Deep Creek Anglican Church Blog

Music often has a profound impact on us.  Over the last twenty years or so, as we have witnessed and experienced significant suffering with our son, the hymn, ‘It is well with my soul‘, never ceases to stir our hearts and clear the tear ducts!  Horatio Spafford (1828-1888) composed these words in the aftermath of extreme suffering.

If you enjoyed the singing of Wintley Phipps on the previous post, then turn up the volume, get out the tissues and praise God for His strengthening presence in the midst of severe suffering:

A church service was held outdoors in the courtyard at St. Martine de Tour church in the Delmas neighborhood of Port-au-Prince, Haiti.  Picture: Damon Winter/The New York Times

See here for an illuminating article in The New York Times on the tenacity and vibrancy of Haitian Christians in the midst of unspeakable suffering.

The reporter, Deborah Sontag, recounts:

“Another man attending the evangelical service introduced his wife, eight months pregnant, who sat on the pavement blank-faced. “A concrete block fell on her stomach, and we don’t know if the baby is still alive,” said the man, Ricot Calixte, 28. “Prayer can help, I think. As I still breathe, I have faith.””

Let’s join Ricot in praying for his wife and unborn baby.

Having just posted on the Fall and suffering, the nation of Haiti is experiencing suffering on a massive scale. Such disasters, not surprisingly, raise many theological questions.  The reflections by Scot McKnight and Ben Witherington won’t answer all, or indeed many, of our questions.  But they do provide helpful insights.

Suffering, in whatever form or cause, is much more than a dry, theological issue.  It is very, very real and personal.  And God’s family are called to respond in love (ie. love-in-action), through prayer, giving and support in a multitude of ways.

Tequila Minsky for The New York Times

Does the impact of the Fall – its breadth and depth – sometimes hit you in the face?  I’m posting this from a chemotherapy ward, where my wife is undergoing treatment.  People of all ages are here – from teenagers through to seniors.  Suffering is etched on the faces of the sick as well as their loved ones.

But in the midst of this scene, there is much evidence of God’s common grace – the provision of the medical facilities and highly qualified staff; the availability of treatment regimes that, for some, significantly enhance their quality of life; the wonderful support of the caring nurses and doctors.

Tomorrow I’ll take our youngest son to hospital for an operation to allow him to continue to be fed through his stomach ‘peg.’  Early this week I spent two days visiting someone in a special medical unit, that cares for people struggling to cope with the pressures of daily life.  Again, those suffering spanned a broad age range.

Without Christ, is it any wonder that so many folk seek to dull the pain of living in this fallen world?  The tragedy is that so often the ‘escape pursuits’ so often increase the pain of daily living.

Praise God that there is healing in the atonement.   In God’s grace and wisdom, for some they will experience some respite from suffering in this life.  For all who are ‘in Christ’, healing will one day be comprehensive.  The New Heaven and New Earth is a future reality.

For sure, difficult to imagine in our current existence.  But as certain as the Lord Jesus came the first time, He will return and usher in a renewed and transformed cosmos.  Totally free from sin, disease, death.  A physical existence in the very presence of the Lord.  This is a certain hope for every follower of the Lord Jesus.  Praise God for this rock solid certain hope.

Only two more sleeps to the New Year (assuming you’re still awake at 12.00am on the 31st!).  At this time of any year, we often become somewhat reflective on the year nearly passed.  But 2010 marks the start of a new  decade so our reflections this year are likely to span the last decade.

I know I have contemplated a number of times in recent days the significant changes in my life since the beginning of the decade.  So many instances of the Lord leading, continuing His work of transformation (not a straight line!)  and escalating family health struggles that have required me on numerous occasions to ensure my theology of suffering is very practicable.

Reflections on the exodus were a key aspect of Israel’s spirituality.  And for each follower of the Lord Jesus, we will have our own  ’exodus event(s)’ that will serve to give us great assurance of God’s presence and grace when we are journeying through difficult times.  But I find it healthy not to stay too long in historical mode, but to press on and to look forward to the Lord Jesus’ return and the arrival of the New Heaven and New Earth.  That’s God’s trajectory and it is amazing grace of God that we can be on that same trajectory as we continue to trust in the Lord Jesus.

If you have interest in reflections on America over the last decade (and the changes have been huge) then check out these opinion pieces in The New York Times.

Christianity Today has put together its own Top Ten News Stories of both 2009 and also the decade here based on their assessment of “the events, people, and debates of the past year that have shaped, or will significantly shape, evangelical life, thought, or mission.”

Evonne Paddison is the CEO of ACCESS Ministries.  As part of the Arrow Australia Leadership Team, Evonne is the joint editor of ‘A Passion for Leadership’ and authors the chapter:

Chapter Six: Leadership under Fire – Lessons from Paul in 2 Corinthians (Evonne Paddison)

In 2 Corinthians, the apostle defends his integrity, behaviour and ministry as well as the Corinthian believers from apostasy.  With his leadership under attack, Paul exemplifies:

• Humility and resolve: Under attack, a leader’s true character is proved.  Paul is very clear that no-one is sufficient for proclaiming the truth of the gospel.  It is God who leads him in his ministry and he is but a servant.
• Transparency and integrity: Who does not find having their integrity questioned painful?  For Paul, God is his witness (2 Cor 1:23).  He is but a humble container (2 Cor 4:7-11) – salvation is the work of God alone, who will deliver him (2 Cor 4:13-18).  Christian leadership demands integrity in every aspect of our lives and ministry practices.
• Enduring zeal, vision and commitment: Paul knew that one day he would be judged by Christ and his ministry examined.  Paul’s aim was to please the Lord.  He had an enduring vision of reconciliation of God and man, and re-creation (2 Cor 5:11-21).  Paul is totally committed to the Corinthians – as seen in his sufferings and open heartedness toward them.

Evonne concludes: “The lesson for leaders to learn from the life of Paul in his Corinthian correspondence is success is not measured by our won achievements, nor by the attractiveness of a message made to please its audience…[rather] by a heart, a mind and a spirit that rely on God and are absorbed by His will being done and are compelled by His love for all people.”

Last week we celebrated the Graduation of our youngest son, Brendan, from Belmore School.  It was a wonderful night, but nearly overwhelming in emotion.  It was another major bookmark, in a ‘book’ with many chapters.

Brendan was born back in early 1991, as an extremely premature baby, weighing just 618 gms.  He has malnourished, incompletely formed.  His early weeks after birth were traumatic (ventilation; severe infections).  Within six weeks, scans revealed that he had suffered massive neurological damage either before / during/ or soon after birth.

The prognosis for Brendan was diabolical.  Spastic quadriplegia, swallow problems, sight, communication difficulties.

All this came to pass.  Huge abdominal problems; on home on oxygen, no verbal skills, cortical blindness; fed only through a stomach tube; no motor functions.  But the prognosis – accurate as it turned out to be – could never capture the heart of Brendan.

As a under nourished baby on oxygen, the first word he tried to mouth was in church – “Amen” at the end of prayers.  As the years have gone by his suffering has been great.  His care has been a daily drain on the family.

BUT – Brendan loves the Lord and everywhere he goes people notice this love pouring out of him.

In church, he just about jumps out of his wheelchair when the Gospel is spoken – whether forgiveness of sins, the return of the Lord Jesus, resurrection and the New Heaven and New Earth.

We look forward to the day when he is complete in the Lord’s presence.  In the meantime, our great God continues to use this young man in remarkable ways.