Reflections on Sunday

Every Tuesday our church does a worship service at Oak Leaf retirement community next door to the church. We do a full service with elders, a pianist and communion. I preach the same sermon that I did on Sunday.

My sermon Sunday was about what the cross means to us as we grow into our faith as mature Christian. I talk about how the cross represents the spiritual truth of our lives - that to die to ourselves is to find life. If we follow Jesus, we embrace suffering by becoming people who are able to love compassionately. We first have to recognize those who are suffering in our midst and we have the courage to stand with those who suffer.

After I preached today, I found myself thinking about church on Sunday. It was such a busy day that I had not really processed all that happened. At the end of the service, one of our members came forward. The invitation is to those who want to join church - but he came forward to be embraced by the church. He is a man who came to us about 4 years ago as he was going through a terrible time - his wfe left him and he lost his job at the same time. He became part of our church and found some work and found a place to live. He became "stabilized" I guess you could say, but it was surely not the way it was before.

Two years ago he had a stroke. He has not been the same since. I won't go into details, but after heart problems as well, he is now living in a rehabiilition place and may have to stay there. It is not what he wants, but it is the way it is.

Anyway, he came forward weeping Sunday and I called the healing team to come forward and place hands on him as I prayed a prayer over him and the benediction for the service.

What I recognized today is that whole moment was exactly the role of the church. We have to be willing to stand with those who suffer and who may not get any better. We (I)cannot even imagine what it is like to watch our life dramatically change from our expectation of what we thought it was going to be.


This is the hardest part of life and ministry. What I realized this morning was that at the end of the service we were acting out the sermon - and let me tell you honestly - it is all very uncomfortable. We have a healing team at our church and we want to be part of God's healing - and while there may be spiritual and relational and emotional healing - there is not always physical healing. And it is hard to see.

And so I write this for Doug who we love and pray that somehow in the midst of the life that he now has at a nursing hom that he is experiencing God's presence. And I pray that I might and that our church might have the courage to love him and stand with him (and others) in suffering.