ReSounding…

Have you ever seen someone yawn… not just a little catch of air… but one of those deep, face-contorting yaaaaaaawns that defies you to look away? Do you chuckle inside as you observe that long draw of air and hear the little squeak at the end of the yawn? You wonder… have the demands of that last-minute Christmas list robbed her of sleep… or perhaps, like too many of us, the concerns of the day have made a good night’s sleep elusive. Do you experience a moment of silent bonding over how crazy life seems to be these days… stealing away precious rest for you? And then…before you look away and move on to your day, the cycle begins again. That yawn was no lone draw of air. Another yawn is starting… this one deeper than the last… eyes closed… nose scrunched… jaw stretched… her whole being caught up in the effort.

Scientists once believed that the body’s yawning instinct was triggered by an urgent need for oxygen to rebalance the CO levels in the brain. Experiments in 1987 disproved that popular theory, leaving scientists with the simple explanation that a yawn is the body’s involuntary shock to gain mental alertness. But if that is true, why do so many of us find ourselves suddenly swept up in our own face-contorting draw of air when we see another person yawning? Studies have shown that even dogs yawn when they observe their masters’ oscitance. (Finally, an opportunity to use the word oscitance defined as an involuntary intake of breath through a gaping mouth!) How many of us have known that moment when the physical phenomena of a yawn to stimulate alertness becomes a social contagion that passes quickly from one person to the next? One study observed an entire classroom of third graders swept up in a yawning-fest that started with their teacher. We know from experience that yawns are contagious!

Think of some of the other things that are contagious… Certainly, the last three years have made us uncomfortably aware of how dangerous germs can be. Those pathogenic agents of disruption make us think twice about being in a crowded room. We have become wary of the cough we hear across the room. Some of us still mask for self-protection or as a social kindness when we are not feeling well ourselves. The media and our doctors want to keep us hyper-vigilant as we enter ‘cold and flu’ season. None of us want to be swept up in that contagious wave. But it is not just germs that can pass involuntarily from one to the next. My office is next to the 2-year-old preschool room, so I can tell you crying is contagious! Once one child gives voice to his displeasure, another is certain to join in. There are days when the chorus envelopes the whole class, leaving their teachers wanting to join in the refrain. And it is not just 2-year-olds that follow-the-leader in temperament. How many of us have found our mood shifted by a mean comment heard at work, or the thoughtless act of a driver who cuts us off on the road. I have learned from years of officiating weddings that an unhappy bride can sour an entire reception. And the last few years have taught us that nastiness is more contagious than COVID.

But Sunday demonstrated that JOY is perhaps the most contagious of all. If you braved the elements on Sunday night to attend the Joy to the World Christmas concert at Lenape Valley, you know the truth of that statement. From the first note sung, to the rich harmonies of brass and bells and choir, to the rock beat of our contemporary band, to the yearning cry of a young teen singing “somewhere in your silent night”… for an hour the music swept the congregation into a swell of joy that raised the rafters. And finally, those rafters were dusted by fake snow blown into the air as the congregation rose to sing Go Tell It on the Mountain. Go tell it… Go tell it… Go tell it… That final charge sent the gathering across the lobby into a reception in Fellowship Hall elegantly set by our Fellowship team. From the first greeting by our Deacons at the door, to the final cry of Merry Christmas as people left to drive home, there was JOY in the house of the Lord!

Many thanks to all those who transformed Sunday evening into a JOY-fest. I am still in the after-glow! If you missed the concert, it will be available on our website later this week. But Sunday night must not be just a beautiful moment in the life of our faith community. The JOY of the Lord is intended to be contagious. Have you noticed how many Christmas carols call us to rejoice? Rejoice means to joy again and again… to allow joy to reverberate through our lives. Rejoice calls us to bring the contagion of joy wherever we go. Imagine your workplace touched by joy… your dinner table inspired by a joyful comment… your interaction with that challenging neighbor lightened by joy. One smile… one kind word… one offer of help… one expression of gratitude… imagine the trail of joy you could leave along the way. Remember the chorus of Joy to the World.

Repeat the sounding joy…
Repeat the sounding joy…
Repeat… repeat… the sounding joy!

May the coming of the Savior fill us with such joy that we spark joy everywhere we go!

With you rejoicing!
Anita