LIVING WITH JOY - Francis Chan

OK, this is a whole sermon. That may not seem like something you feel like listening to right now. We are all so used to quick quips and 2 minute videos. This is more than that. I really hope you will listen to it, though. Give it a chance, please.

Just click it to play and sit down and listen. You deserve a break. Or, take your computer, IPad or cell phone while you go clean up your kitchen or dust your living room or while you are driving in your car, playing Candy Crush or addressing your Christmas Cards (something I've not yet done but I don't want to be worrying about it). I really think that if you listen to this, even if it is a bit in the background of your day, you will be enriched. Let me know what you think.

Rejoicing and Weeping

Romans 12:15

Rejoice with them that do rejoice, and weep with them that weep. (King James Version of the Bible)

Yesterday we experienced a very meaningful but emotional church service. As I told you, we had a baptism. We rejoiced with a handsome boy. He came to church all dressed up in a suit, surrounded by relatives. It was a happy time. 

We rejoiced.

(photo from  free-extras.com) 
But we had a death in our church family Saturday evening. Many were just learning about this loss as they arrived. They weren't expecting it. We all felt rather numb and disbelieving I think. It seemed she should walk in and take her place, sit in her usual spot. People who loved her were in the pew, people who first came to our church because of her. She wasn't there.

Our Worship Team sang her favorite song, Amazing Grace (My Chains Are Gone). We cried as we sang it to her family. We all knew she had some heavy chains in this life, shackles really. We all knew she was free now. We all knew she'd been ransomed and was experiencing Amazing Grace in a way we could only yet imagine.

But we saw a mother who had to see her daughter go before her. We saw a young son, a sister and many others who weren't ready for her to go so soon. We saw our friends in pain.

So we wept.

Romans 12

Elizabeth left a great scripture for me yesterday.  Thank you, Elizabeth.  I am certain there are many who are having a rough week so I am sharing it with you as well. 

Romans 12:12

Rejoice in hope, be patient in suffering, persevere in prayer.

In fact, I'd recommend reading the whole chapter.

Rejoicing and Weeping

     Romans 12:15: "Rejoice with those who rejoice, weep with those who weep."

I have a day of rejoicing ahead of me!  I will be with a friend who recently faced a life-threatening situation but is improving daily now.  We will be going to several appointments where I know I will hear doctors and therapists tell her she is a miracle in that her improvement so far is exceeding expectations.  We will smile.  We will probably have a few laughs.  We know this story could have ended very badly but we won't be focusing on the "what if's" as we will be rejoicing!  This is a good day!

Even as we rejoice, though, I will be thinking of some other friends today, friends who are grieving.  Today they endure the funeral of a family member.  They are saying good-bye to someone they love, someone young, someone who's death was unexpected.  They have suffered multiple losses and difficulties, one after another.  They are sad.  They are tired.  They are grieving.

Years ago, shortly after I'd suffered a miscarriage, a dear friend sent me a card he'd made himself.  On the front was a big, tough hand-drawn Frankenstein guy.  On his cheek were tears.  Inside the card referred to Romans 12:15's words regarding weeping with those who weep.  I was weeping and he was letting me know that he was weeping as well.  Obviously he'd never had a miscarriage.  He'd never known what it was like to have your body work against your desire to protect the life within you.  Nevertheless, he was feeling my pain.  That card meant so much to me.  It comforted me just to know that my friend shared my sadness.

I think Romans 12:15 is the ultimate verse about empathy, about how we are to share this human existence.  We are not islands.  We truly are commanded to be there for each other, through the wonderful as well as the horrible.  God knew that we could find strength in each other.  He knew that we needed friends.  He knew we were not meant to feel alone in our happiness or in our pain. 

So today I rejoice

and today I weep.

Image Source Page: http://brentcwood.wordpress.com/