Resilient Joy

ChristChurch was planted in the midst of economic up turn by a group of friends with an average age in the early 40's, resulting in a lower than average pastoral care workload and a healthy ability to respond to the financial challenges facing us.

Now, having walked these last 12 years together, we are experiencing the changes and challenges of a different era. Some of us have been bereaved, some have become carers, some of us have been badly affected by the economic downturn, some of us have struggled with health issues and some of us have huge employment challenges. We are experiencing what we all knew in theory - that our world is not stable, and that the inevitable crises of life will come to us all at some time.

And here comes the big challenge - will our Joy remain intact through these difficulties? I chose the word 'Joy' instead of 'Faith' because it speaks to the emotional dimension of our lives in God, in other words - how we feel.

Paul writes to the Philippians from a prison cell to do two things - firstly to thank this church for their financial support, and secondly to encourage them to continue to rejoice regardless of their circumstances and regardless of the outcome of those circumstances. 'Joy' sums up the book of Philippians. But this Joy is not a crossing of their fingers that everything will turn out ok. It is a Joy that becomes even more important in the depths of difficulty and uncertainty. It is a Joy that comes from deep within us that that laments sorrow and suffering. It is a Joy that can become even stronger as a result of difficult circumstances - whatever they are - even imprisonment or death. It is a gritty joy - Resilient Joy.

We hope to see from Philippians how Joy is deepened. We will see that although it is really good to rejoice in our fellowship with each other, and it is good to rejoice in the preaching of the gospel, and it is good to rejoice when we are delivered from our difficulties, and it is good to rejoice in the healthy sacrificial lifestyles we see in each other, and it is good to rejoice in our healing of relationships, as good as all of that is, the true source of our Joy is in The Lord. The implication for us is that even if these things were not to be, we are still able to rejoice in the Lord - because Joy in the Lord is real Joy - it arises from God's unfailing love, it surrounds the believer and is more than able to equip us for the turmoil we face. Pray that God will use the powerful message of Resilient Joy to build us up, and help us to glorify him whatever we face.

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