Curved Outwards: The Geometry of Joy

What if the secret to lasting joy isn't found by looking within, but by learning to look beyond ourselves? In our culture of self-optimisation and personal fulfilment, we've been taught that happiness comes from curving inward; focusing on our own needs, desires, and experiences. But the Bible reveals a radically different geometry of joy. 

Curved Outward: The Geometry of Joy is an 11-week journey through the lives of biblical figures who discovered that true fulfillment comes not from self-focus, but from what we might call "outward curvature," turning our attention toward God, others, and creation itself. From Solomon's honest confession that self-indulgent living leads to "chasing after wind," to John the Baptist's revolutionary declaration that "He must increase, I must decrease," these stories reveal a consistent pattern: those who curve outward toward transcendence find the joy that those who curve inward toward themselves never can. 

Through the stories of Hannah's desperate prayer becoming prophetic song, Ruth's boundary-crossing love, Abraham's hope-filled obedience, the Canaanite Woman's persistent faith, Jesus' servant leadership, John the Baptist's joyful decrease, Lydia's business-to-mission transformation, the Good Samaritan's costly compassion, the Samaritan Woman's shame-to-testimony conversion, and John's vision of ultimate communion with God, we'll discover that the path to joy isn't through self-actualisation but through self-transcendence. 

Each week, we'll trace the same transformative pattern: Crisis → Choice → Curvature → Transformation → Joy. We'll see how each biblical figure faced the decision between self-preservation and self-giving, and how choosing to curve outward led them to a joy far greater than anything they sacrificed. 

This isn't a series about trying harder or being more selfless. It's about discovering the counterintuitive truth that when we stop making ourselves the centre of our story, we find ourselves caught up in a much better story; God's story of redemption, restoration, and ultimate joy. 

Join us as we learn the geometry of joy from those who lived it first and discover how curving outward can transform not just our happiness, but our entire way of being in the world. 

"He must increase, I must decrease... This joy of mine is now complete." - John 3:30, 29b