Surprised by Joy

On the Richter scale of Joy most of us if we are lucky fall in somewhere between Clint Eastwood and Victor Meldrew!  No wonder though. World hunger is only worsening. New names appear weekly of those killed in action in the Middle East.  Human trafficking is expanding. Billions are mired in poverty, millions are fighting HIV, and on top of that we have all been hit by the dreaded recession! Who in their right mind can talk about joy, when for so many people their only experience is that of despair?

Yet it is astonishing when you realise how many references there are in scripture to JOY,  from “Shout for joy to the Lord, all the earth!” to “Rejoice in the Lord always. I will say it again: rejoice!”  There are dozens of places before and after and in between where we are urged to lead joy-filled lives. The angels promised  a world quivering in darkness ‘good news of great joy, for all the people’ This message was and is scandalous,  because it challenges the idea that no matter how earnest we become,  we on our own can’t fix the world!  It speaks instead of our need for a SAVIOUR who, whilst today’s experts are offering their ‘sober assessments of the current situation’, is one who comes in flesh, whilst everything is falling apart, to help us shoulder the planet’s burdens.

 

If ever the church needs to rediscover the Spirit’s fruit of  what is described as ‘joy unspeakable’ it’s today. C S Lewis described it as the ‘Christians secret weapon - our JOY!’  When our sermons and songs seem to make so little impact on the human catastrophe, perhaps our joy will? Can I invite you,  your family, and your friends, to join us in the beautiful Wye Valley for this year’s Gorsley Festival and through the message of  the Bible’s most Joy-filled letter, Philippians, let us find that there is joy for our journey too! Looking forward ‘joyfully’ to seeing you,

Throughout the venues amongst all ages each morning we will discover the Bible’s most Joy filled message-Philippians. In the Big Top it will be un-packed by Westminster Chapel’s Greg Haslam. Be a part of our Evening Big Top Celebrations and hear first hand how individuals have found that the inner joy of Christ can hold them through the tough times of life – wrapped up each night by Phil Collins from Saltmine Trust.

Worship will be led by Nia and the Gorsley Band and the whole event will be hosted by Gorsley’s John Lewis and Nathan Jones plus friends-Our prayer already is that together we will be rejuvenated and strengthened and that He might - Bring On The Joy!