By age 14, Cassie Griffin had collected a bedroom full of toy frogs, each a playful symbol of her F.R.O.G. motto \u2014 Fully Relying On God.<\/p>\n
She was tall for her age, which probably made it easier for gunman Larry Gene Ashbrook to target her on that horrific night a decade ago at Wedgwood Baptist Church in Fort Worth, Texas. Cursing God and Baptists, he stormed into a youth prayer service, firing 100 rounds and exploding a pipe bomb \u2014 leaving seven dead and seven wounded.<\/p>\n
At a recent meeting of the Wedgwood deacons, Cassie\u2019s father gave his pastor a message for the faithful at the First Baptist in Maryville, Ill., where another disturbed gunman killed the senior pastor while he preached on Sunday, March 8.<\/p>\n
\u201cLet those people know that my son is still struggling,\u201d the deacon told the Rev. Al Meredith, who preached to the stricken Maryville flock exactly one week after their pastor\u2019s death. <\/p>\n
This kind of tragedy, said Meredith, is not \u201csomething you get over with three points and a poem,\u201d a dose of scripture, a verse of \u201cVictory in Jesus\u201d and a proclamation that, \u201cEverything\u2019s fine. Let\u2019s move on.\u201d<\/p>\n
There\u2019s a \u201cGreek word\u201d for that kind of theology and it\u2019s \u201cbaloney,\u201d he said, preaching where the Rev. Fred Winters bled and died, his Bible blasted apart by one of 27-year-old Terry Joe Sedlacek\u2019s first shots. Police have not announced a motive.<\/p>\n
\u201cEvery day with Jesus is not sweeter than the day before,\u201d said Meredith, in a sermon that swung from tears to gospel singing to laughter. \u201cSome days are evil. In fact, the Bible says, \u2018Stand that you might be able to stand in the evil day.\u2019 Last Sunday was an evil day, and our hearts are breaking. \u2026<\/p>\n
\u201cPeople are going to ask, \u2018When are you going to get over this?\u2019 You\u2019re never going to get over this, but by God\u2019s grace you\u2019re going to get through it. And God will give you joy and peace in the midst of it, in the midst of the tears and the heartache. Have you learned that? You are learning it. It\u2019s the praise you give with a broken heart that is the greatest sacrifice you can offer God.\u201d<\/p>\n
There are few pastors who have faced the challenge of preaching in a sanctuary that has blood on the carpet and bullet holes in the walls. There are few who have had to face the press after this kind of bloodshed, with most of the reporters asking an ancient question that is at the heart of mature faith: \u201cCan you tell us where God is in all of this?\u201d<\/p>\n
Meredith, of course, addressed that question when he faced his own shell-shocked flock. That\u2019s why the Maryville church asked him to come preach.<\/p>\n
Back in 1999, he said: \u201cIf God really loves us, if God is all powerful, why in the world did he let this happen? Why does God allow evil to seemingly abound in this world? Why Columbine? \u2026 Why do a million and a half unborn babies have their lives snuffed out before they have a chance to breathe a breath? Why do children die of hunger daily around the world? Why is there pain? Why is there suffering? Why is there mental illness? \u2026 The question is, \u2018Where is God when we hurt?\u2019 \u201d<\/p>\n
The reality is that there is no way to avoid suffering. Thus, the crucial test is whether believers can face trials and tribulations without sliding in despair. <\/p>\n
Meanwhile, said Meredith, far too many churches are fighting about the \u201ccolor of the carpet or the music they sing,\u201d while suffering people keep looking for some sense of hope \u2014 in this world and the next. It doesn\u2019t help that anyone with a television remote can find scores of \u201chealth and wealth boys\u201d who claim that true believers will avoid pain and strife altogether.<\/p>\n
\u201cTell that to every saint that\u2019s died. Tell that to the saints that are struggling with unmitigated pain,\u201d he told the Maryville congregation. \u201cGod never promised us a life without trials. As Americans, we want a carefree and happy life. We think that\u2019s God\u2019s will for our lives. Get a clue. God\u2019s will for your life is to make you into the image of His Son, and that only happens through the heartaches and trials of life.\u201d<\/p>\n<\/body><\/html>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"
By age 14, Cassie Griffin had collected a bedroom full of toy frogs, each a playful symbol of her F.R.O.G. motto \u2014 Fully Relying On God. She was tall for her age, which probably made it easier for gunman Larry Gene Ashbrook to target her on that horrific night a decade ago at Wedgwood Baptist […]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":610,"featured_media":0,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[13],"tags":[94,635,678,835,859,910],"class_list":["post-1586","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","hentry","category-godbeat","tag-baptist","tag-pain","tag-preaching","tag-suffering","tag-theodicy","tag-violence"],"yoast_head":"\n