Message From The Pastor's Desk

Read 2 Corinthians 4: 8-18

In the Preacher's Sourcebook of Creative Sermon Illustrations, author Robert Morgan tells the following story entitled:

"Easter is Coming".

During morning worship on Palm Sunday, 1994, a tornado struck the Goshen United Methodist Church in Piedmont, Alabama. It happened during a dramatic Palm Sunday presentation. Suddenly, electricity went out and the power failed. The participants in the drama tried to continue without the sound system until a window broke crashing down to the floor as wind began to pour into the Church through the broken window. People started screaming and then, without notice, the roof collapsed on top of the congregation, killing twenty people and injuring many more. Among the fatalities was Hannah Clem, the four-year-old daughter of Pastor Kelly Clem.

The night after the terrible tragedy, Pastor Kelly tried to sleep but she found it difficult. In and out of sleep all night she tossed and turned replaying the horror of the tragedy over and over in her mind. An unusual dream came to her. She saw herself trying to lift and toss bricks aside, clearing away rubble, trying to rescue victims. She kept doing the same thing over again. Everything was grey and dull in her dream. But as her dream progressed, she stepped back from the scene and right in the spot where Hannah had been buried, she saw children dressed in beautiful, bright colors. They seemed oblivious to onlookers and were playing and laughing with each other. They were playing on a hillside of the greenest grass Kelly had ever seen. When Kelly awoke, a peace settled over her and strengthened her for the many funerals she would conduct ahead, included that of her own daughter, Hannah.

The next day, a reporter asked Kelly if the disaster had shattered her faith?

"It hasn't shattered my faith at all," Kelly replied.

"I'm holding on to my faith. It's holding me. All of the people of Goshen are holding on to each other, along with the hope that Easter is coming!"

That is Paul's message in 2 Corinthians 4 as well. While we face trials and hardships in the world; while suffering and pain come our way, as Christians we are never crushed or driven to despair because we're always able to cling to the hope that "Easter is coming!" Jesus is alive. God raised him from the dead.

We know, as Paul says: "...this slight momentary affliction is preparing us for an eternal weight of glory beyond all comparison, because we look not to the things that are seen but to the things that are unseen; for the things that are seen are transient, but the things that are unseen are eternal."

We've all been through quite an ordeal since February of 2020, but we must not be discouraged. We need remember...EASTER IS COMING!

A blessed Easter to you all,

Pastor George Kaden