Senior Pastor

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.

Village Connect is a small group ministries video curriculum featuring Rev. Tom Are Jr., senior pastor at Village Presbyterian Church. In the series “Joy Even on Your Worst Day,” eight brief videos explore Paul’s letter to the Philippians, a letter that despite being written in prison, is a letter full of joy. It is a timely word and there is much the apostle can teach us about being joyful, even on a hard, maybe even our worst days. The videos come with a leader study guide written by Rev. Dr. Rodger Nishioka.