I wonder what the word joy means to you?

Does it sound like something familiar?

Or does the very idea seem impossible?

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In the darkness and difficulty of the times we live in, joy can seem like a distant possibility at best.

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But, unlike happiness, which comes and goes, joy is something deeper.

For St Paul, one of the very first Christians, joy was connected to love, community and hope for the future. 2000 years ago, St Paul found a great source of love through faith in Jesus, and that love compelled him to build authentic communities of faith, inclusion, and celebration. St Paul found that a community that included all did indeed bring joy to the world.

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This Christmas, St Paul’s Boundary Road has never been busier. Like our patron St Paul, we want to build an authentic community that includes, supports, and helps. That’s why we run our Community Café, our Community Garden, our Social Supermarket, and our Social Eating events. But at the heart of all that we do is the love that we believe comes from God. We would love to invite you to come and be part of what we are doing this Christmas, and to discover the thread that connects it all together; which is joy.

Joy to the world.