Rejoice in the Lord always; again I will say, Rejoice!”

Philippians 4:4

As we celebrate the nativity of our Lord and Saviour Jesus Christ, this biblical passage is so important in our Christian Faith. It teaches us how we should conduct ourselves toward God and our neighbor. It says: “Rejoice in the Lord always.

Joy is the natural fruit of faith. Galatians 5:22-23 says, “The fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, generosity, faithfulness, gentleness, and self-control.

Bruce Epperly said “a ministry filled with gratitude will transform the way you look at each day and inspire creativity amid the limitations of congregational life. We will go through the day in the spirit of Dag Hammarskjold’s affirmation, For all that has been – thanks. To all that shall be – yes.

To rejoice in the Lord is to trust, confide, glory and have pride in the Lord as in a gracious God. This is a joy which rejects all else but the Lord, including that self-righteousness. Our joy in God should be manifested in the face of every human being. We should let joy have rule, let Christ be greater than ourselves. Let the love of God care for all of us. Jesus, our messiah, whom you now acknowledge is able to provide for you. Our duty is to rejoice ever in God and be humane toward all people, primarily in that we have a gracious God. We should be concerned for people and all of creation. To rejoice in God is to be kind to people.

May the light of love shine upon you, and may your life be filled with blessings in this Christmas season, and I hope the New Year will bring you many days of happiness.

The Reverend Louie Engnan

Rector