Joy in being actively helpful
In part 3 of this series on Finding Joy, let's dig into asking what can we do, individually and as a local faith community to experience heavenly joy in helpfulness? What does that look like on a day-to-day and week-to-week basis? What do we want to schedule into our personal lives as well as on our church calendar that will help bring us joy?
How "joyful" is being helpful? I know my joy meter goes up and down depending on a lot of factors. I can easily be thrilled to help one moment and frustrated another. Often I attribute the swing to my own self-generated feelings of competence vs incompetence. But other times, I can feel either ecstatic or depressed over how someone else feels about my attempt to help. Swedenborg puts a lot of
emphasis on the idea of being "useful" also known as "charity" or "kindness" or "altruism." Let's give this some thoughtful attention.
This series: The word "joy" seems like a pretty exceptional experience, but the Lord clearly says he wants us to experience it fully - which I take to mean all the time. A tall goal, for sure. Jesus said, “These things I have spoken to you, that My joy may remain in you, and that your joy may be full." John
15:11
Church Calendar Planning Meeting - This Sunday at 12:45 pm
Each summer we have a couple of meetings to invite everyone to help develop the calendar of activities for the coming "church year". Please consider attending the first of such meetings this Sunday after the luncheon. If you can't come this time, let Elise or me know that you are interested, and when would be a good time for you to meet.
NEW! Bible Study - This Wednesday at 3 pm
I eagerly invite you to join me in a mid-week Bible study in the front office of Sunrise Chapel at 3 pm this coming Wednesday, July 31. If this time of day doesn't work for you, but you want to participate, let me know. I am flexible with the time.
I will be using the resource of SpiritandLifeBibleStudy.com as a basis for these sessions, since I personally get a lot out of them. If you don't know your Bible very well, this is a great place to start. If you do know your Bible, Jonathan and our group interaction may surprise you with new information and insights.
Come and be part of a fresh start to seek a deep appreciation for the most important book in the world.
New AV monitor installed in the Chapel
Thank you for your input last Sunday on our experiment to replace our projector with a TV monitor. It is now mounted on the wall and working well! Please continue to provide your input as we iron out details and make improvements.
With love and respect,
