"May the God of hope fill you with all joy and peace as you trust in Him, so that you may overflow with hope by the power of the Holy Spirit." Rom. 15:13

Here are a few more thoughts about 'joy'. It's got to be different than happiness. We intuitively know that while related, they are not the same thing. Happiness is this internal feeling or sense that we have that may spill over or not. It is not dependent on others nor does it necessarily involve others. Now joy is something different. I do not, nor can I have joy--just by myself. Here is a thought provoker I used this past weekend:

"joy is an internal response to an external reality
that produces a connection between both---
which uncovers a depth of reality that----
catapults us out of ourselves towards the other."

I cannot sit here and conjure up---joy. Its stimulus does not dwell in me. My experinece of joy is a reaction to something that has presented itself that is external to me. A creation experience that takes your breath away. The beauty and peacefulness of a newborn baby. A bride as she walks down the aisle. These things produce a response of joy. But it goes beyond just a stimulus--response. IN the moment of joy I have within me uncovered a fresh experience of a depth of reality I don't always acknowledge. It's because joy connects us to something outside of ourselves. My resources, my limitations, my small universe is exploded by joy because it connects me to the world, the resources, the possibilities, presented by what has brought me joy. It opens up for me a whole new world. Perhaps that is one reason that C. S. Lewis says that, 'joy is the serious business of heaven.' Joy is all about connecting us to something--someone greater than our own tiny world.

A corollary that goes along with this is:

The repetitiveness of joy is-----
dependent on the external source
and the attitude or expectation of the internal.

In other words, whatever brings you joy--can it keep producing? The answer is no----if it is finite. If it is God who is filling you with all joy--then the answer is Yes becuase God is unlimited and does not, nor can He run out, of the ability to produce Joy in you.
The only thing that may thwart the experience of joy that God seeks to fill us with is our attitude and lack of expectation. We may dim the response or miss see the stimilus. For instance, for one the beauty of a baby becomes the fear of its crying or the anger of its bills. The joy of a bride may deteriorate to fear or, 'oh my gosh, what have I done?' In other words, the central insertion in the middle of our memory verse (Rom. 15:13) is huge---'as you trust in Him'. God can and is able to continue to fill us with all joy BUT our attitudes and expectations in relationship to Him
are an integral to our experience of that joy.

If this is so, how then do we come to experience joy? Think about it!

ROMANS 15:7

The depth of the Scriptures cannot be covered in one sermon over an entire chaptrer--at least not by me. So here are some thoughts about what I will not be preaching about on this weekend but are yet excellent admonitions for us to dwell on.

"Accept one another, then just as "Christ accepted you.." I was intrigued by this verse because a different word is used in King James and in Revised Standard version. King James---'receive one another', RSV 'welcome one another' and here in NIV it says 'accept one another'. Now each of these words in English holds a little different nuance to me. So wanting clarification I went to the Greek to check it out. Lo and behold, the primary English equivalent to the actual word in Greek is 'welcome, accept, receive'. So obviously each of the translation teams chose a different word--all were accurate and yet for us English readers, the nuances still beg clarification. For instance, I can receive someone into my home and not accept them at all. I can accept someone with their differences in religion or world view or personal taste and yet not truly welcome them into my personal sphere. It is also possible to welcome someone without accepting them. For instance nations at meetings of their leaders, do this sort of thing all the time. Graciously formal and correct in etiquette but not accepting or welcoming into personal spheres of affection.

So what are we to make of this usage and how is God directing us to act and feel towards 'one another'(which in the New Testament is a technical term for believers--those in Christ)?

Here is my take on this. See if it makes some sense and respond if you desire.
I believe that the english usage of all three words is the intent of Paul in this verse. I am called to 'accept'--every believer in Christ. I am not their judge nor am I to set their course of corrections before they are acceptable to our fellowship. If God has accepted them--so must I. But this call is more than just to 'accept' (in that sense) It is also to 'receive' them. Open the doors, make a space for them, help them be at home. This goes beyond our understanding of 'accept' and now includes 'receiving'. But in my understanding, I believe that this verse goes way beyond just our understanding of 'accept' and 'receive'. Now add to these meanings the addition of 'welcome!. I can 'accept' you yet hold you at arms length. I may 'receive' you yet physically, emotionally and spiritually still hold you at arms length. But 'welcoming' in this sense can not truly be done at arms length. By its very nature it is to actively bring one in. It is to reach out and draw, it is to seek to create an atmosphere that draws another in, that sets another at ease, that communicates--you are at home!

So the admonition of our Lord is for us to ACTIVELY seek to create a physical, emotional, social and spiritual dynamic that shouts that each is welcomed (eagerly desired) as we recieve them (make a place for them) and accept them--just as Christ has accepted us.

AND this is not just one person's responsibility, nor only those who are 'gifted'
at it, but it is directed at each and every one of us. For as you know, it only takes one voice to destroy welcomeness, but an entire family to truly welcome.

Notice the finish then of Rom. 15:7---when we do this, when as an entire Body we truly accept, receive and welcome----THEN this brings praise to God!!!!!

Let's make God happy--together!

p.s. Here is something further to chew on: the term 'one another' is inclusive of all in the Body of Christ which includes yourself. What effect would it have on you and your ability to accept, receive and welcome others if we could truly accept, receive and welcome (embrace) ourselves---JUST AS CHRIST HAS!