The theme of our worship is ‘Choosing Joy’. We make so many conscious choices daily and I wonder how many of those choices are to do with our spiritual attitude and well-being?

I have preached before about the importance of being a life-giver. There is nothing more attractive than a person who is positive and generous, who sees the best in others and in their own situation. Choosing Joy is an intensely spiritual act. It has past, present and future dynamics:

We choose joy because we consciously remember what God has done for us; we choose joy because as a consequence such joy is a present reality; we choose joy because the Hope of Christ is everlasting – there is a future dimension.

This is no ordinary joy. This is the JOY of the Lord Jesus Christ, the JOY He promised us. As we delve deeper into these thoughts, my prayer is that you will each choose and experience the joy of the Lord now and forever.

Major Richard Mingay