Rejoice!

"Rejoice in the Lord always. I will say it again: Rejoice!"

       St. Paul’s letter to the Philippians is an epistle of hope, joy and illuminated potential. I’m hoping you will consider joining our Thursday online group to study it. Weekly shared study can be an enormous faith builder and life grounder, especially in what we’ve been through this past year.

       We have just come to the end of our year-long dive into the stories of the first earthly King (Saul) and the greatest earthly King (David) in the books of 1st and 2nd Samuel. This Bible study has been a wonderful look at the hopes and foibles of the Hebrew people as they struggled with the reality of God as their God, and their desire to be “just like the other nations.” In many ways, this extended story (from Saul through David’s kingship) is the consummate “keeping up with the Joneses” story.

       As we lamented, reeled, and slapped our foreheads reading about the missed, lost, and rejected invitations of God to Saul, David, and the people, we also grieved with and rejoiced in the reassuring witness and love of God. Now, having come up from the depths, we have opted for a leisurely swim through the calm and sweet waters of St. Paul’s Letter to the Philippians.

       Learning that St. Paul wrote this letter from prison may give you pause because you might assume that Paul is morbid and depressed, but that is far from the truth. Paul writes about love, joy, and the potential of greater things through a life of service and companionship in Christ! Rejoicing in his “knowledge and love of the Lord,” Paul encourages the Philippians--and us to grow in grace and encounter the world in peace. Who doesn’t want that?

       Join us this Thursday as 7 pm for shared prayer and at 7:30 for this new Bible Study to be encouraged to

​"Rejoice in the Lord always. I will say it again: Rejoice!"