Sunday, April 13, 2008

Amazing, Amazing Sermon Sunday

I can't tell you how many Sunday mornings I just don't have the "umph" to go "do" church. I'm embarrassed to admit it, but b/c we are so limited on time, I feel very detached from the people we worship with some Sundays. It's really, a terrific place to worship...Mennonite Brethren with two services each Sun. morning, both with about 250 or so people...and we've had lots of dealings with them via the ministry, and they're great people who love the Lord. We were just so close to our former church family (of 17 years, if I recall) so it's difficult to start over...so we just haven't tried very hard. :(

But this morning, the Spirit was moving all over the place. First, pastor read the passage from Job, where Job finds out that his family, livelihood, everything is gone. And he confesses that he came naked, and naked he'll return. So I knew the pastor was headed down a familiar "When-bad-things-happen" path. Then, the college kids who led our worship were just terrific, and I just felt the Lord wash all over me as I sang (quite hoarsely ) Amazing Love, You Never Let Go, etc.

The pastor started a four part series about answering hard questions, and the first question was "Why does God let bad things happen?"

I can't tell you how many times we get that question in our ministry, as I'm sure lots of you do, too. But the points he made were just so good. And, at one point he mentioned that sometimes we need the bad things to happen so we can be disciplined. Most of us don't like this point. :P But, he pointed out some scriptures to support this, and then said something about how, as children, we don't always like it but we need to be corrected. I whispered in dh's ear, "Don't you dare look over at insert-16yos-name-here." To which we both just laughed. A second or so passed, and 16yos leaned over to his dad and said, "Not one word from either of you." To which we all started giggling almost out of control. LOL

Anyway, the other points the pastor made were good, too. He talked about how the human race had really chosen for Him to be separate from our affairs (ala, Adam & Eve), that God is able to use horrible circumstances and even when we think things are out of control, God is really in control. These are all points I've heard (and made) before. And as much as I was gleaning from the service today, I really felt like this sermon was for someone else, too.

The rest is not for public view. :o)

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