“Are you happy?”
Dear Brothers and Sisters of St Mary's,
Grace to you and peace from God our Father and the Lord Christ Jesus.
Rejoice in the Lord always, again I say, rejoice! (Philippians 4:4) It is in rejoicing that we ended Frinton Mission 2025. I hope for many that attended an event, be it the tent entertainment,
the kids' activities or being stopped on the Greensward or on the streets of Frinton
with an offer to be prayed for, that the joy of the Lord was seen and received.
As I write to you today, it is to speak of joy. What do you think about joy? We often say to people, “Are you happy?” Many a time I have been asked, “Are you happy?”. But I wonder how often we ask someone, “Are you joyful?”
You see, joy, unlike happiness, is not connected to external circumstances, but rather joy is connected to a relationship rooted in God. A trusting relationship with Jesus, who he is and what he has done. Joy is a fruit of the Spirit of God,
the second fruit after love. (Galatians 5:22).
The Apostle Paul, who wrote about rejoicing and repeated the instruction to rejoice, did so from prison. He had come to know, without a shadow of doubt, that God was faithful, God was good, and that God was with him.
If you asked Paul if he was happy, I think he would have smiled, looked you in the face and said “I am joyful”.
To know yourself as loved, known and seen, that you are
a person so worthy of this great love that Jesus died
on the Cross of Calvary gives joy.
Our circumstances can cause sadness, but I hope, like the Apostle Paul, with eyes on Jesus,
we can Rejoice in the Lord; not in the circumstances, but in Jesus. He is faithful and will see us through. 
Why don’t you join our Sunset Services from the 10th of August at 7pm in the Old Church where the theme is joy? You can learn more about the hope that we have in this joy.
As always, get to know Jesus. Visit us here at St Mary’s – or your local church – and ask about Jesus. Why not sign up for the Alpha Course, being run here at St Mary’s and other churches in Frinton and Walton?