Dear Friends:

The third week of Advent has traditionally been known as “Gaudete Sunday” – which is Latin for “rejoice.” In the medieval church, this was a day to take a break from what had become a heavily penitential season. These days, our Advent focus is less on penitence and more on preparation and patience as we await the coming of Christ. Either way, the emphasis on joy provides a noteworthy contrast, and strikes me with particular force this year as we live daily with rising COVID numbers, fewer opportunities for social connection, ongoing injustice, and economic uncertainty. How do we find a heart for joy the midst of all this?

Our assigned psalm for this Sunday was written during a similarly tenuous time, as exiled the people of Israel anticipated the return to their homeland, the rebuilding of their cities, and the restoration of worship in the Jerusalem temple. “Restore our fortunes, O Lord, like the watercourses of the Negev!” Just as you and I count the days for reunion with our families, our places of work, and our house of worship, these people longed to be reunited in their homeland, their way of life restored. And yet, even as they cried out to God with sore longing, they kept on going on, and they held on to hope that “those who sowed with tears will reap songs of joy.”

As I ponder these ancient words of scripture, I’m still processing the news from our Bishop’s office in response to the recent spike in COVID cases in Virginia. Beginning this week, the churches in the diocese will discontinue holding outdoor worship services until further notice. The one exception is for Christmas Eve and Christmas Day; however, if conditions worsen, this, too, is subject to change.

This added loss and uncertainty comes as disappointing news to many of us, but in the words of Bishop Goff, “We are called, above all, to love our neighbor as our self.” Our fast from gathering for outdoor worship to ensure one another’s safety is our most immediate way to embody God’s commandment to love during these unprecedented times.

With all these thoughts in mind I invite you to adopt the psalmist’s heart: to keep going on, hold on to hope, and be on the lookout for joy.

I pray

When we meet again

That the world has changed

Into the world that we are imagining now together

And I pray that the world has become

The world that we’re planting inside of ourselves

For each other

For our ancestors

And for our kids

And we’re going to start

This is a rough beginning

That’s all I’ve got

Is a rough beginning to offer you

And we will feel a little bit less alone

In the work.

–The Bengsons, from “The Keep Going Song”

In Christ,

Amelie+