Trinity over Tragedy

It seems like it only takes a couple of weeks before we face another tragedy. Many questions lay on our hearts:  Why is this happening?  Sure, the tragedies are different from bombings and shootings, to abortions, and natural disasters.  Yet, one cannot help ask the question, Why not me?  What makes St. Louis safer than Oklahoma?  The answers and motives for any of these events are hard to find.  Yet, with unanswered motives from the humans, it leaves us to wonder how God plays a part in all of this.  Why does He allow things to happen in one place but not another?

            In this week’s Gospel reading the Jews are questioning Jesus, asking Him who His Father is.  Jesus explains that those who know His Father would know who He is.  The Jews go on to claim they are children of Abraham.  Jesus responds that if they were children of Abraham they would believe in His Word like Abraham did.  The Jews proceed to call Jesus an illegitimate child.  It goes without being said that this is not a nice thing.  Jesus proceeds by telling them if they loved God they would love Him.   If not, they are children of the devil.

            It seems like a harsh exchange, but reality lies in the fact that sin is constantly in this world.  Whether it is people who reject Jesus, or just the pain of sin of this life.  Every time we face a tragedy it is a great reminder to put our trust in the Trinity.  Jesus is the only one who could redeem this world.  So often people, like the Jews, want to blame God, but in a moment when we encounter mortality we are reminded of the One who gave us immortality.  The pain of death is not always an easy one to swallow, but especially when it is connected to tragedy.  We take a minute to not let the father of lies, the devil, be the focus in tragedy.  Instead, it is a great moment to share with people the deep love Jesus has for them--that He would suffer the greatest tragedy for us.

            Over the past six months God has brought us back to Restore Mt. Calvary. Years ago Mt. Calvary members marched down the street to find what they believed to be a mission field in Brentwood.  People questioned those early members, and doubted the wisdom of buying a restaurant with all this land.  God gave us a blessing at that time.  Now throughout the years we have faced some difficulties and tragedies: whether it is holes in our roof, some foundation issues, a broken up parking lot, or neighbors who sometimes present us with unreasonable complaints.  While these events may not compare to Oklahoma, every tragedy, whether a car accident in St. Louis, or one of the greatest tornadoes the United States has ever seen, it is hard to face the pains of sin in this life.  Yet, through the restoration of Jesus, He continues to give us the Great Commission to uplift the Trinity and to trust in our God’s restoring power.

            God has brought us as a family to restore this wonderful blessing.  He has allowed us to put some of the natural tragedies to this building behind us.  Now it is time to get prepared for the future.  As we seek to carry out the Gospel, in light of a Sunday without our worship facility open, we had choices.  Some choices are easier than others, but with every tragedy or challenge comes a moment to grasp opportunity.  The opportunity is that as a worshiping community, we often don’t get to observe other churches with a specific task in mind.  On Sunday June 2^nd, through approval of the Board of Directors, and input from the Ministry Council, we will be taking that Sunday to visit other churches in our community.  There will be a specific list of questions to give you an idea of things to look for as you visit another church.  I recently had a newer young adult member of our church tell me Mt. Calvary was almost too welcoming, and she felt overwhelmed and almost quit worshiping with us.  While I remind you that I feel our biggest strength is our welcoming nature, this evaluation will give you the opportunity to observe welcoming procedures in another church.  Having specific guidelines will help you share your opinion in a constructive way.  If we believe restoring our building was important, then we also have a great opportunity to restore the same spirit of mission that inspired men and women of Mt. Calvary to walk down the street to this property.   These evaluations can provide us with new ways to share the Great Commission with the Brentwood community and to all the people that enter our doors. This weekend you will have a chance to pick up an evaluation form. At the bottom you will find suggestions of some churches you might try, or feel free to pick another one. But be prepared to share your experience with us. I will compile all the feedback and share it with you. This will prepare us to be Extraordinary Servants to the people who come in our doors.