The Gift of Joy
Good Wednesday to you,
Christian joy is a good feeling in the soul, produced by the Holy Spirit, as he causes us to see the beauty of Christ in the word and in the world. (John Piper)
I love that definition of joy as much as I love the advent themes that remind us that our faith in Christ rests on the facts of who Jesus is historically as well as spiritually. Feelings follow facts. Our joy flows from our hope and our faith. It does not depend on our external circumstances, but exists in spite of our external circumstances. How is this working for you today?
By now, I am sure you are all aware of the new indoor mask mandate announced on Monday, effective as of today. I am aware that there are folks in our community who welcome this announcement, and I am aware that there are folks in our community who decry this announcement. Our challenge, regardless of where we find ourselves, is to make sure we respect those who disagree with our position. My calling to Christ, and His command to love (will the good of others) each other, has a higher priority than where I stand on masks and vaccines.
We are scrambling. Sunday we will follow the state mandate and require masks for indoor worship. Sunday is our annual choir concert. As of this writing, I cannot tell you what Sunday will look like. Certainly not what we thought. We will respect everyone’s convictions. We may or may not have a choir to present a concert, in which case the service will look similar to previous Sundays. What will not change is our commitment to lift high the name of Jesus. Your prayers are appreciated.
This news affects our calendar through the end of the year and beyond. Will the “four week mandate” be over on January 15? I cannot answer that. What I can tell you is that we will do what we need to do to keep Sunday worship going. Pray for us.
Thank you to all who participated in the Military Outreach Christmas store. It was a huge success! Thank you for participating in our Alternative Christmas Market. That market will remain open through the end of the month! Thank you for your year-end-support of Graham Memorial. We are grateful for your amazing generosity and faithfulness.
You are a blessing, and I am blessed.
Merry Christmas,
Pastor David
If you missed this Sunday’s sermon, click here to listen now!
