Good Friday? Good Grief

By Pastor Mark McAdow
I was talking with one of my friends not too long ago. He had suffered the loss of his precious bride and is navigating life without her- now in the second year. Everyone will tell you that the first year is the hardest just because it’s the first. First birthdays, anniversaries, and holidays without the one you love. It is hard. You know what I’ve always told you. Life is hard but God is good! Both statements are true.  We must choose which phrase we will emphasize in our life. But- from my personal experience- I think the second year is the hardest in terms of grief. The first year you still have the memories of last year’s events (e.g., we were here or there together...). Death has a way of disrupting our entire lives.

My friend pointed out a counselor’s observations; we are always preparing for something in life. It may be learning to walk or ride a bike or drive a car. It may be choosing a college, learning a trade, or securing that first real job. It may be doing pre-marriage counseling, taking parenting classes or getting another degree for personal benefit or job advancement or even retirement. We’re always preparing for something, or we should be! That’s especially true about our spiritual life. Are we living for Jesus every day? Are we prepared to meet our Maker if He calls today? No other decision in this life is more crucial.

This weekend, we have a wonderful opportunity to invite friends and family to worship with us! We have a Good Friday Service here tomorrow night at 7:00PM. We will focus our thoughts on the cross and interact with the cross in a significant way. I hope you and yours will be here for this sacred service.

One thing we all need to prepare for that we usually don’t is to learn how to grieve in a healthy way. Every one of us has lost someone we love and if we live long enough, we will again. Rather than dreading death, we need to learn to grieve so we’re ready when it comes. Paul wrote, “We do not want you to be ignorant about those who fall asleep, or to grieve like the rest of men, who have no hope. We believe that Jesus died and rose again and so we believe God will bring with Jesus those who have fallen asleep.” – I Thess. 4:13-14.

Let’s deal with death; not avoid it. I invite you to come tomorrow night at 7:00PM for our Good Friday Service. My good friend John Bizzell asked his church a question last Sunday: “Would you go to the funeral of your best friend?” Of course you would. Jesus has died. His service is tomorrow night. Hope to see you here and on Easter Sunday morning too at 7, 9 or 11! That’s when the real celebration begins!!

Yours in Christ,
Pastor Mark

Thanks to Evelyn and our Congregational Care Team for making today’s Maundy Thursday lunch and communion such a meaningful and tasty time together.