The Way Of Joy
“The Way Of Joy” (Isaiah 35)
When a crisis hits, we are often tempted to neglect joy and focus our attention only on dealing with the problem at hand. All we want to do is push through the pain and get to the other side.
It can even make us feel guilty to experience joy during difficult times, as if it’s inappropriate to find pleasure in moments where everything is falling apart. But joy doesn’t need to stop in difficult times. In fact, we’re usually better off if we allow ourselves moments of joy in the midst of our struggles.
Ryan Phipps is the Senior Minister at Church In Bethesda.
Raised in the church, becoming a pastor was the one thing Ryan vowed he would never do. After spending many years away from faith, he found that for all of its flaws, the church can still occupy a unique place of good in the world if it is willing to evolve with reason and empathy.
Ryan has a special place in his heart for those who have been damaged or disillusioned by the church, and longs to lead those within it toward a more just and generous expression of itself.
Ryan has pastored churches in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania and Manhattan, New York City. He is also the host of Meditations For The Metro, a podcast of daily devotions for people with busy lives, writes music under the pseudonym, “Saturne,” and is a former contributor to the Huffington Post.