Rejoice, Pray, and Give Thanks

Rejoice always, pray without ceasing, give thanks in all circumstances; for this is the will of God in Christ Jesus for you. - 1 Thessalonians 5:16-18

Beloved in Christ,

In the Epistle lesson appointed for today from 1 Thessalonians, Paul gives us a remarkably simple summation of Christian spirituality: rejoice always, pray without ceasing, give thanks in all circumstances.

Rejoice, pray, give thanks. 

The call to rejoice might feel particularly dissonant in these last days of a year full of so much loss. However, the joy we are called to is not a feeling of happiness that arises as a response to favorable circumstances, but peace and gladness that bubble up from a deep awareness of God’s love and faithfulness. 

Just as the rose candle we light on the Advent wreath this Sunday is a point of light and joy set against the darkness of these days, so, too, is our joy that springs up in all circumstances because of the exceeding love and faithfulness of God, revealed fully to us in Jesus, whose warmth glows more intensely than the cold of pandemic, whose light shines more brightly than the darkness of oppression and injustice, and whose joy buoys us along the river of sadness we so often have to travel. 

Rejoice, loved ones, pray without ceasing, give thanks in all circumstances, for the one we wait for in these days reminds us that love wins, death has died, and we are free. 

The Right Reverend Craig Loya
X Bishop
Episcopal Church in Minnesota