Make a Joyful Noise…It’s Christmas (Jr. High Sunday School)

In Dr. Seuss’ classic book, How the Grinch Stole Christmas, we find the Grinch saying: “I MUST find a way to keep Christmas from coming!” For as the story continues: “Tomorrow, he knew...all the Who girls and boys would wake up bright and early. They'd rush for their toys! And then! Oh, the noise! Oh, the noise! Noise! Noise! Noise!

If there is one thing the Grinch hated it was all   The NOISE! NOISE! NOISE! NOISE!”

In contrast, check out how Matthew depicts the Christmas event,

 
After they had heard the king, they went on their way, and the star they had seen when it rose went ahead of them until it stopped over the place where the child was.  When they saw the star, they were overjoyed.  On coming to the house, they saw the child with his mother Mary, and they bowed down and worshiped him. Then they opened their treasures and presented him with gifts of gold, frankincense and myrrh.  And having been warned in a dream not to go back to Herod, they returned to their country by another route. (Matthew 2:9-10)

         In every manger scene we have these mysterious ……star readers?… strangers, from a strange place,  who have no idea what they are about to stumble upon… but somehow God's providential hand uses the nights sky to guide them in. When they arrive, they are so floored by what they experience,  it becomes impossible for them to feel any other emotion……… except, pure, extremely loud and incredibly close, absolute, joy.

        The best part is, they don’t  keep this emotion to themselves… they make a big fuss about it. Let’s face it, the three wise men, brought the Christmas party. They transformed a meek and humble stable, into a full blown worship celebration. They were so overjoyed , they gave Gifts!!!! (Wish I could get gold for Christmas this year.)

       The fascinating thing is, they were not the only ones who were in full blown party, worship, celebration, mode at that moment…………………………….

The undeniable, Christmas Carol Classic,  Joy to the world gives us a picture of what was going on in the spiritual atmosphere when baby Jesus was born. The words are simple, yet monumental.

Joy to the world! The Lord is come.
Let earth receive her King
Let every heart
Prepare Him room
And heaven and nature sing
And heaven and nature  sing
And heaven and nature sing

Joy to the world, the Saviour reigns
Let Saints their songs employ
While fields and floods
Rocks, hills and plains
Repeat the sounding joy
Repeat the sounding joy
Repeat, Repeat, the sounding joy

It’s as if, in the moment of Jesus birth, the choir of heaven and the choir of earth joined in one brilliant song. And the rush of joy that was produced required an encore, and another and another and .. and …

If there is one thing I know about Jr. Higher’s, it is that you guys can be professional noise makers when you want to be. ( I am not so bad at making noise myself)

But I wonder if … like the song says… we have prepared Him room?

Are we ready to join in the song that heaven and earth are endlessly singing over heads and beneath our feet? Do we know the words to the song? The melodies? Do we have the energy to sing the same sweet song over and over?

Thank God that the symphony of His love is being sung all around us all the time, and when we prepare Him room, no matter how out of tune we were the second before, he fills our lungs with air again, and touches our voices so that we too could repeat the sounding Joy.

 God's love, and the 3 wise men's joy, is as close to us as our next breath.

So go

repeat the sounding joy

while you watch christmas movies,

repeat the sounding joy

while you  buy gifts for the people you love

repeat the sounding joy

while you pray for Gods love to fill you neighbors hearts,

repeat the sounding joy

no matter where you are!

p.s. it worked for the Grinch.