Joy in the Key of Grace
By God’s great mercy, we have been given a new birth into a living hope through the resurrection of Jesus Christ from the dead… You rejoice with a joy glorious and beyond words. – 1 Peter 1:3 & 8b (as translated by Wilda C. Gafney, Year A)
This spring after the death of Pope Francis, I heard people wondering whether he would go to heaven. Some said that unless he uttered a certain phrase about being “born again,” he wouldn’t. There’s a way to read First Peter through that lens, too. But whether that “born again” framework is what Peter meant depends on what we believe comes next. What does it mean to live after rebirth?
My sense? It isn’t about what we say once. It’s about how we live when trials come.
Peter proclaims a joy—a glorious, beautiful joy—that can hold you when you’ve got nothing left. But calling on that kind of joy is a discipline. Joy is a discipline. Like a muscle, it is built. It takes practice.
And I’m gonna use all to commit to prioritizing joy. Because the truth is: the people who are demonically led by the forces of evil—they count on us being worn out.
Our work is to create and protect pockets of joy. My ancestors knew about that. In kitchens and cotton fields, they found joy with songs when not much else made sense.
What song lifts you up when everything is unbearable? For me? It’s Kirk Franklin’s “Take Me to the King”: I don’t have much to bring / My heart is torn in pieces, it’s my offering.
God doesn’t need perfect words. God is listening for your heart. Even if it’s torn.
Bring it. What a beautiful offering.
Prayer
We offer ourselves knowing that you take us, crown and anoint us, and gift us with joy. In Jesus’s name, we thank you. Amen.

Kaji Douša is the Senior Pastor of The Park Avenue Christian Church, a congregation of the Christian Church (Disciples of Christ) and the United Church of Christ, in New York City.