Dear Friends of BCUC,Our final church value to explore more deeply is "Spreading Joy."When we were praying, discussing, and forming our church values, we talked together as a congregation and as a council, and even the children of the church contributed. This value comes straight from the kids. When asked what they want the church to be, they spoke about a church that spreads the Gospel—the good news of Jesus—to everyone, bringing the joy of knowing Him to those who don’t yet. The adults seemed to miss this or, at least, didn’t express it quite as clearly.What does the joy of knowing Jesus mean to you? Have you experienced it?If you’ve done the Alpha course, you may remember a quote from the famous actor and comedian Jim Carrey:"I hope everybody could get rich and famous and will have everything they ever dreamed of, so they will know that it’s not the answer."Joy in knowing Jesus is far more foundational than fleeting feelings of happiness that come and go.The story we’ll explore to illustrate this value is that of Paul and Silas in a jail cell in the Greek city of Philippi.Beaten with rods and imprisoned because of their faith in Jesus, they sang hymns and songs of worship and praise loud enough for everyone to hear. At midnight, an earthquake shook the prison, the walls collapsed, and their chains fell off—yet no one ran. Instead, their prison guard was baptized along with his entire household, and the night ended with unimaginable joy. (Acts 16)For many of us, the beginning of that story would have been anything but joyful, anything but worthy of praise and worship. The songs of praise could easily have been cries of pain as blood and bruises took over their bodies.When was the last time you experienced the joy of seeing someone say "yes" to Jesus—the one who has already said "yes" to them? Or at least helped someone understand that, though the world might be scary, in Jesus, there are sparks of joy waiting to ignite everywhere?I look forward to seeing you on Sunday.Note: Our sermons are now available as a podcast! You can listen again or catch up while out walking, driving, or more.God bless,Benji
