This morning I think I got to feel a little of what the Lord's heart must be like.
Today I taught Cornerstone, and drew the story of David and Bathsheba. Tough, as J. and her daughter were there. I prayed to have grace to speak the truth in love, and not add to their pain.
Then came worship. I don't think it is wise that I use real names, because the persons I am writing about are Iranian, but today "A." was baptized and her husband "H." came, along with his ex-in-laws. H. is a sayed, meaning that he traces his lineage to Mohammed's family. He came with A. for Easter services but has said all along that he would not attend her baptism. A. has stage IV stomach cancer, and this was her greatest wish, that H. would witness her baptism.
Lo and behold, today H. was there, with the children from his first marriage and their grandparents (mother's side)! He had a lovely pink azalea for the piano, a german chocolate cake with "Congratulations, A." on top, and a gold cross and chain necklace for her after the service.
Steve asked A. if she had anything she wanted to say before going into the hot tub. (What spirit--even though she is in great pain, she insisted she wanted to be immersed, so we rented a hot tub and brought it into the sanctuary!) "I want to say that I have cancer, and that it doesn't matter what happens to me, now that I have Jesus." Wow. Not a dry eye in the entire congregation.
My heart was overflowing with joy. H. is an extraordinary man, and has shattered all my preconceptions about Muslim marriage. He clearly loves A. very, very much. J. took all this in, in light of her own situation, and noted how remarkable it was. And that broke my heart.
A. has discovered what is really important. I trust J's husband will, too. This from William Willamon came to mind:
I'm glad this story is in the Bible because it lets us know that unhappiness, tragedy, regret are part of loving and living in a family. It was true for King David; it is true at your house and mine.
We're in a mess, particularly in our families. There is regret and things don't turn out as we planned. We can't get everything together. We can't make it all work out right. If we are hurt by our own families, how much more must God be hurting for the faults and foibles of God's whole human family? What is to become of David's troubled family, or ours?
A cross is raised outside of the capital city. Upon it hangs a beloved son, hanging there not because of his rebellion against his father, but rather because of our rebellion. The Father gives everything for his kingdom, even his own Son. The cross does not set everything right. The cross does not erase the seriousness of the evils we commit. Rather, the cross forgives and makes it possible for life to continue, despite the tragedy. David said that he would have given his life to save his son from death. But even kings can't do that. No, it takes a God to do that. At Calvary, on the cross, God's whole, tragic human family was gathered, embraced, saved by a Father who, in grief, loves us yet.
----William Willimon (Dean of Duke University Chapel)
http://www.chapel.duke.edu/worship/sunday/viewsermon.aspx?id=30
Today I taught Cornerstone, and drew the story of David and Bathsheba. Tough, as J. and her daughter were there. I prayed to have grace to speak the truth in love, and not add to their pain.
Then came worship. I don't think it is wise that I use real names, because the persons I am writing about are Iranian, but today "A." was baptized and her husband "H." came, along with his ex-in-laws. H. is a sayed, meaning that he traces his lineage to Mohammed's family. He came with A. for Easter services but has said all along that he would not attend her baptism. A. has stage IV stomach cancer, and this was her greatest wish, that H. would witness her baptism.
Lo and behold, today H. was there, with the children from his first marriage and their grandparents (mother's side)! He had a lovely pink azalea for the piano, a german chocolate cake with "Congratulations, A." on top, and a gold cross and chain necklace for her after the service.
Steve asked A. if she had anything she wanted to say before going into the hot tub. (What spirit--even though she is in great pain, she insisted she wanted to be immersed, so we rented a hot tub and brought it into the sanctuary!) "I want to say that I have cancer, and that it doesn't matter what happens to me, now that I have Jesus." Wow. Not a dry eye in the entire congregation.
My heart was overflowing with joy. H. is an extraordinary man, and has shattered all my preconceptions about Muslim marriage. He clearly loves A. very, very much. J. took all this in, in light of her own situation, and noted how remarkable it was. And that broke my heart.
A. has discovered what is really important. I trust J's husband will, too. This from William Willamon came to mind:
I'm glad this story is in the Bible because it lets us know that unhappiness, tragedy, regret are part of loving and living in a family. It was true for King David; it is true at your house and mine.
We're in a mess, particularly in our families. There is regret and things don't turn out as we planned. We can't get everything together. We can't make it all work out right. If we are hurt by our own families, how much more must God be hurting for the faults and foibles of God's whole human family? What is to become of David's troubled family, or ours?
A cross is raised outside of the capital city. Upon it hangs a beloved son, hanging there not because of his rebellion against his father, but rather because of our rebellion. The Father gives everything for his kingdom, even his own Son. The cross does not set everything right. The cross does not erase the seriousness of the evils we commit. Rather, the cross forgives and makes it possible for life to continue, despite the tragedy. David said that he would have given his life to save his son from death. But even kings can't do that. No, it takes a God to do that. At Calvary, on the cross, God's whole, tragic human family was gathered, embraced, saved by a Father who, in grief, loves us yet.
----William Willimon (Dean of Duke University Chapel)
http://www.chapel.duke.edu/worship/sunday/viewsermon.aspx?id=30
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