The Discipline of Joy

April 21, 2010 – Wednesday, Third Week of Easter

“There was great joy in that city.”
—Acts 8:8

“Let all the earth cry out to God with joy.”
—Psalm 66:1

Yesterday we were confronted with one of the greatest prices of discipleship – radical forgiveness. Today, we are greeted with one of the great benefits — radical joy. And yet, joy is more than the by-product of discipleship. It’s part of the discipline itself.

How often do we know true joy in our lives and we recognize it as such? Sadly, like many of the spiritual virtues, we often only recognize joy after we have experienced it, sometimes after it is gone. The moments of greatest joy often accompany the pivotal moments of our lives – marriages, the births of children, birthdays and other events celebrated with dear friends. But just as often, the experience of real joy is sown into the fabric of our everyday existence: quiet moments shared with a loved one; the steady, quiet pace of family life; the rewarding sense of vocational accomplishment; the beauty of the natural world.

As disciples of the Risen Christ, we are called to become connoisseurs of joy. We are to become mindful of the present moment, and the countless ways that God is revealed in the ordinary, to nurture gratitude and a sense of wonder, an appreciation for beauty, stillness, and simplicity. As students of joy, we do not simply wait for joy to come, but actively discipline our awareness to see the joy already imbued in our redeemed lives.

Lord of Joy, your blessings shower upon me in such a steady stream that I hardly take notice. Rattle me into awareness. Shake me awake, reveal to me the joy that flows through each moment, and let all the earth cry out in praise! Amen.