Category: Church Life

Hearts Crying Out

The hearts of the people of Calvary Baptist Church are crying to our Father to give grace and peace to the families of Chad and Courtney Phelps as well as all who are impacted by the tragic church bus accident in Indianapolis.  Colonial Hills Baptist Church and our church are connected through many dear people.  Courtney is the precious daughter of a Calvary family and Chad is the son of Colonial’s pastor.  It was my privilege to help Chad’s father perform their wedding.

Chad and Courtney, along with another passenger, died this afternoon when the bus turned over while exiting the highway.  Returning from a week at camp, the teens and adult sponsors were within a few minutes of arriving at the church where parents were waiting.  I can hardly imagine a more heart-wrenching scenario for all involved.

Once again we are touched by tragedy.  Again our breath is nearly taken away with shock and grief.  And once more we fall to our knees and cry for comfort, strength, and hope for these people we love so much and hurt with so deeply.

Worshiping the Ascended Christ

Forty days after He rose from the dead, Jesus was taken up from the earth and disappeared into a cloud.  He passed into the heavenly abode of God and will remain there until He returns.  Right now He is at the right hand of the Father representing us (Hebrews 7:25), listening to us (Hebrews 4:14-16), and preparing a place for us (John 14:1-3).  Our study at Calvary this summer of Ephesians 4:1-16 brought us to verses 7-10 last Sunday.  Here Paul declares that the ascended Christ imparts abilities to every member of the body of Christ (the church), enabling “each one of us” to represent Him on earth and to help the church grow (see vs. 16).

Ephesians 4:10 says that He is the One who ascended far above all the heavens, that He might fill all things. The Ascended Christ is worthy of our worship.  In our musical worship last Sunday, we included several hymns that reflect the exalted position or the present activity of the ascended Christ and the benefits that come to us from what He is doing right now.  Here are the hymns we used, including congregational, instrumental, choral, and solo selections.  I’ve included links to the lyrics of the selections that are available online.

As the body of Christ we join hearts and voices to worship our ascended Savior and Lord.

Learning from Pain

“It’s like having a baby out your shoulder!”  That is how my physical therapist described the pain associated with the shoulder surgery and subsequent therapy I have been through during the past six months.  It truly has been excruciating, especially certain stretches and exercises he has subjected me to.  So now when my wife says I can’t sympathize with the pain a woman experiences in childbirth, I can say, “Well, actually…” :).

Truth is, I have never really experienced pain before.  Bad pain.  Pain that requires taking serious medication for months on end.  Pain that discourages.  Now, I realize, what I have been through is insignificant compared to what many people face.  But it has given me a new appreciation for what happens when people hurt.  I’ve learned a few things.

  • When people tell me about their physical, emotional, or mental suffering, I listen in a way I did not before.  Pain is very personal, and is in the forefront of the sufferer’s mind.  Listening to someone share their experience is a way to show love.  And listening with genuine interest and concern can encourage them to persevere.
  • Prolonged pain can bring discouragement and depression.  A hurting person can lose hope.  Even if a healing process is in place, one can wonder if he will ever get better.  The person suffering from pain associated with extended or terminal illness may reach a point of despair, or fear even greater pain.  Family members and friends who show love and speak truth encourage the sufferer more than they may realize.  People who stay close, stay in touch, and stay in for the duration, are a source of hope.
  • Little things mean a lot.  It’s not bothersome for people to ask, “Hey, how’s therapy going?”  I’ve been really encouraged by people who have helped me do things I couldn’t.  The help is appreciated, the concern and gift of time mean even more.  More than they know.
  •  Hard times are growing times.  It’s always true, but I forget. And when God allows a hard time in my life, it hits me at some point along the way that He is growing me.  Suffering matures a believer.  Suffering that is the result of a cycling accident, like mine, or that comes with old age, or cancer, or grief, or financial loss.  God uses these experiences to forge character, develop dependence on Him, tenderize calloused hearts, chasten His children, and bring us closer to people.

I’ve learned more, but these are a few things on my mind.  I thank God that He “comforts us in all our tribulation, that we may be able to comfort those who are in any trouble, with the comfort with which we ourselves are comforted by God.”  (2 Corinthians 1:4)