A Positively Poetic Priest

2/8/18 Joy Joy: (talking to herself) Yes, Joy? Joy: You'll be in charge of the console, keeping Riley happy all day long. And may I add I love your dress, it's adorable. [Joy begins to happily twirl around] Joy: Oh, This ol' thing? Thank you so much, I love the way it twirls... - Disney Pixar's Inside Out Joy is deeper than happiness. Joy is a deep seated calm emotion which underlies other emotions and moods throughout the day. Its a way of living in gratitude and relationship with God. Happiness comes and goes throughout our lives, but joy endures, despite hardships. Joy is the foundation which allows people to be content, to thrive, to be pleasant even when bad things are happening in their lives. You can find the word joy over three hundred times in the English NRSV of the Bible. From the beginning to the end, joy is present throughout the scriptures. People sing with joy, people dance in joy, people enjoy the fruits of their labor, God blesses...

"Do you ever look at someone and wonder, what is going on inside their head?" - Joy, Disney Pixar's "Inside Out" One of the things I wonder the most about is what is going on inside other people's minds. I find my own mind fascinating and I imagine that what goes on in other people's minds is fascinating too. As I have grown older, I have learned so much about what goes on in my mind and how it impacts what I do, who I am, and how I respond in certain circumstances. I am surprised how often I have epiphanies about my own emotions which lead to better understanding of other people's actions. The season after Epiphany is a time of learning new things. The lectionary takes us through stories of the disciples having epiphanies about who Jesus is and why he does what he does. Some of this learning takes place in seeing something new of Jesus, some of it takes place through examining their own understandings of themselves and Jesus. Through the...