Title: When Asking Why Seems Helpless
Theme: Job's integrity is so inspiring, as he shines in his suffering
Author: Donald Cantrell
Text: Job 2: 1-10
I - Job's Heavenly Admirer (1 - 3)
II - Job's Hellish Adversary (4 - 5)
III - Job's Heinous Assault (6 - 7)
IV - Job's Harsh Affliction (8)
V - Job's Heartfelt Advice (9)
VI - Job's Helpful Assessment (10)
This sermon contains a fully alliterated outline, with subpoints.
A Christian Approach to Suffering
In the summer of 2012, I knelt over the frail shell of a child, my son, strapped
to all manner of medical monitoring equipment. His body failing, his frame
thinning, the medical staff at Arkansas Children's Hospital was at a loss. They
had no answers, no direction. He was an anomaly, they said, and they'd need
to regroup after making him as comfortable as possible. Though the medical
community struggled to sort it all out, my faith community seemed to have
every answer.
God would provide, one said, because God would respond to my great faith.
God was setting up a miracle, another said. God works all things together for
good, I was reminded. Platitude, platitude, platitude. I smiled through all of
them, even nodded. Silently I wondered, did all those words amount to
anything, well-meaning though they were? Hunched over my son, all those
platitudes haunting, my phone rang.
I looked at the screen, read the name. It was a pastor from a more reformed
church in my hometown, and as I answered the phone, I wondered what
platitude I might hear. There was a purpose in my son's suffering? Everything
has a Kingdom purpose? After an exchange of greetings, I clenched my jaw.
Stiffened. Braced myself.
Through the phone, I heard only three words: "I'm so sorry." There was a
pause, and he told me to holler if I needed anything. He said he'd be praying,
and that was that. It was a moment of selfless solidarity, a moment in which
this man of the cloth didn't for ...
Theme: Job's integrity is so inspiring, as he shines in his suffering
Author: Donald Cantrell
Text: Job 2: 1-10
I - Job's Heavenly Admirer (1 - 3)
II - Job's Hellish Adversary (4 - 5)
III - Job's Heinous Assault (6 - 7)
IV - Job's Harsh Affliction (8)
V - Job's Heartfelt Advice (9)
VI - Job's Helpful Assessment (10)
This sermon contains a fully alliterated outline, with subpoints.
A Christian Approach to Suffering
In the summer of 2012, I knelt over the frail shell of a child, my son, strapped
to all manner of medical monitoring equipment. His body failing, his frame
thinning, the medical staff at Arkansas Children's Hospital was at a loss. They
had no answers, no direction. He was an anomaly, they said, and they'd need
to regroup after making him as comfortable as possible. Though the medical
community struggled to sort it all out, my faith community seemed to have
every answer.
God would provide, one said, because God would respond to my great faith.
God was setting up a miracle, another said. God works all things together for
good, I was reminded. Platitude, platitude, platitude. I smiled through all of
them, even nodded. Silently I wondered, did all those words amount to
anything, well-meaning though they were? Hunched over my son, all those
platitudes haunting, my phone rang.
I looked at the screen, read the name. It was a pastor from a more reformed
church in my hometown, and as I answered the phone, I wondered what
platitude I might hear. There was a purpose in my son's suffering? Everything
has a Kingdom purpose? After an exchange of greetings, I clenched my jaw.
Stiffened. Braced myself.
Through the phone, I heard only three words: "I'm so sorry." There was a
pause, and he told me to holler if I needed anything. He said he'd be praying,
and that was that. It was a moment of selfless solidarity, a moment in which
this man of the cloth didn't for ...
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