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