Advent 2023

Week 2 - Joy

For this is what the Lord says: “To those who keep my Sabbath, and choose what pleases me, and hold firmly to my covenant, to them, I will give my house, and within my walls, a memorial, and the name better than that of sons and daughters; I will give them an everlasting name, which will not be eliminated. Also the foreigners who join themselves to the Lord to attend his service, and to love the name of the Lord, to be his servant, everyone who keeps the sabbath, so as not to profane it, and hold firmly to my covenant; even those I will bring to my holy mountain and make them joyful in my House of prayer. Their burnt offerings and their sacrifices will be acceptable on my altar; for my house will be called a house of prayer for all peoples. (Isaiah 56:4-7)

A popular television series in the 1980s was titled “Cheers“ and was set in a bar in Boston. It was a small place with a regular clientele. It was self-described as a place “where everybody knows your name.“ You could go there and not have to introduce yourself. You did not have to worry about being accepted. There were several different characters who regularly appeared in that bar. They did not necessarily like one another, but they all accepted each other despite their differences. That setting and those characters consequently made for some hilarious television comedy.

In this verse of scripture, God is promising his people such a place. The “foreigners“ that are referred to here could just be those folks who are not exactly like us. They may be people with whom we disagree or with whom our differences are obvious.

But God tells us that this is a house of joy where everyone who accepts God‘s grace is also accepted in this place. Joy has many meanings: peace, mirth, laughter, serenity, reflection, and so on. All of these qualities are found in God’s house of joy. It is indeed a place where God and everybody else knows your name.

Where today can we find God’s house of joy? Where is that place of peace, happiness, and acceptance? How can we make that place a reality in our lives?

Our prayer

Dear Lord, help us find that place where you and everyone else know our name. And help us to offer that same acceptance to all of your children that we have received from you. Amen.

This devotional was written and read by Jim Stovall.

Grace for All is a daily devotional podcast produced by the members of the congregation of First United Methodist Church in Maryville, Tennessee. With these devotionals, we want to remind listeners on a daily basis of the love and grace that God extends to all human beings, no matter their location, status, or condition in life.

If you would like to respond to these devotionals in any way, we would enjoy hearing from you. Our email address is: podcasts@1stchurch.org.

First United Methodist Church is a lively, spirit-filled congregation whose goal is to spread the message of love and grace into our community and throughout the world. We are located on the web at https://1stchurch.org/.