Joyfully

   I was reading today Psalm 95 and was struck by the word joyfully. Let us sing for joy to the Lord. Let us shout joyfully to the rock of our salvation. (Psalm 95:1)
   I found myself wondering how often we actually live joyfully as a church. Yes, we may share our joys and concerns during prayer time - but most congregations I've visited or have been a part of have far more concerns than joys. Further, that is not the same as living joyfully.
   I am the first to admit that we are living in a difficult age for the church. There are financial struggles for both individuals in the congregation and parishes as a whole. In many congregations there aren't as many people worshipping as there were in years past and some of the defining ministries of local churches, historically, are no longer preset. But the question is can we have hope in the midst of this situation? Can we have joy that springs from hope eternal?
   Maybe, just maybe, the reason people aren't filling the pews and entering the doors is that we haven't made a very compelling case to come. We haven't went out to people and shared with them the authentic joy we have in Christ. We haven't sung joyfully to the Lord, and people outside the church know it.
   We need a better witness - not just of our faith in Christ but of our joy in Christ. And that may look different for each of us. For some of us its going to be a complete change in our way of thinking - looking for the blessings instead of the trials. For others its going to mean proclaiming how Christ is redeeming difficult situations. Still, for others, its going to mean sharing what you are grateful for because of your relationship with Christ. Let us reflect on what it means to live joyfully as a church, in order that Christ may be proclaimed and in order that our God may be glorified.