Is joy simple?

As I was reflecting on the third Sunday of Advent, the Sunday of joy, the question above became my sermon title. It’s deceptively, well, simple, isn’t it? Is joy simple?

The more I thought about it, the more I was taken with the question. It seems the answer is more complex than the question, which is usually the case when we are dealing with profound things like joy.

One of the points I try to cover in the sermon is the difference between happiness and joy. The two words are frequently used interchangeably, and that’s fine; language exists to be used, but I think there is a difference between them. My ad hoc definitions are: happiness is a feeling in response to a situation; joy is a state of being regardless of situation. I’m not trying to win any arguments, although I am very willing to talk with anyone about these two ideas (or anything really). It is possible to be sad and joyful, but it is much harder, maybe even impossible, to be happy and sad at the same time.

There is a lot of “me” in the sermon this week, and I talk about the death of a friend, so if that is not something you want to hear about, please feel free to skip this week’s message.

“Is joy simple” St. Mark’s Presbyterian (to download, right-click and select “Save Link As . . .”)

Blessings,