Blessed Are You Feb 13 2022

Grief

To every thing there is a season, and a time to every purpose under the heaven:

A time to be born, and a time to die; a time to plant, and a time to pluck up that which is planted;

A time to weep, and a time to laugh; a time to mourn, and a time to dance;

                                                                                 (Eccl 3:1-2,4 KJV)

As much as I sometimes regret retiring from parish ministry, this week I was once again reminded of one of the reasons to retire. I spent many years serving one particular congregation and got very close to them. They were and are still like family. I had the good pleasure of being there at births, at graduations, of baptizing them, marrying them, of being there to celebrate for a lot of very special occasions. There was much laughing and singing and dancing over the years.

But, I was also there to witness much grief. I was there for sickness, for losses of employment, and for divorces as well as many other rough times. I buried hundreds, many who were very close to me, witnessing and grieving with their loved ones. The closer I got to any of them during their lives the harder is was for me to preside at their funerals. I no longer could refrain from weeping during the sermons as I looked into the eyes of the family sitting in front of me. I did not weep for the deceased. I had hope in the promise that all who people have eternal life. I wept for the families. I wept to see such pain. 

During most of this time I was also the home health care and hospice chaplain for the local hospital. One would think that I would have grown used to death. Death is inevitable. For the faithful death is not the end. We have hope. Yet, when someone is ripped from our lives grief is also inevitable. As we hear from the preacher in Ecclesiastes there is a time to weep and a time to mourn. 

This past week, a young friend died; a father of young children died. His parents were neighbors and also friends. It saddens me greatly to even think about the grief his family is enduring. It grieves me to think of his young children growing up without their father. 

Over a year ago, after I had retired, I had been asked to preside at the funeral of another man much younger than myself. He was survived by a teenage son whom I had known since birth.  The boys mother, who had been a friend, had died some time before. To see such a beloved child of God in so much grief and pain I could not refrain from weeping as I proclaimed the Gospel. It was a very tough sermon to get through. It was the last funeral I presided at. 

It was a reminder of how close I had gotten to the community (not just the congregation) that I had served in and that I no longer was able to control my own emotions as I witnessed the grief experienced by others. 

I have reminded myself over the years as I wept with those who grieved that even Jesus wept when he met Lazarus' sisters after Lazarus' death and saw them in so much pain. Pastors grieve too. Pastors are allowed to shed tears. But, today I find that grief overwhelms me too often as I witness the grief of others and that is one of the reasons it was best that I retire from parish ministry. That doesn't mean I quit serving God. It will just be in other ways. 

May God grant all who grieve peace of heart and mind in the assurance of everlasting life for all who believe.

God's Peace - Pr. J.

Time To Live In Love

To every thing there is a season, and a time to every purpose under the heaven:

A time to be born, and a time to die; a time to plant, and a time to pluck up that which is planted;

A time to kill, and a time to heal; a time to break down, and a time to build up;

A time to weep, and a time to laugh; a time to mourn, and a time to dance;

A time to cast away stones, and a time to gather stones together; a time to embrace, and a time to refrain from embracing;

A time to get, and a time to lose; a time to keep, and a time to cast away;

A time to rend, and a time to sew; a time to keep silence, and a time to speak;

A time to love, and a time to hate; a time of war, and a time of peace.

Ecclesiastes 3:1-8 KJV

Each new day brings us something different. There is a time for everything. Some of us may think that we're stuck in a rut. If we are it may just be because we have not opened our eyes to see the opportunities nor the challenges that each day presents to us. We have not asked God to empower us with the Holy Spirit to help us to overcome those challenges.

None of the milestones or challenges or knowledge or even wisdom is new to the world. What we know and experience today has been experienced by others before. The world around us might feel like it's falling apart. But, others have survived. They have gotten through the rough times and have experienced some of the most precious gifts that God has given us.

Consider well if today is to be the time for love; for peace; for healing, for  embracing; for laughing and dancing. Is it the time to plant and to not only keep but use the time God has given us to do good and to not harm? 

Not sure about you; but, in this time of self-fulfillment and personal agendas, I am ready to see some reconciliation in this world. It is about time. May God help us to love even as He loves and to live in peace with one another.

God's Peace - Pr. J.

A Time To Refrain From Embracing

A Time and Season for Everything

To every thing there is a season, and a time to every purpose under the heaven:

A time to be born, and a time to die; a time to plant, and a time to pluck up that which is planted;

A time to kill, and a time to heal; a time to break down, and a time to build up;

A time to weep, and a time to laugh; a time to mourn, and a time to dance;

A time to cast away stones, and a time to gather stones together; a time to embrace, and a time to refrain from embracing;

A time to get, and a time to lose; a time to keep, and a time to cast away;

A time to rend, and a time to sew; a time to keep silence, and a time to speak;

A time to love, and a time to hate; a time of war, and a time of peace.

Eccl 3:1-8 KJV

There is a time and a season for everything. Covid-19 has pretty much dictated to the world that it is a time to refrain from embracing depending upon who it is that you plan on embracing. If it's your children or spouse and you have been practicing safe distancing in public, embracing may be crucial to the mental health of your loved one and yourself. As hard as it might be for "huggers", if it's someone outside of your own household then it is not a very good idea at this time.

The world is going through a tough time right now. But, do not worry. This too shall pass for we know that there is a time and a season for everything and there will once again be a time for embracing. In the meantime, we can embrace one another with the words of our lips as we encourage one another. We can embrace one another by helping to feed the hungry and shelter the homeless by whatever means that are available to us. We can embrace one another with words of comfort and with prayer.

Let us pray: Heavenly Father, we ask you to comfort all in any sorrow or need. Embrace them with your loving arms; embrace them by the power of the Holy Spirit, in Jesus's name. Amen.

God's Peace - Pr. J.

A Time To Embrace

Ecclesiastes 3:1-11 KJV

To every thing there is a season, and a time to every purpose under the heaven:

A time to be born, and a time to die; a time to plant, and a time to pluck up that which is planted;

A time to kill, and a time to heal; a time to break down, and a time to build up;

A time to weep, and a time to laugh; a time to mourn, and a time to dance;

A time to cast away stones, and a time to gather stones together; a time to embrace, and a time to refrain from embracing;

A time to get, and a time to lose; a time to keep, and a time to cast away;

A time to rend, and a time to sew; a time to keep silence, and a time to speak;

A time to love, and a time to hate; a time of war, and a time of peace.

What profit hath he that worketh in that wherein he laboureth?

I have seen the travail, which God hath given to the sons of men to be exercised in it.

He hath made every thing beautiful in his time: also he hath set the world in their heart, so that no man can find out the work that God maketh from the beginning to the end.

As a young person, I often suffered from periods of deep depression. It was in those times that I often turned to the author of Ecclesiastes to commiserate with. "Vanity of vanities, saith the Preacher, vanity of vanities; all is vanity." (Eccl 1:2) I could not have agreed with him more that everything was vanity and probably a really big waste of time; even life. Somehow the reality of everything being vanity got me through to a point where I realized that whatever I do amounts to not much more than survival. In order to really live, I had to trust in God and to live my life in Christ. 

We can never really figure out God's whole plan for us. We might think we know it and then whoosh... something happens and the plan changes just like that! What we thought was His plan for us is not. 

Today, I will lead the service at the funeral of a friend. He leaves behind a teen-age son. His wife, the son's mother, died years ago. It is a very sad time. It is a time to weep. As I consider the words of the preacher, I know that with the bad times; times of sadness; times of depression; God will also provide times of relief; but, in His time. God provides times of peace; times of love, times to build up; and times of embracing. 

Today is a time to weep; but, it is at the same time a time to love and a time to embrace one another. 

Whatever sorrow you may be enduring today remember the love of God in Christ Jesus for you and allow him to love you through others. And, don't forget to love others as Jesus loves you.

God's Peace - Pr. J

Rejoice And Give Thanks For Answered Prayers

"Therefore I tell you, whatever you ask for in prayer, believe that you have received it, and it will be yours." Mark 11:24

It is said that we ought to be careful what we ask for when we pray to God because God does deliver the answer to the prayers of the faithful. Sometimes God's answer is a bit different than what we had intended. But, all of the time, no matter what the answer is, it is for the good of His children.

On my way home from worship yesterday, I suddenly burst out laughing as I realized that God was answering one of my prayers. It was hard to recognize it at first because He's not answering the prayer request in the way that I had intended. But, He is answering it in His way and it will be a very good thing when it comes to fruition. I have not yet seen the end result; but, I do believe that I have received the request of my lips for His children here in this community.

During the last couple of weeks, I have witnessed one answered prayer after another and each and every time another prayer is answered, I cannot help but smile (more like laugh out loud) and give thanks to God for hearing me and answering in a way that will benefit those who love Him.

Let us give rejoice thanks to the Lord for answering the prayers of our hearts for all of His people; for the whole church on earth.

God's Peace - Pr. J

A Time To Smile And A Time To Not

There is a time for everything,    

and a season for every activity under the heavens:

    a time to weep and a time to laugh,

    a time to mourn and a time to dance...

Eccl 3:1,4

The dolphin appears to have a pleasant and peaceful disposition. Most appear to have perpetual smiles upon their faces. Even the killer whale, a species of dolphins, has a smile on its face.

I have learned over time to be just a little suspicious of those who have perpetual smiles on their faces; those who are always happy, happy, happy...  I am especially suspicious of preachers who smile and laugh all of the time.

That being said, I admit, I smile a lot. My kindergarten teacher nick-named me "Miss Sunshine." I am aware that at times it is irritating to others, especially when I smile as I am confronting someone. Yes, I confront people from time to time. It's in my job description to "comfort the afflicted and afflict the too comfortable." However, I also cry a lot. I tend to cry when I think that God was willing to sacrifice His only begotten Son for my sins; for the sins of the world. I tend to cry when I consider what he suffered for us. I tend to weep when I see the suffering that humankind would inflict upon one another.

There is a time to weep and a time to laugh, a time to mourn and a time to dance. Let us grieve our sinful natures and our inability to live lives that bring peace and reconciliation in the world around us; yet, let us rejoice that through our Lord Jesus we have been reconciled to God and one another in His Kingdom, even now.

God's Peace - Pr. J

God Has A Plan For Every Season

There is a time for everything,
and a season for every activity under the heavens:

a time to be born and a time to die,
a time to plant and a time to uproot,
a time to kill and a time to heal,
    a time to tear down and a time to build,
a time to weep and a time to laugh,
   a time to mourn and a time to dance,
a time to scatter stones and a time to gather them,
    a time to embrace and a time to refrain from embracing,
a time to search and a time to give up,
    a time to keep and a time to throw away,
a time to tear and a time to mend,
    a time to be silent and a time to speak,
a time to love and a time to hate,

a time for war and a time for peace.

Ecclesiastes 3:1-8 NIV

What time is it? What season are we in? Even in the darkest of times, God has a plan and it's a good plan. He will bring His people through it.

God's Peace - Pr. J