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“Practice Joy in All Times”
Rev. Tully M. Fletcher IV
Decatur Presbyterian Church
May 15, 2022
Philippians 4:4-7
4 Rejoice in the Lord always; again I will say, Rejoice. 5 Let your gentleness be known to everyone. The Lord is near. 6 Do not worry about anything, but in everything by prayer and supplication with thanksgiving let your requests be made known to God. 7 And the peace of God, which surpasses all understanding, will guard your hearts and your minds in Christ Jesus.
Hebrews 12:1-2 NRS Hebrews 12:1
Therefore, since we are surrounded by so great a cloud of witnesses, let us also lay aside every weight and the sin that clings so closely, and let us run with perseverance the race that is set before us, 2 looking to Jesus the pioneer and perfecter of our faith, who for the sake of the joy that was set before him endured the cross, disregarding its shame, and has taken his seat at the right hand of the throne of God.
Rejoice in the Lord always.
At first reading, it is easy to see these words as trite or cliche. It is easy to dismiss these words as worthless wisdom. Words which are easily said, but hard to live, and never perfected.
But, if you know the story behind the passage, it all makes sense, and the wonder and power of these words is seen in full. These words come to life in the life of the one who wrote them.
Greek Songs
When I was in seminary, I studied Biblical Greek. Now I was afraid of Greek. I was terrified that I would be bad at it, that I might fail. See I had started seminary studying Hebrew, that language kicked my butt. It seemed like with Hebrew, the harder I worked, the less I understood.
But Greek, was different. Greek was a Joy to me. I liked it so much, that the following summer I came back as a Teaching Assistant for Greek School.
I got really good at the verb structure, conjugating words, translating scripture. I even began writing my own verses. …
I would even sing it..
Stories of Joy
Let’s talk about Joy for a moment.
Eating good food
We don’t go out to eat very often, but when we do, we like to go somewhere delicious.
Joy after a challenge
You work hard, and when you finish, you look at your work, and say ‘ahh’
Joy of a good rest
Of a well earned rest…
Canoeing
Canoeing in Canada, portaging from one lake to another
One portage was 2600 meters, 2.6K. Walk that at least 3 times with a canoe on your shoulders and large pack on your back, you reach the end, you see the next lake, and you are filled with immense joy.
Scripture
Intro
At first reading, it is easy to see these words as trite or cliche. It is easy to dismiss these words as worthless wisdom. Words which are easily said, but hard to live, and never perfected.
But, if you know the story behind the passage, it all makes sense, and the wonder and power of these words is seen in full. These words come to life in the life of the one who wrote them.
Paul’s story
Let’s talk about Paul, the one who wrote these words.
Closing
It’s easy to be when your kid is cute, when you belly is full, when you have successfully completed a difficult task….but joy in prison?
Joy in the midst of suffering?
Joy when the rest of the world says there is no hope?
That type of Joy is rare, and comes only from faith in Jesus Christ.
Amen
Join us for worship on Sunday mornings at 10:30 am.
Worship is the heartbeat of Decatur Presbyterian Church, the most important hour of the week. In worship, we offer praise, receive forgiveness, listen to God’s Word, pray for the needs of the world, and offer ourselves as living sacrifices to God.
The mission of DPC is to share Jesus Christ's love for the world.
Founded in 1825, Decatur Presbyterian Church has contributed in numerous ways to the cultural development of Decatur over nearly two centuries, transforming Decatur from a tiny frontier settlement to building the foundations of the city we live in today.
205 Sycamore Street, Decatur, GA 30030