Church leaders would do well to memorize Nehemiah 12:43. It envisions joyful worship.˚
In the past, I have objected to Proverbs 29:18 being used as the rationale for a church vision statement (See “Where there is no vision the people perish, one of the most miss applied verses in the Bible”). Proverbs 29:18 calls for the proclamation of God’s Word rather than writing a mission statement.
Having said that, local churches clearly do need a vision of how they dream their local church will move forward. And the vision for any local church should include joy. Currently, I am memorizing Nehemiah 12:43. You don’t need to be a Hebrew scholar to appreciate how this thought from Nehemiah should shape our vision for the days to come.
And they offered great sacrifices that day and rejoiced, for God had made them rejoice with great joy; the women and children also rejoiced. And the joy of Jerusalem was heard far away (Nehemiah 12:43).
