...for God had made them

         rejoice with great joy;

the women and children

                also rejoiced.

And the joy of Jerusalem

             was heard far away.

               Nehemiah 12. 43

(What do other hear from us?

The source of our worship

       distinguishes our conversations,

what we talk about,

what we love,

our attitudes, our reaction

                 or our response.

Do those who don't know God

          ever hear our joy?)

O LORD,

You are good.

You are always good,

   even when we don't understand.

May our lives reflect

      Your grace and love

                   and Your glory

in words and actions

            and attitudes.

Joy is such a foreign concept

           in this culture,

a word not translated to others,

       because of our silence.

Please help us to seek You

          and Your joy in this day.

And sing out loud,

   not just to be heard,

but to worship You

and remind us

               Who You are.