazing thing happens: joy becomes a background on which my entire life takes place, a security which allows me to bear all uncertainty. A background that is hardly noticeable yet creates solidity and perspective in the picture. — Ulrich Schaffer, “Overwhelmed by Joy,� from GREATER THAN OUR HEARTS: PRAYERS AND REFLECTIONS. San Francisco: Harper & Row, 1981, pp. 101-103. ISBN 0-06-067088-6 [For a wonderful Christmas poem by this same author, see: the WQOTW index (by author) great quotes for Advent and Christmas.] Let every heart prepare Him room. Have a great week, Chip Stam Director, Institute for Christian Worship School of Church Music and Worship The Southern Baptist Theological Seminary Louisville, Kentucky www.carlstam.org www.sbts.edu |