Monday, November 8, 2021https://kuc.org/wp-content/uploads/joy-40.jpg

Katie Snipes Lancaster

Scripture
Whoever does not love
does not know God, for God is love.
1 John 4:8

A Look at Joy
It is possible of course to build a church around friendly community, helpful counseling, social outreach, and good music on Sunday morning without worrying much about how we articulate our faith. But social clubs, psychiatrists, political action groups, and choral societies can do all that as well or better. What sets the church apart is that we claim to have challenging but joyous news (after all, gospel just means “good news”) about God, ourselves and the world in which we live. In order to do well what only the church can do, we need to get clear on that news in our own minds and figure out how to teach it to our children and explain it to our neighbors.

(From “Essentials of Christian Theology” by William C. Placher).

Prayer
God, show us your good news,
Usher us into that place where your deep love for us
Meets our deep calling to love the world.
Show us how to love.
Amen.