Lecture Series with Rev. Tom Are: Joy Even On Your Worst Days 

Sunday April 26, May 3, May 10, & May 17, 9 a.m. 

In alignment with our Sermon Series, “Again, I Say Rejoice!,” the Rev. Tom Are, Jr., will be teaching a four-week Sunday school series on his book Joy Even On Your Worst Days: Wisdom from Philippians. Come do a deep dive into one of the most joyful books in scripture, as we learn from Paul, how to hold onto joy amidst great suffering. 

Want to learn more about the book? Here’s a quick blurb: 

The world the apostle Paul inhabited was dramatically different from our time. He knew nothing of capitalism, or physics, or Zoom, and more significantly, Paul was a regular in Caesar’s prison. For us, “Caesar” is a salad. But a constant in the human story is that every life faces suffering. Paul’s life was no different. And yet, on Paul’s worst days, he still exhibited a spirit of joy. In this spirit of joy, Paul offers us some inspiration. Joy is not a common reality in modern life. We are more acquainted with anxiety and fear, and on good days we can settle for happiness; but joy is less common. The worst days come to all of us. At some point the dreams die, the body fails, the spirit is crushed. Those days leave their mark on us. But an imprisoned apostle passed down 104 verses to an ancient congregation in Philippi, and they have passed it down to us. It is their testimony that when the worst days come—and they will—they do not have to be the end of joy. Indeed, they might be the beginning.