From Margaret Clark

Here is such a meaningful and thoughtful prayer from one of our Children's teachers at CCC, Margaret Clark...

O Friend of little children, hear our prayer this day for all who are devastated by the shooting at Sandy Hook Elementary School.

To Your merciful keeping we commit all who have died this day; for in You there is a life that death cannot destroy.
...
To Your kind embrace we especially commend the parents and families of those children whose voices are now stilled; hold them in Your loving arms.

Remember the injured and grant them, according to Your kind will, healing and restoration.

Remember all who have been traumatized by what they witnessed, the students and the teachers and the staff, all whose world has been shattered; comfort them in the midst of tears.

Remember the police and medical workers and all who seek to bring order after chaos; help them to serve in this dark hour with courage and wisdom and compassion.

Remember the community of Newtown which will never be the same again; bring to it the peace that can come alone from You.

O Mighty One, we know that the thief comes only to steal and kill and destroy, but that You have come that we might have life and have it abundantly. Help your Church at this time to shine the light of Your compassion and truth into the darkness and despair. Help Your people to proclaim, even with tears, that hatred and death will not be the end of this world; for You will come to bring a Kingdom of light and joy and peace. Make us witnesses to this great hope and in the certainty of Your kingdom’s triumph to bind the wounds of this world with tenderness and care. We ask it in Your name, who knew in Your own flesh unreasoned violence and hatred, and whose Love has triumphed over all. Amen.

Grieving and Processing Tragedy

December 14, 2012 will be a date our country will remember.  There are so many questions that come to mind when such a horrific act is reported.  Who did it?  Why?  What in the world would motivate such a violent and life changing tragedy?  As the dots are connected by the investigators and reported by the media, we look in shock, anger, concern, hurt, worry, etc.  What response should we have?

As a parent of an elementary age child my first reaction was a desire to go to Tyler's school and scoop him up so that I know he is safe.  As a pastor my prayers began immediately, and I could feel empathetic pain for those parents and family members whose lives will never be the same. Here are a few of my initial thoughts in the face of tragedy.

First, the best first and continued response is prayer.  Pray for the families who lost children or family members.  Pray for the peace of God to minister His shepherding love to each one.  Pray for our families.  Pray that God will protect and help us as we consider moving forward in a world where inexplicable violence is becoming more common.  Pray that we come to a thoughtful and effective way to prevent such acts in the future.

Second, for those of us with young children there are a few things we should remember.  We should remember that our children may not have enough understanding of the world to even comprehend what has happened.  Where we may be feeling deep hurt and/or concern, an extreme emotional reaction by us as parents can create an unnecessary scenario of fear and insecurity for our child.  Certainly hug them tighter, tell them you love them, and come up with meaningful words to help them understand why mommy and daddy are sad or concerned.  It certainly would be appropriate to gather as a family and pray for those affected directly.  Turning it over to God as a family would not only be a healthy and proper response, but it will train your children how to respond when bad things happen.

Third, and maybe one of the most difficult things to work through is the question, how could God allow such a tragic thing to happen?  A crisis of faith is certainly something that can occur in our minds and hearts when processing such a horrid event.  Things to remember here initially are that during a time of initial response there is shock, anger, denial, etc. which are natural.  In those natural responses we don't process things with as clear thoughts as we would during non heightened times.  Recognize and calm yourself from reacting extremely.  The time will come when you can see more clearly.  That is the time to think through questions of faith and world view.  Check back for more thoughts on this from me or others.

I don't pretend to think this is the only or right way to handle things, but I hope it helps minister shalom (peace) to your heart as you experience and consider such a terrible day in our history.

As for the immediate, let us pray and be comforted by these words...

Psalm 23

English Standard Version (ESV)

 The Lord is my shepherd; I shall not want.
     He makes me lie down in green pastures.
He leads me beside still waters.
     He restores my soul.
He leads me in paths of righteousness
    for his name's sake.

 Even though I walk through the valley of the shadow of death,
    I will fear no evil,
for you are with me;
    your rod and your staff,
    they comfort me.

 You prepare a table before me
    in the presence of my enemies;
you anoint my head with oil;
    my cup overflows.
 Surely goodness and mercy shall follow me
    all the days of my life,
and I shall dwell in the house of the Lord
    forever.

Advent: Peace 02

Eight days later, his disciples were inside again, and Thomas was with them. Although the doors were locked, Jesus came and stood among them and said, “Peace be with you.”

John 20:26

At first glance it is easy to be distracted by the miracle of Jesus appearance in a locked room.  But don't get lost in the flash.  Consider the situation.  Jesus had been crucified before the eyes of the disciples, and His suffering put on public display.  Everything they had followed was seemingly gone. Where do they go from here?  What does it all mean?  What in the world is happening?  Everything is changing in an obvious way, but the reason and needed perspective are unclear.

We have all experienced times in life when we asked the same questions.  What is happening?  What is next?  There is a feeling of shock and unrest.  The loss of a friend or family member, the loss of a job, the loss of a relationship, or even the loss of a pet.  There is such a sense of unrest in the face of grief.  The human experience of grief includes anger, denial, shock, etc.  None of those include tranquility or calm.  It is as if you are enduring a great storm of emotion.

During my college years, a hurricane hit the Gulf Coast of which I was living about 100 miles inland.  The storm came straight in to our little college town of Auburn, AL blowing all night long.  The winds were sustained around 80-100MPH.  There was one point in which there was an erie calm.  We could see some of the destruction by the street lights, but almost no wind was blowing.  We were in the eye of the storm.  

When Jesus entered the grief stricken room of disciples unbeknownst to them, he said, "Peace be with you."  He was the calm, content, completeness they needed in an emotional storm of life.  Even bigger than that, Jesus was the calm, content, completeness the world needed in it's brokenness.  The ministry of the incarnation was peace in the midst of grief and turmoil.  It was healing for the brokenhearted.  It was a peaceful eye in the midst of the storm.

During the storms of life that you experience now, will you cling to Him as He enters the room saying, "Peace be with you"?  Allow Him to be the eye of the storm.  There is much needed peace in the midst of all of our lives.  The circumstances may be irreversible, but there is calm in Christ.

May the lyrics of this song comfort you in the midst of trouble, and may the Son of God minister peace to your heart.

All who sail the sea of faith

Find out before too long

How quickly blue skies can grow dark

And gentle winds grow strong

Suddenly fear is like white water

Pounding on the soul

Still we sail on knowing

That our Lord is in control

Sometimes He calms the storm

With a whispered peace be still

He can settle any sea

But it doesn't mean He will

Sometimes He holds us close

And lets the wind and waves go wild

Sometimes He calms the storm

And other times He calms His child

He has a reason for each trial

That we pass through in life

And though we're shaken

We cannot be pulled apart from Christ

No matter how the driving rain beats down

On those who hold to faith

A heart of trust will always

Be a quiet peaceful place

Sometimes He calms the storm

With a whispered peace be still

He can settle any sea

But it doesn't mean He will

Sometimes He holds us close

And lets the wind and waves go wild

Sometimes He calms the storm

And other times He calms His child

Advent: Peace 01

“Glory to God in the highest,

and on earth peace among those with whom he is pleased!”

Luke 2:14

"Long ago a man sought the perfect picture of peace. Not finding one that satisfied, he announced a contest to produce this masterpiece. The challenge stirred the imagination of artists everywhere, and paintings arrived from far and wide. Finally the great day of revelation arrived. The judges uncovered one peaceful scene after another, while the viewers clapped and cheered.

The tensions grew. Only two pictures remained veiled.

As a judge pulled the cover from one, a hush fell over the crowd.

A mirror-smooth lake reflected lacy, green birches under the soft blush of the evening sky. Along the grassy shore, a flock of sheep grazed undisturbed. Surely this was the winner.

The man with the vision uncovered the second painting himself, and the crowd gasped in surprise. Could this be peace?

A tumultuous waterfall cascaded down a rocky precipice; the crowd could almost feel its cold, penetrating spray. Stormy-gray clouds threatened to explode with lightning, wind and rain. In the midst of the thundering noises and bitter chill, a spindly tree clung to the rocks at the edge of the falls. One of its branches reached out in front of the torrential waters as if foolishly seeking to experience its full power.

A little bird had built a nest in the elbow of that branch. Content and undisturbed in her stormy surroundings, she rested on her eggs. With her eyes closed and her wings ready to cover her little ones, she manifested peace that transcends all earthly turmoil." 

(Berit Kjos, A Wardrobe from the King, pp. 45-46.)

Where do you look to find peace?  So often we think of escape to find peace, or we think that serenity and calm will follow the life after God's own heart.  Both seem to be contrary to the report of Peace in the New Testament as we will see over the coming days.  Peace is found in the midst of suffering, pain, and worry NOT in its absence.  Surely there are times of peace that come at the absence of difficulties, but there is a certain Christological and Pauline quality to finding peace in the midst of tumultuous times.  After all, when is it that we call out for peace the most?  It is in times of difficulty.  

The incarnation of Christ is the picture of peace that we see illustrated above.  In a world full of anxiety, sin, worry, pain, suffering, etc.  God became man.  God brought His peace to a broken world.  God came to suffer, and in the midst of His suffering He offers peace through grace.  He came because escape wasn't an option.  He came because no one else could offer the peace found in God.  In the midst of tumultuous times the angels sang, "Glory to God in the highest, and on earth PEACE among those whom He is pleased."

So as we search and long for peace this season, let us not look for it in escape, but let us look in the midst of trouble to find peace in the presence of Christ.

Lord, may your peace reign in my heart and life.  Help me see the your peace through my circumstances.  And may Your salvation be the nest where I rest in your peace.

Amen