Fields United Methodist Church

Thoughts Along the Way

Pastor Tom Joyce

May 12, 2021

“This is the day that the Lord has made, let us rejoice and be glad in it.”

Psalm 118:24

Have you ever noticed, joy is contagious! As the season of the pandemic is beginning to ease a bit and we are beginning to see more and more of the faces we love, there is a new-found excitement and hope that often times eluded many of us as we felt isolated, alone, and starved for being in the presence of others. As I read God’s Word throughout the Bible, I see optimism, eternal optimism for the present and for the future, or as Jeremiah attests, “a future with hope.” (Jeremiah 29:11) When we accept the amazing grace of God offered through Jesus the Christ, the world brightens, even in the midst of the storms of life. There is always hope, always joy, because there is always Jesus. When I think of our church community and God’s amazing creation and the people of the world, I rejoice and celebrate God’s presence every day and no matter where I go, my soul sings, “Surely the presence of the Lord is in this place.” (Larry Wolf, “Surely the Presence of the Lord.”) I have a “Life is Good” sweatshirt that proclaims “The art of optimism.” Living a life of faith is seeing light even in the midst of darkness, certainty even in the midst of uncertain times. How can this be, you may ask? Here is why; “This is the day that the Lord has made, let us rejoice and be glad in it.” There is a joy in knowing our Lord is with us; after all, we are first and foremost Easter people, redeemed and renewed by God who never stops loving us, never stops lifting us up, never stops encouraging us, never stops offering us grace upon grace, upon grace. Maybe the key to truly celebrating Jesus and the joy of believing is reminding ourselves at the moment we feel like complaining, or just discouraged by life’s twists and turns, to proclaim, through it all, “This is the day that the Lord has made, let us rejoice and be glad in it!” Life is too short and eternity too long not to rejoice every moment of everyday and witnessing to everybody the joy that is Jesus Christ our Lord.  Amen.