Prayer for our Church Leaders: A Pile of Comfort

Prayer needs within our district clergy:

Joyce Austin – Her husband, Jerry died suddenly, Saturday.

Anthony Busic – In hospital

June Carpenter – Continued recovery of her father.

Mary Jones

John Martin – In the hospital – internal bleeding

John Snyder

Les Trail

Jerry Viemeister – Surgery at Duke

Once again, there has been tragedy within our district. Yesterday a dear spouse suddenly died. Joyce Austin is Lay Minister of Mt. Tabor/Smyrna, our newest two churches who joined us just last year from the Charlottesville District. Her husband, Jerry died of a likely heart attack.

Once again people have surrounded her from her family, to the churches: both the two she serves and the one she is still a member.  In the midst of her grief, many have surrounded her to bring comfort.

The church, it seems to me, is never stronger than when tragedy strikes. Churches respond with prayer, personal visits, acts of kindness, a mountain of food that seems to blanket the tragedy with a pile of comfort.

Paul writes of comfort in 2 Corinthians: “All praise to God, the Father of our Lord Jesus Christ. God is our merciful Father and the source of all comfort. He comforts us in all our troubles so that we can comfort others. When they are troubled, we will be able to give them the same comfort God has given us. For the more we suffer for Christ, the more God will shower us with his comfort through Christ. Even when we are weighed down with troubles, it is for your comfort and salvation! For when we ourselves are comforted, we will certainly comfort you. Then you can patiently endure the same things we suffer. We are confident that as you share in our sufferings, you will also share in the comfort God gives us.” (2 Corinthians 1:3-7)

Comfort is the key word. We receive comfort in the midst of tragedy and we give comfort in the midst of tragedy, all in the name of Jesus Christ. This is when the church is quite simply the church.

So, why do we wait for tragedy?

Why don’t we respond to everything with prayer, personal visits, acts of kindness, a mountain of food and just blanket it all with a pile of comfort?

Yesterday, I was asked to speak at the monthly Emmaus gathering for the Central Virginia area.

I was reminded of how I first became involved with the Emmaus community. I was pastoring a three church charge in Amelia and struggling within my spirit as pastor and as a Christian. Friends and church members urged me to go on a “Walk to Emmaus” for years. Then someone sponsored my wife. She came back glowing over the experience and sponsored me for the next walk.

The experience for me was a weekend filled with a powerful combination of prayer, personal visits, acts of kindness, a mountain of food. Everything I struggled with was blanketed underneath a pile of comfort. The “Walk to Emmaus” offered me a powerful reminder of God’s grace.

Years later, pastoring another church, I would be surrounded by several men who as part of their ministry felt led by God to bathe their pastor in prayer, personal visits, acts of kindness, a mountain of food which all became a blanket of comfort for me.

Over the years, I learned as a pastor that churches thrive when I can model what I received and teach others to do the same: prayer, personal visits, acts of kindness, a mountain of food which along with other gestures adds up to a pile of comfort.

It seems so simple yet we struggle to recreate what works best in a purposeful way.

Today, as you step into the pulpit, think about the people sitting out there who have provided comfort for you and others.

          Prayer

          Personal Visits

          Acts of Kindness

          A Mountain of Food

          Add it all up and you get – a pile of comfort and a wonderful ministry.

Here is the line from the passage above that I find inspiring: “He comforts us in all our troubles so that we can comfort others.”

God comforts us so that we can comfort others.

I am praying for you this morning.

First as church leader, may you be receiving prayer, personal visits, acts of kindness and a mountain of food all adding up to a pile of comfort.

Second that you receive Holy inspiration as you teach others do the same.

I pray for you this morning to receive a pile of comfort in the midst of your struggles and may you eagerly lead your church to provide a pile of comfort to each other and to the community.

Now, that is something to pray about. Amen.