Fields United Methodist Church

Thoughts Along the Way

Pastor Tom Joyce

May 18, 2021

“May the God of hope fill you with all joy and peace in believing, so that you may abound in hope by the power of the Holy Spirit.”

Romans 15:13

Worship services at Fields Church always begin with a resounding, “God is good!” The joy and peace in believing is all about the goodness of God, of God through our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ being with us throughout our days, good, bad, or somewhere in between. Yet the boundless hope and joy of the Lord is not an intellectual activity nor is it something that is earned by fulfilling a checklist of do’s and don’ts. Jesus promised to be with us always, even to the end of the age and it is through the power of the Holy Spirit of God that we are equipped, empowered, and enlightened to live out all that we have received from our loving and gracious Lord; grace, hope, peace, and joy. When you accept Jesus as your Lord and Savior, your acceptance comes with the promise of the Holy Spirit to surround you, enlivening your soul and setting you free to enjoy the richness of the goodness of God. Someone asked me not too long ago how our worship team and I were able to lead worship in front of essentially an empty sanctuary while we were closed for in-person worship, even knowing several hundred were watching the service remotely. When we walked into the sanctuary, we could feel, and continue to feel the power of the Holy Spirit giving us all we need to offer praise to the One who promised never to leave us or forsake us. It is the Holy Spirit that connects you to the love of God that has no end, so that despite the journey you may be on you are filled with “all joy and peace in believing.” Think of the Holy Spirit as the power that allows you to experience the presence of God and celebrate God with all the gifts you know you have received and even gifts you had no idea you possessed. So “may the God of hope fill you with all joy and peace in believing, so that you may abound in hope by the power of the Holy Spirit.”