Dear Brothers and Sisters in Christ,

“Rejoice in the LORD always. I will say it again: Rejoice! Philippians 4:6

Although the above verse is not the first verse of the book of Philippians, it could be the verse that summarizes the theme of Paul’s letter to the church at Philippi.  Paul’s letter to the church of Philippi has been called “The Epistle of Joy.”  Over and over in this brief letter, Paul repeats the words joy and rejoice.

Like his original hearers, we’re invited to rejoice, to practice joy.  But what happens when our life circumstances are less than ideal?  What do we do when we encounter problems and problematic people?  This Fall, we are embarking on a sermon series titled “Joy Even Though…”  Through this series, we’ll learn how we can have joy in our circumstances, attitudes, accomplishments, thoughts, future, and finances.

This Sunday, we begin this series with the topic of experiencing joy in our relationships.  We’ll be listening to Paul’s opening verse of Philippians chapter 1 verses 1-11.  In these verses, we encounter practical guidance for having joy in our relationships, even when a relationship is difficult or strained.

I look forward to our journey into joy this Fall and to seeing you this Sunday at 9:30 a.m. for our Christian Education Potluck Breakfast and then at 10:45 a.m. for worship.

Pastor David