 St Alban’s Episcopal Church Bolivar, Missouri Saturday, March 26, 2022 4 Lent – “Rose Sunday”Laetare! – Rejoice!  We understand why we are told to rejoice this Sunday – Lent is halfway over! Easter is coming. But the Bible is full of admonitions to rejoice – even to “rejoice with great joy!” From Leviticus 23 through the Revelation, joy, and rejoicing, plays a more central role than you might expect. God’s people are invited, even commanded, to rejoice in God, to dance and sing, to celebrate, to rest, to stop and remember, even sometimes to re-enact the great stories of their salvation. Again and again this theme occurs. You see it in the psalms, and in Isaiah where even the trees, and the desert are said to rejoice in the Lord! And it continues throughout the New Testament -Joy is a hallmark of faith. Happiness isn’t always possible. There is grief and sorrow, confusion and disappointment, violence and wrong-doing; sometimes we are just too weary to feel happiness. But joy is deeper. Joy doesn’t depend on circumstances, not even our own moods and expectations. It just is. Joy is, because God is, and God has done great things for us – and that doesn’t change.  A fellowship time for rejoicing! Pink lemonade,Strawberry rhubarb pie,cherry crumb pie,raspberry jello pie,strawberry cookies, and rose frosted cupcakes -plus strawberries and blueberries tomorrow after Church.  |
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