The first time that I heard the phrase “holy joys” was as a fairly new Christian in an early 20th-century gospel hymn by Haldor Lillenas:
I will choose the holy joys that always last,
And reject sin’s pleasures that will soon be past,
To the treasures of true worth I’m holding fast,
I have settled the question forever.
The phrase resonated deeply with me. First, it helped me to realize that I truly loved the things of my new life in Christ. I found more real happiness in reading Scripture, studying theology, and worshipping at church than I ever had in the sinful pleasures of my old life.
Second, it helped me to realize that the sin which kept trying to pull me away from the means of grace wasn’t just keeping me from my duty, it was robbing me of the greatest sources of joy in my life. I began to see sanctification as a fight for my joy in God, and to understand by experience what Wesley meant when he said that the Christian religion is summed up in two words: holiness and happiness.
Since then, I have found the phrase “holy joys” in numerous places. I grew up hearing Andrea Bocelli sing “Panis Angelicus” without any thought for its meaning, only to later learn that it was the second to last stanza of Sacris Solemniis, a hymn written by the great theologian Thomas Aquinas in the 13th century. The first stanza, as translated in the Liturgy of the Hours, says,
At this our solemn feast let holy joys abound,
and from the inmost breast let songs of praise resound;
let ancient rites depart, and all be new around,
in every act, and voice, and heart.
God makes holy joys abound in the life of the Church—prayer, Scripture, singing, fellowship, and the sacraments—because they are means by which to encounter God himself, who is the ultimate holy joy, and to become the kind of human beings who can enjoy God and all things in their right relationship to him.
As I grew in my understanding of these things and become a pastor-teacher, I was excited to share what I was learning, and also disappointed by the way that much of what I had learned to love was neglected in the churches around me. I was especially burdened to recover what Wesley called “constant communion”—the Lord’s Supper as a central practice of the church’s life and worship. I began reaching out to pastor-theologians that I knew had expressed similar concerns, and we met to discuss creating a platform where we could work together to write and podcast about these issues. “Holy Joys” seemed like the obvious name, and in April 2020 we launched the ministry.
One of the first articles that I ever wrote for Holy Joys was a call to recenter the Lord’s Supper, ending with this paragraph: “God has given us the Lord’s Supper for our holiness and happiness. At the center of a holy, happy church are Word and Sacrament: two holy joys which are ours in Christ. Let us hasten to the gospel feast!” We adopted the tagline “For a holy, happy church,” and designed a logo with an open Bible that’s overlaid with the bread and cup of the Eucharist.
Since 2020, we have produced over 1,000 resources—articles, podcasts, sermons, charts, sample liturgies, church calendar guides, a children’s catechism (second printing coming soon), an adult catechism, and more. We’ve reached over a million views on our website and heard from countless people across the United States and throughout the world who have been blessed by the work of Holy Joys. A pastor recently told me, “Holy Joys completely changed the trajectory of my ministry.” Another person said, “The catechism has been life-changing; I wish I had this decades ago.” Just last night, someone sent me a picture from a youth discipleship meeting that was using our resources.
Good theology, robust engagement with the means of grace, and worship reform all work together to form churches into places of flourishing. We do what we do because we want holy joys to abound in the life of the Church, so that the Church can be a place of holiness, happiness, and health for all people.
If you appreciate the work of Holy Joys, pause to pray for us, and consider making a donation. We are committed to making all of our non-print resources completely free, but we can only do that through the generous support of people who believe in our mission.
