REJOICE IN THE LORD ALWAYS, AGAIN SAY REJOICE!
REJOICE IN THE LORD ALWAYS, AGAIN SAY REJOICE!
REJOICE, REJOICE, AGAIN I SAY REJOICE!
REJOICE, REJOICE, AGAIN I SAY REJOICE!
REJOICE IN THE LORD ALWAYS, AGAIN SAY REJOICE!
REJOICE IN THE LORD ALWAYS, AGAIN SAY REJOICE!

As we look around St. Charles Center today
with all of its decorations for the coming feast of Christmas,
we may be tempted to believe that today’s rejoicing
has something to do with the birth of Christ,
but the birth of Christ already happened over 2000 years ago.
Today we are invited to rejoice in all that God
Has done for us.
The people of Israel had been in exile for almost 70 years,
when Isaiah proclaims to them a reason to rejoice.
There did not seem to be much to rejoice about at that time,
but Isaiah could see what was coming.
Impossible things were about to happen.
The desert would bloom with abundant flowers,
and they would see the glory of the LORD,
The hands of the feeble would be strengthened,
and the knees of the weak be made firm.
Isaiah proclaims that God is already here,
and is coming with vindication and divine recompense.
He shouts for joy that the eyes of the blind will be opened,
the ears of the deaf will be cleared,
the lame will leap like a stag,
and the tongue of the mute will sing.

REJOICE IN THE LORD ALWAYS, AGAIN SAY REJOICE!

The Psalmist, too, gives us reason to rejoice,
for the Lord keeps faith forever.
Secures justice for the oppresses,
gives food to the hungry
and sets the captives free.

REJOICE, REJOICE, AGAIN I SAY REJOICE!

John the Baptist was in prison,
and he wasn’t sure what was going on.
Was Jesus really the One who was to come
Or was he to looks for another?
Jesus never answers John’s question.
He simply asks John’s disciples,
Look around, what do you see?
Do you see signs of the kingdom of God?
Today we are invited to looks around,
to remember all that God has done for us.
Unlike john, we already know the whole story.
We have heard all the parables
and teachings of Jesus.
We have been touched by hid grace.

REJOICE IN THE LORD ALWAYS, AGAIN SAY REJOICE!

Jesus praises John the Baptist for what he has said and done.
and then he proclaims,
Among those born of women
there has been none greater than John the Baptist;
yet the least in the kingdom of heaven is greater than he.
In the waters of baptism
we were born into the kingdom of heaven,
and thus we are greater than John the Baptist.
We have heard the Word of God proclaimed,
not only today,
but year after year,
and we have eaten the Body of Christ
and drank his precious Blood.
We’ve seen his wonders in our own lives
and in the lives of people around us.
And Jesus proclaims that we are greater than John the Baptist.
Though there are many churches named after him,
he never knew the whole story.
He did not know of Christ’s passion, death and resurrection.
He didn’t know about the coming of the Holy Spirit,
but we do know all those things,
and so we are called to rejoice
in God among us,
in Emmanuel, God with us.

REJOICE IN THE LORD ALWAYS, AGAIN SAY REJOICE!
REJOICE IN THE LORD ALWAYS, AGAIN SAY REJOICE!
REJOICE, REJOICE, AGAIN I SAY REJOICE!
REJOICE, REJOICE, AGAIN I SAY REJOICE!