Joy. It’s not an emotion. It’s a location.

On the third Sunday of Advent - Joy Sunday - Pastor Phil Kniss referenced a recent study which highlighted that despite it's wealth and power, despite our constitution acknowledging everyone's right to health and happiness, the U.S. is NOT the happiest country in the world. Money and power cannot buy happiness. Luke 1:46-55 recounts Mary's song, her Magnificat. In this song, Mary speaks of her great joy despite her socially humiliating situation. Pastor Phil suggested that joy is less an emotion than it is an orientation. Joy is found when we locate ourselves in God's shalom. Joy is not a goal to be sought, but is a result of life nested within God's will. Pastor Phil encouraged us to push back against our cultures frantic pursuit of a shallow happiness, and place ourselves in the deep joy of God's Kingdom.