I Have Nothing

By now most of us have heard about the shootings at the elementary school in Newtown Connecticut, and the senseless murders of twenty children and six adults. Like most of us, my heart was broken upon learning this news.

Immediately the pastor side of Tim came out and I went to church and opened it up for anybody wanting to pray. I lit the candles, turned up the furnace and prepared to minister to those that might come out. As I sat in our empty sanctuary for three hours, time and thoughts began to ask me: "OK Wise Pastor Man, What Are You Going To Say To People?"

Since yesterday I have watched television, sent Facebook messages, read everything in my office about pastoral guidance in times of crisis. I have read cover to cover: "Why Bad Things Happen To Good People!" Yet everything I can think and learn, just doesn't seen adequate enough. Everything, I pray about, think about, seems to come from the point and status of an outside bystander.

When watching Good Morning America this morning, I was drawn to the Catholic Priest that had been up all night telling parents that their children were dead. He comforted them through the night and when interviewed he fell into the reporters arms weeping, and he stated: "I'm So Very Tired!" Yes, pastors feel, pastors weep, and pastors mourn, even though we have been called to be strong in faith, we at times don't have answers for why things happen.

One of my favorite musical performers is Bluegrass/Country performer Ricky Skagg's, who besides being a gifted musician, is a well spoken and gifted Christian. In times like this I'm drawn to one of his songs titled; "Seven Hillsides." The song is about a pastor who is contemplating his message for seven funerals, and I'm often drawn to this section:

Tomorrow I'll walk up, seven hillsides

Tremble before my flock on seven hillsides

Seven sorrows, seven sons, seven mothers and every one

Will turn to me for the word of God, what does this mean?

And there I'll stand good book in hand,

A shepherd to these precious lambs

What will I say, what will I say, what can I say?

As we mourn for those killed in Newtown Connecticut   we must be strong in our faith in the fact that God sacrificed his Son for our eternal life with him. Yes, Christ paid for the price of my sins, and your sins and the ending to Mr. Skagg's song reminded me of this:

The time has come to keep the faith
For others shattered by their loss.
Remind them of the loving God
Whose son like theirs paid the cost.
To save a sad and wicked world
Through sacrifice our love is heard
And pray that I believe those words.

Brothers and Sisters at these times even well trained and called pastors are sometimes at a loss for words, but I'm reminded of the pain that Christ felt when his Son was crucified for our iniquities. Our only hope that we can latch on to in times such as these is that we are saved through the sacrifice of Jesus. We will see each other again, and I pray that you believe these words, because they are true and are made to give us strength as we hold on tight to God when our hearts our broken.

With tomorrow being the third week of Advent, the week of "Joy", some pastors have thought about modifying their sermons about joy, and I refuse to do this because my faith in the coming of the Christ child is all about "Joy". Scripture tells us that through Jesus Christ, "Joy" cannot ever be taken away from us, so God will not allow it to be taken from us this Advent season.

So you who have pain now; but I will see you again, and your hearts will rejoice, and no one will take your joy from you (John 16:22). This is the promise of Christ for his people.

I Pray and I Believe the Words of God

Pastor Tim