Since learning of the death of 26 parishioners (8 of whom were related) at the First Baptist Church of Sutherland Springs, TX, my heart has grieved with groaning only the Lord can understand. For you see, many years ago, when Barry and I began our pastoral ministry, we were called to serve at the Dial Baptist Church, 9 miles south of Honey Grove, Texas. It was a small country church where everyone knew everyone else, and as many as three generations of family worshipped together under one roof each Sunday. Those precious people, about 50 in number, welcomed Barry and me with open arms (along with our little boy, Jeffrey, who was not quite two years old) and soon we also became “family.” Barry, Jeffrey, and I would drive the 130 miles from seminary every weekend to be a part of this little community and church that we loved so much. Neither Barry nor I had grown up in the country and we were amazed and blessed by the love, acceptance, and generosity of these people. Every weekend, we shared life and love. We ate fried chicken, fresh vegetables, watermelon, and homemade ice cream together, fellowshipped together, played games, dominoes and cards, attended ballgames, celebrated birthdays and anniversaries, visited the hospitals and nursing homes, attended weddings, funerals, and reunions. We often sat on the parsonage porch in the evenings under the dark, starry sky and watched lightening bugs flutter around and listened to the coyotes hollering in the woods. We slept with windows wide open, front screen door latched, and often church members left their homes unlocked and the keys in their cars while attending Sunday morning worship. It was a quiet, simple, gentle pace of life. No one ever gave thought to the possibility of EVIL getting into a vehicle, driving 9 miles down a country farm road with an arsenal on the seat next to him, and entering our sanctuary to kill and maime our loved ones, then driving away taking that quiet, simple, gentle pace of life with him.
Even so, in our helpless estate, let us sing to our God, “IT IS WELL WITH MY SOUL!”
