During Lent I’ve been listening to Awaken the Dawn, an album by Keith and Kristen Getty.

I started listening to it on the third day of Lent and instantly knew that I was going to listen to it every day until the end of Lent. Thus far I have and it has not been a chore, but, instead, rather meaningful.

I’m sure there are many things that have struck me as I’ve listened to this album throughout Lent.

Yet, the reflection I had on the first day, still the resounds the most.

After the meditative call to prayer in the opening song, Hear O Israel, the album seamlessly transitions into the second track, Come People of the Risen King. Its chorus is as follows:

Rejoice, Rejoice
Let every tongue rejoice
One heart, one voice
O Church of Christ, rejoice

The opening two songs integrate to create a sense of calling to the corporate church and the command is clear – rejoice.

God wants his people to rejoice. How often do we not?

My sense, listening to the album that morning at the start of Lent, was that God deeply desires us to rejoice.

Rejoice in him. Yes. Rejoice in our salvation. Yes.

Perhaps even rejoice that we can rejoice and that we can rejoice together, as the corporate church.

I don’t see myself rejoicing much recently. More the opposite really.

However, neither do I see the church rejoicing much recently.

Perhaps that’s because we feel we’ve been kicked down and are despised by society.

That’s exactly what Satan wants us to feel. He doesn’t want us to rejoice, because rejoicing is a sign that we are aware of the victory.

People who think they are defeated don’t rejoice.

Rejoice, Rejoice
Let every tongue rejoice
One heart, one voice
O Church of Christ, rejoice

There’s nothing else I need to say.

Yours trying to remember how to rejoice,

Alison