Couple things . . . please respond
Let's take the easy one first: have you seen the movie "Bella" yet?
I have not, but I've heard some great things about it, so it's on my list of goals for the coming week. If you've seen it, please let me know your thoughts. If you haven't, read up on the reviews--I think you will want to see it, too.
Second thing: today in church at the invitation when the pastor encouraged everyone to spend some moments in prayer or come up front to pray, a woman started telling everyone to listen to God and do what He said. I was up in the balcony so I couldn't clearly hear everything. She sounded very emotional, but she talked really fast. And I didn't think she'd ever quit! She talked so fast, tho, that there was no chance for the pastor to ask her to quit.
When she finally did, the pastor asked the musicians to come close the service. Then he commented that "something happened" here this morning and we should seek to discern what it was.
So, this is my discernment: we were ambushed by someone with the gift of self-centeredness. This lady should have let the Holy Spirit convict people instead of trying to convict them herself.
Any comments? Am I being too harsh? Has something like that ever happened in your church?
The third thing is this: Today was the final meeting of "Griefshare." It's a grief support group that I highly recommend. www.griefshare.com for more info. Anyway, in 2000 I met a woman who's son was murdered, and since then I've met two women who's husbands were murdered. My heart goes out to them because their pain is so intense. I asked the group leader if murder seemed a far more torturous and devastating grief for the survivors. (She affirmed my observation.) Then a man in the group spoke up and told how the mother of his son (I'm not sure why he referred to her as that instead of as his wife, but that's what he said) was robbed and then doused with gasoline and lit with a match. He said murder shakes you to your very core.
It shakes me just to know these people who's loved ones have been murdered. But why do I now know 4 people? Does everyone know people who's loved ones have been murdered????
Please respond.
Thanks for checking in on me.
I have not, but I've heard some great things about it, so it's on my list of goals for the coming week. If you've seen it, please let me know your thoughts. If you haven't, read up on the reviews--I think you will want to see it, too.
Second thing: today in church at the invitation when the pastor encouraged everyone to spend some moments in prayer or come up front to pray, a woman started telling everyone to listen to God and do what He said. I was up in the balcony so I couldn't clearly hear everything. She sounded very emotional, but she talked really fast. And I didn't think she'd ever quit! She talked so fast, tho, that there was no chance for the pastor to ask her to quit.
When she finally did, the pastor asked the musicians to come close the service. Then he commented that "something happened" here this morning and we should seek to discern what it was.
So, this is my discernment: we were ambushed by someone with the gift of self-centeredness. This lady should have let the Holy Spirit convict people instead of trying to convict them herself.
Any comments? Am I being too harsh? Has something like that ever happened in your church?
The third thing is this: Today was the final meeting of "Griefshare." It's a grief support group that I highly recommend. www.griefshare.com for more info. Anyway, in 2000 I met a woman who's son was murdered, and since then I've met two women who's husbands were murdered. My heart goes out to them because their pain is so intense. I asked the group leader if murder seemed a far more torturous and devastating grief for the survivors. (She affirmed my observation.) Then a man in the group spoke up and told how the mother of his son (I'm not sure why he referred to her as that instead of as his wife, but that's what he said) was robbed and then doused with gasoline and lit with a match. He said murder shakes you to your very core.
It shakes me just to know these people who's loved ones have been murdered. But why do I now know 4 people? Does everyone know people who's loved ones have been murdered????
Please respond.
Thanks for checking in on me.
Comments
We had a guy (no one knew him)go to our podium before the Sunday service began a few years ago. He was ranting. It took everyone by surprise and took a minute for men to remove him. It was a distraction for the service. What he had to say was true, for the most part, but he certainly used poor judgement on his method.
The Lord is using you to minister to these people who are suffering in their grief...whether through a murder or a natural loss of a loved one. I wondered the same thing a few years ago as I was confronted with several women as they lost their husbands. It was an unsettling feeling as my mind asked if the Lord was preparing me for the same event!
It is a blessing to be used by the Lord! We just don't know why He's using 'me'.
Keeping you in prayer!
Love,
Kathy