Finding Joy in the Small Moments of Advent

Advent joy doesn’t deny sorrow, it defies it. Today I invited us to bring our real expectations and disappointments into the light of Christ. Many of us still look for the big, shiny signs—dramatic answers, instant peace, perfect holidays—and miss the quiet places where God is already at work. John the Baptist did everything right and still ended up in prison; even he wondered if Jesus was the One. Jesus didn’t scold him. He simply said, “Go tell John what you see”—sight to the blind, hearing for the deaf, the marginalized restored, the dead raised. The Kingdom breaks in as a thousand small mercies.

That reframes joy. Joy isn’t the same as happiness; it’s not fragile or dependent on circumstances. Joy is communal and subversive; it knits hearts together and pushes fear to the edges. When we sing, even our heartbeats begin to synchronize. Joy gives courage to refuse intimidation, to choose presence over panic, to trust that God is near even when outcomes aren’t.

We practiced seeing Jesus through “microjoys”—those brief, precise glimmers of grace that are always accessible if we are mindful enough to notice them. Gratitude expands our field of vision. Playfulness loosens our grip. Mindfulness anchors us to the person and need right in front of us. These habits don’t erase grief; they carve out small rooms within it where we can breathe.

I shared how I saw Jesus in a nurse who paused, shut the door, and simply held me after a miscarriage. And later, when I lost my voice, how friends who quietly leaned in to read my notes taught me that presence can be more eloquent than speech. A young mother told me, “Your presence is calming,” and I heard the gospel again: you are a gift before you ever produce a thing. Richard, a tall man with larger hands and a larger song, once sang, “He’s got the whole world in His hands,” and I learned that comfort and joy are braided together—and they move in both directions.

So what are we looking for? If we are waiting for rescue to arrive from somewhere else, we may miss the help that is already here, in us and among us. In Advent, we do not deny the dark; we light a candle and look closely.

Key Takeaways

• 1. Adjust expectations; look for the small We often want a Messiah who overthrows empires on our timetable. Jesus directs our eyes to quiet restorations—the blind seeing, the excluded restored, life arising where despair sat heavy. Joy grows as we train our attention on these small, stubborn graces. Ask, “What did I go out to see?” and look again. [48:05]
• 2. Doubt can deepen your relationship John the Baptist’s prison questions weren’t faithlessness; they were faith under pressure. Jesus meets doubt not with shame but with evidence of God’s nearness in ordinary miracles. Relationship can hold more tension than our certainty can. Bring your questions; bring your life. [44:28]
• 3. Let joy subvert fear and control Joy isn’t cosmetic; it’s courageous. It steadies us to resist intimidation, to choose love over defensiveness, to remember we are not alone. Communal joy—singing, praying, serving—synchronizes our hearts and reminds us that God’s future is already intruding into the present. [51:29]
• 4. Practice microjoys: gratitude, play, presence Joy is both a choice and a practice. Gratitude widens awareness, playfulness loosens fear’s grip, and mindfulness keeps us in the moment where God arrives. Microjoys do not cancel grief; they carve out breathable space and keep us tender and attentive to grace. [58:18]
• 5. Your simple presence is a gift You are not valuable because you are useful; you are valuable, therefore you are useful. In suffering and uncertainty, the quiet ministry of presence often speaks the loudest. See and be seen this way, and joy will leak into the room. [64:23]

Youtube Chapters

• [00:00] - Welcome
• [01:30] - Announcements and Invitations
• [04:30] - Prayer for Families in Stress
• [20:13] - Gospel Reading: Matthew and Advent Joy
• [24:00] - Polar Express and Christmas Expectations
• [32:00] - Unrealistic Hopes We Place on Jesus
• [44:28] - Offense and the Scandal of Jesus
• [48:05] - “What Did You Go Out to See?”
• [51:29] - Joy Defined: Subversive, Communal, Courageous
• [54:54] - Choosing Joy: Gratitude, Play, Presence
• [58:18] - Microjoys in Grief and Everyday Life
• [61:19] - Losing My Voice: Being Heard Differently
• [64:23] - The Gift of Presence and Belonging
• [68:30] - Comfort and Joy: Richard’s Song
• [71:19] - Blessing and Sending

1. Where is John in Matthew 11:2, and what question does he send to Jesus through his disciples?
2. In Matthew 11:4-6, list the specific signs Jesus names as evidence of the Kingdom’s presence.
3. Jesus repeats a question to the crowds: “What did you go out into the wilderness to see?” In Matthew 11:7-9, what options does he contrast, and why do those contrasts matter?
4. What word behind “take offense” was highlighted, and what does it sound like in English? [44:28]

1. Jesus answers John’s doubt with visible deeds rather than a simple “yes.” Why might that kind of answer deepen trust more than a direct claim?
2. “What did you go out to see?” functions like a heart-check on expectations. What expectations about God might need to be adjusted so we can notice quiet restorations rather than only “big, shiny signs”? [48:05]
3. Joy is described as courageous and communal—pushing fear to the edges and knitting people together. How does that vision of joy challenge the idea that joy is just a private feeling? [51:29]
4. The Greek skandalizo (“take offense”) suggests the Messiah can be a stumbling block. In what ways does Jesus’ gentle, restorative mission scandalize or unsettle modern desires for quick power or control? [44:28]

1. Look back on this past week. Where were you tempted to look for dramatic rescue? Now, name two “microjoys”—small mercies—you actually saw. How might you train your attention to look there first tomorrow? [48:05]
2. Bring your “prison questions.” What is one honest doubt you are carrying right now? What would it look like to take it to Jesus and then “go tell what you see” as you watch for ordinary evidence of God’s nearness? [44:28]
3. Joy subverts fear. Where do you feel intimidated or pressured right now (at work, at home, in a conversation you’re dreading)? What concrete act of joy—singing with others, a simple prayer, a gentle response—could steady you to choose presence over panic? [51:29]
4. Practice one microjoy habit this week. Which will you choose: a daily gratitude list (3 specific things), 10 minutes of play, or a mindful pause to give full attention to the person right in front of you? When and where will you do it? [54:54]
5. Your simple presence is a gift. Who in your life needs you to sit with them without fixing them? What small step will you take—a visit, a note, a quiet listen—to offer that gift this week? [01:04:23]
6. Comfort and joy are braided together. When have you received comfort that opened a window for joy? Who could you comfort this week in a small way (a meal, a ride, a song, a prayer), trusting that joy can move in both directions? [01:04:23]
7. “Look again.” What is one place of sorrow you’re walking through right now? What candle-sized action—one small, faithful practice—will help you notice God already at work in and around you there? [58:18]