Songs of Joy
Click on the songs below for songs of joy. Soft and loud, slow and quick. May joy surprise.
Elizabeth & A Joy that Leaps
Click on the gallery below for a contemplative reading from Luke 1:26-38 (NIV)
Art & Photography for Joy
Click on the gallery below to dive into images - ancient & modern - of Elizabeth and Mary, joy, laughter, and BABIES.
Poems of Joy
Poems by Jane Kenyon and Billy Collins
"In the Grove: The Poet at 10"
by Jane Kenyon
She lay on her back in the timothy
and gazed past the doddering
auburn heads of sumac.
A cloud—huge, calm,
and dignified—covered the sun
but did not, could not, put it out.
The light surged back again.
Nothing could rouse her then
from that joy so violent
it was hard to distinguish from
pain.
"Ode to Joy"
by Billy Collins
Friedrich Schiller called Joy the spark of divinity
but she visits me on a regular basis,
and it doesn’t take much for her to appear—
the salt next to the pepper by the stove,
the garbage man ascending his station
on the back of the moving garbage truck,
or I’m just eating a banana
in the car and listening to Buddy Guy.
In other words, she seems down-to-earth,
like a girl getting off a bus with a suitcase
and no one’s there to meet her.
It’s a little after four in the afternoon,
one of the first warm days of spring.
She sits on her suitcase to wait
and slides on her sunglasses.
How do I know she’s listening to the birds?
Prayers of Joy
Ancient prayers. Breath prayers. Scripture prayers. Lean on these or create your own.
O Wisdom, Lord and Ruler, Root of Jesse, Key of David, Rising Sun, King of the Nations, Emmanuel, Come, Lord Jesus.
O my God, I ask of thee for myself and for those whom I hold dear, the grace to fulfull perfectly the holy will, to accept for love of thee the joys and sorrows of this passing life, so that we may one day be united together in heaven for all eternity. Amen.
Blessed are You, O Lord, who has nourished me from my youth up, who gives food to all flesh. Fill our hearts with joy and gladness that we, always having all sufficiency in all things, may abound to every good work in Christ Jesus our Lord, through whom to You be glory, honor, might, majesty, and dominion, forever and ever. AMEN.
You will show me the path of life; In Your presence is fullness of joy; In Your right hand there are pleasures forevermore.
“If you are seeking, seek us with joy For we live in the kingdom of joy. Do not give your heart to anything else But to the love of those who are clear joy, Do not stray into the neighborhood of despair. For there are hopes: they are real, they exist – Do not go in the direction of darkness – I tell you: suns exist.”
“May the road rise up to meet you. May the wind be always at your back. May the sun shine warm upon your face, the rains fall soft upon your fields, and, until we meet again, may God hold you in the palm of His hand.”
Inhale: The joy of the Lord Exhale: is my strength.
O good shepherd, seek me out, and bring me home to thy fold again. Deal favourably with me according to thy good pleasure, till I may dwell in thy house all the days of my life, and praise thee for ever and ever with them that are there.
Journal Prompts
Use them all, or only a few, or none at all.
Notice which ones draw you. Notice which ones repel you. Create your own. Draw. Discuss. Play.
May these prompts serve as a springboard.
01.
Longings.
Where in your life would you like to see joy kindled?
02.
Resistance.
Does anything in you resist joy? Consider the push-back.
03.
Vulnerability.
Is there anything you would like to receive from Jesus before embracing joy?
04.
History.
When have you experienced the joy of the Lord as your strength?
05.
Love.
How does God interact with your sorrow? Your joy? Consider His face, and His delight in you.