Spiritual Journeys: The Need for Joy in the Christian Life

“And I choose joy” - Meditation song: Joy by For King and Country. Can you choose to be joyful?

• Grief, sorrow, and fear are NOT the result of choices we make. They happen to us.
• Choosing joy demands a deliberate effort to recognize and be thankful for all of God's blessings
• Joy is cultivated in relationships with others. Sometimes, a familiar face or an act of kindness from a stranger can be sufficient to bring you or someone else to joy.

What is the difference between joy and happiness?

• Happiness often arises out of circumstance. They make us happy for as long as we enjoy them, but they don't make us happy forever. Example: a McDonald's Happy Meal
• Happiness is fleeting. Joy is resilient.
• Happiness is an emotion. Joy is an attitude and mindset. It means choosing to be hopeful even when such a choice would seem foolish.

Joy and Celebration in the Psalms:

• Liturgy is defined as “the work of the people in service to God.” The Psalms of Praise were as much a part of Israel’s worship as Psalms of confession, lament, prayer, wisdom, and kingship
• Shouldn’t we be bringing our joys and concerns into worship, just like we bring ourselves, our families, our tithes and offerings?

Psalm 103 – what activities of God's people bring joy?

• Confession and forgiveness
• Thanksgiving
• Sacred remembrance
• Singing a hymn (vv. 8 - The LORD is merciful and gracious, slow to anger and abounding in steadfast love.)
• Obedience

Philippians 4:4-9 (A New Testament Psalm) - what activities of God's people bring joy?

• Gentleness
• Responding to worry with prayer and supplication
• Think upon “whatever is true, whatever is honorable, whatever is just, whatever is pure, whatever is pleasing, whatever is commendable, if there is any excellence and if there is anything worthy of praise” (vv. 8).

What activities of the church produce joy within you?

• Music - especially spirituals, livelier liturgical settings, songs from camp Lutherlyn, choir anthems, and the carillon
• Children's sermons and youth ministries
• Outreach ministries, including the clothing closet
• Celebrating the Eucharist

Have you ever had a joyless worship experience?

• The service was more like a rock concert than worship. I didn't know the words to the songs. I felt more like a spectator than a participant.
• All the hymns were depressing and the organist (not our Becky) played them slow. When the service was over, I wanted to go back to bed.
• Check our this joyful worship:
• Jazz pianist/composer Rawn Harbor, who composed our ELW Setting 6:
• https://youtu.be/a78PPCOnnL0
• Salve Regina from Sister Act: https://youtu.be/rHASQg8fR0s
• Has our worship gone astray from what is written in Psalm 150:

"Praise him with the sounding of the trumpet, praise him with the harp and lyre, praise him with timbrel and dancing, praise him with the strings and pipe, praise him with the clash of cymbals, praise him with resounding cymbals. Let everything that has breath praise the Lord. (NIV)"

Next time, we will ponder the reasons why worship is much livelier in non-white congregations than in most predominantly-white, mainline congregations.