Greetings from Austin Street

Happy Tuesday! 

Prayer:  Lord, I bless Your name today, for You alone are good.  Thank You for Your goodness to me. I am excited about what You have in store for me today.  I want to make the most out of every opportunity. You have called me to be salt and light in a lost and dying world. I am reporting for duty, my King and my God. In Jesus’ name.  Amen.

“And Elijah came to all the people and said, ‘How long will you falter between two opinions?  If the LORD is God, follow Him; if Baal, follow him.”

1 Kings 18: 21

If you have been a reader of this blog for any length of time you know that I am in seminary studying for the pastorate with special emphasis in pastoral care to hospital and hospice patients and their families. As one who has received pastoral care in the hospital and in hospice I have always wanted to publish a list of things never to say to a patient or their family.  Here are a few from that list: 

·        God just needed more angels in heaven and called them home.

·        It was just their time.

·        God caused this to happen to teach us something.

·        This is all part of God’s plan.

I have heard all of these things and graciously accepted them with the knowledge that when tragedy strikes most of us do not know what to say but are said with the kindnest of intentions.  God does not cause horrific things to happen to His children.  This is not the way of the God of Jesus Christ.  This is not the God of the Savior of the World.  God grieves. God laments. God sheds tears everytime this kind of senseless action occurs. 

If these sayings were the way God really thought I would have to really think about my faith and question as to whether it has been misplaced.  I believe that God is God.  God invites us into His holy presence to dwell with and within us.  If God lives with and within us then those around us would smell the sweet “fragrance of His knowledge in every place” (2 Cor. 2: 14)  We are God’s living ark.  The ark of perfect love God has placed within each of us who believe is the love that laments great sorrow and contains the strength to heal.  This kind of love is matchless, infinite and overflowing.  Share the love of God with those around you in the sweetness of a babe in a manger whose love changed the world.

Take joy in this Advent journey.  Wear comfortable shoes and get some sleep. Count your blessings and say your prayers.  Love you all, Bruce, Gaylene, Geni and Travis