The NorthWord
NorthWord is a daily Christian podcast from St. John's Fort Smith in collaboration with the Anglican Family. Hosted by Father Aaron from Fort Smith, Northwest Territories.
Here's how it works: Every Sunday we release the full sermon preached that morning. Then Monday through Saturday, you get 3-5 minute daily reflections based on that sermon - one thought you can actually use each day. Every Wednesday we explore the rhythm of Jesus' life and how his followers have lived it out for 2,000 years.
Whether you're Pentecostal, Orthodox, Baptist, Catholic, or just curious about faith - this is for you. Ancient faith. Real life. No fluff.
The Word. The North. Your Week.
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The NorthWord
Tuesday: The Rejoicing Problem
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It's easy to weep with those who weep. But rejoicing with those who rejoice—without envy? That's the real test of Christian love.
Good morning, this is Northword.
SPEAKER_00:Good morning indeed. This is Northword, the word of the North, your week, a daily podcast from St. John's Fort Smith in collaboration with the Anglican family, and I'm your host, Father Aaron. When's the last time you genuinely celebrated someone else's success without a twinge of envy? Paul says, Love rejoices with those who rejoice and weeps with those who weep. One of the early church fathers made a fascinating observation. It's easy to weep with someone, even pagans do this, but to rejoice with someone without envy, that is so much harder. Your coworker gets the promotion you wanted, your friend buys the house you can't afford, your neighbor gets the new truck while you're still driving a beater. It's easier to weep with them when things go wrong than to genuinely rejoice when things go right. And this is where Christian community gets tested. Not in the crisis moments, in the success moments. Love isn't just showing up when someone's in the hospital. Love is setting aside your own envy to truly celebrate when good things happen to other people. Especially when those good things haven't happened to you yet. So let's get specific. Where in your life right now is this hitting you? At work? In your family? Right here in church? Someone got the role you wanted. Someone's marriage is thriving while yours struggles. Someone's kids are excelling while yours barely get by. Can you genuinely rejoice with them? Can you celebrate their success without that quiet voice saying, Why not me? Because that's what love requires. Not the warm, fuzzy feeling kind, the decision and action kind. The kind that says, I am going to celebrate your good even when I'm struggling with my lack. This is why we need community. Left to ourselves, we'd retreat into echo chambers where we only interact with people who make us feel better about ourselves. But Christian community forces us to confront our envy. Here's your Tuesday application. Find someone this week experiencing something truly good, something you secretly envy, and deliberately celebrate them. Send the text, make the call, say the words out loud. Not because you feel like it, but because love is a decision, love is an action. Our calling to love is impossible without the community God gave us. And sometimes that community's greatest gift is forcing us to confront our own envy. This has been Northward the Word, the North Your Week, a daily podcast from St. John's Fort Smith in collaboration with the Anglican family. Until tomorrow, God be with you.
SPEAKER_01:Amen.