Invitation to Joy

"Rejoice in the Lord, always. Again, I say rejoice!" (Philippians 4:4)

What is the point of our existence? People often wrestle with this kind of question or something like it. The Westminster Confession, one of the official Confessions of my denomination (written in the 1640s) opens with this question: What is the chief end of man? In more contemporary language we might ask: What is the ultimate purpose, goal or hope of humanity? The answer from Westminster: to glorify God and enjoy God forever.

Ok. But how do we do that? What does enjoying God look like? I wonder if we might hear this as an invitation to savor-to deeply enjoy the gifts and blessings all around us. These gifts and blessings are a Divine invitation to savor and enjoy the life we've been given. Not in an overly hedonistic way-that is, not in a way where we become obsessed with pleasure, so fixated upon it that we ignore other important aspects of life. Also, we do not enjoy the life and blessings we've been given in a way that exploits others, a way that is selfish or abusive. Rather, we express our enjoyment of God and God's blessings in a way that is life-affirming and life-giving for all.

This Divine lure or invitation to experience and share joy in this way is evident throughout scripture. Paul writes to the fledgling Philippian church, "Rejoice in the Lord, always." He even says it twice!

He knows of their struggles. He knows their uncertainties and their worries. The world they live in, full of oppression by the Roman government, full of fear, it has the power to stamp out their joy. He writes to them to keep being together, keep gathering, praying and sharing their lives. Paul insists: keep joy alive.

In John's Gospel, joyous existence comes from the transformational love of God for the world (3:16; 15:11). This joyous existence is experienced in a loving community of friends: promoting healthy relationships; embracing strangers; celebrating life together; taking delight in one another as God takes delight in us.

Joy is an outward expression of an inward truth. No matter where we are, no matter what is going on in our lives, we can experience joy. Joy is shared - shared meals, shared life, shared stories and laughter, shared moments of bliss and insight. We experience joy in celebrating and honoring one another. Joy is accompanied by gratitude and prayer. We pay attention to the world around us, noticing all that is honorable and true, all that is just and beautiful and good. We give thanks to God for these gifts and our joy increases exponentially. Leading us to prayer-for in our joy we do not forget those who are struggling, those who are in need of justice and grace. True joy holds together the promises and blessings of God along with the realities of the world we live in with hope.