Advent 3 C + Surprised by Joy + ACL+ 12.15.24
Surprised by Joy Advent 3C, 2024 (Zephaniah 3, Luke 3) St Paul’s Emmanuel, Santa Paula The Rev. Alene Campbell-Langdell C.S. Lewis titled his autobiography relating the story of his conversion to Christianity, Surprised by Joy. As an atheist, Lewis was nevertheless aware of a longing throughout his life for something that he couldn’t quite name, something that always seemed just beyond his grasp. He came to call these glimpses of desire, Joy, and to reference this longing as a real part of his journey from atheism to faith. These moments are hard to describe, and yet, if we are willing to pay attention, most of us know what Lewis is talking about. These are the moments when, despite all outward circumstances, there is a spark of life in the world. That pink moment as the sun is setting over the mountains in Ojai or the stillness of watching a baby sleep when the whole world seems caught up in that moment. Into Advent, in the mid...