For Christians in the midst of a crisis, the primary focus should not be assigning blame but being salt and light. Beyond practical help, there are two particularly pressing questions of faith. The first is, "How could God let such horrid things happen?" The second, "How could we let such horrid things happen?"
Both of these questions deal with theodicy: Why does God allow evil to exist? Can't God ...
When President Kennedy was assassinated almost 40 years ago, Walter Cronkite interrupted "As the World Turns" with the tragic announcement.
Pastor Gene Boutellier climbed the tower of his Fresno church, and began pulling the bell rope. Much later, exhausted from his tolling, he descended and found the sanctuary full of weeping people. Tear-streaked faces turned upward, wondering what he would say.1 ...
Let's go back to Sunday morning, September 16, 2001: Five days ago the nation experienced the greatest crisis most of your parishioners have ever seen. Today they pack out your sanctuary feeling frightened, angry, confused, and overwhelmed. As you walk to the pulpit it occurs to you that you are about to give what may be the most important sermon of your life.
Outside Samantha Runnion's condo, the courtyard was all chaos and paradox. Children played hopscotch and older boys rode skateboards while news crews on deadline frantically interviewed the growing crowd. Photographers with long lenses vied for position.
Parents were crying and hugging their children. People were kneeling, praying, crossing themselves, and lighting candles, many, many candles. Amid ...
DEVOTIONS When a Child Dies In times of greatest grief, there’s power in the presence of a pastor. Cinda Gorman
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I was pushing my two elementary-school-aged boys through their bedtime routine when the phone rang.
"Cinda, this is Dr. Steele. I'm in the emergency room at Grossmont Hospital with Keith and Judy Meeker. Their son, Jarrett, hanged himself on a backyard rope swing this afternoon. He's been pronounced dead. They asked that you or your husband be here."
My husband, Steve, another pastor at our church, ...
DEVOTIONS Speaking into Crisis What we can learn from two pastors–Bonhoeffer and Thielicke–who ministered in terrible times. Gordon MacDonald
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I have long been romanced by the story of Paul's bold intervention among the soldiers and sailors in charge of a ship that is breaking up in the middle of a Mediterranean storm. Having exhausted their routine responses to severe conditions, they had given up hope of being saved.
Enter Paul! "Men," (and I'm paraphrasing here) "you should have listened to me earlier when I said not to leave port, but ...
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