Pain. Hurt. Life

As I sit here on a Saturday writing this, two fathers have been buried in the past few days. One, a retired business owner, the other, a father of one of our members. Both will be sorely missed. Both families will have a very difficult Father's Day Sunday.
As a pastor I ache with the people I pastor. I also ache with families who are in pain who live in South Carolina. 

Today, and on Sunday, I will pray for:

Charleston, NC

Kirsty Wolleson and Betty Adams and their families.

Cynthia Marie Graham Hurd (54) – Bible study member and manager for the Charleston County Public Library system.

Susie Jackson (87) – a Bible study and church choir member.

Ethel Lee Lance (70) – the church sexton and a former employee at the Gaillard Auditorium.

Depayne Middleton-Doctor (49) – a Bible study teacher employed as a school administrator and admissions coordinator at Southern Wesleyan University.

Clementa C. Pinckney (41) – the church pastor and a South Carolina state senator.

Tywanza Sanders (26) – a Bible study member and 2014 graduate of Allen University who was the nephew of Susie Jackson.

Daniel Simmons (74) – a reverend at the church who also served at Greater Zion A.M.E. Church in Awendaw.

Sharonda Coleman-Singleton (45) – a reverend at the church who was also a speech therapist and track coach at Goose Creek High School.

Myra Thompson (59) – a Bible study teacher and retired high school counselor.

Youth Matter

I was so excited that Sunday as the youth helped us to worship the Lord. There is nothing better than having people help us to worship God. To be able to join together as a church family, and worship God, is probably one of the most exciting opportunities that we have as a Christian family. Many of the youth helped to paint the signs and have them ready for worship. They were preparing to worship. What do you do to help prepare your self to worship God on a given Sunday? When you gather to worship God there must be some forethought given to what you were going to do when you get there. You are not going to worship to be entertained, you are going to acknowledge God's presence and His power.

Many people approach worship as if it is a big show that they come and watch. Ah, but worship involves participants. And you and I are those participants. The one who is "on stage" is God. We are gathering to worship and praise God. Be thinking about what you can do to help others worship God. Be thinking before you walk through the doors into a time of worship.