The Weary World Rejoices

Our Advent series at church this year is fittingly titled “The Weary World Rejoices,” and man has it been sweet. “O Holy Night” has always been my favorite Christmas carol anyway, but the lyrics really hit home this year.

A thrill of hope

the weary world rejoices.

For yonder breaks

a new and glorious morn.

“Weary” is one of the best words I can think of to describe this year and this season of ministry. From a global pandemic to racial injustice to the political divide we’re experiencing in the U.S., the world is experiencing a bone-deep fatigue that seems to permeate all areas of life.

Add in trying to do children’s ministry in the midst of all this, and whew! Talk about weary! Maybe you’re feeling drained of emotional and physical energy as you try to stay connected with families, equipping them for at-home discipleship without overwhelming already-overwhelmed parents. Or you’re tapped out from trying to figure out what children’s ministry looks like in a socially-distanced world, balancing safety and fun on a whole new level. The weariness and burden of ministry feel compounded this year.

But because of what we celebrate at Christmas, because of a tiny baby in a manger, we can rejoice through the weariness. The hope that a new and glorious morning brings pales in comparison to the hope that Jesus offers in his birth, life, death, and resurrection. After all, without the manger, there is no cross.

So what are you rejoicing over today? Through the weariness, through the exhaustion, through the trials, how can you raise sweet hymns of joy in grateful chorus? How can you praise His name and proclaim His power and glory, even at the end of the longest year ever?

I know you’re weary, kidmin leader. I am too. But let’s rejoice in our weariness, for Christmas brings a thrill of hope and the promise of a long-awaited Savior.