Hill Avenue Grace Lutheran Church: “Why Me?, Why Now?”

Have you ever heard the expression: “God never gives us more than we can handle”? I have and I believe you have too. I do not like this saying, not one bit! I recently read an article written by a pastor that addresses this. He wrote: “Tell that to a survivor of
Auschwitz.
Tell it to the man who lost his wife and child in a car accident.
Tell it to the girl whose innocence was robbed from her.
Tell it to the person crushed under the weight of depression and anxiety.
Tell it to the kids who just learned their parent has a terminal illness. Limp, anemic sentiments will not stand in the face of a world that is not
as it should be.”

I couldn’t agree with him more. All too often, well meaning Christians say things in the face of dire circumstances both wanting to sooth the one in pain as well as sooth their own anxiety. I believe it is in this place that such expressions are born. Having said that they still are wrong and hurtful, misleading people to feelings of guilt for evening questions God are feeling as f they are too weak or wounded to pull themselves up by their own bootstraps.

I want to address this issue in the adult class. We will talk about suffering and where God is and is not. We will deal with the pain that true heartache causes, emotional pain, spiritual pain and the kind of pain that leads to despair and can cause people to quit believing in God. I believe that God is present in every circumstance of life, even when we feel the most violated, the weakest, and unable to carry on.

I invite all adults to come to this important and insightful class. I believe you will be glad you did. It begins on Sunday, September 22 during the Sunday school hour at 9:30 a.m. We will again be meeting in the chapel. I look forward to seeing you all there.

Pastor Greg

Hill Avenue Grace Lutheran Church, 73 N. Hill Ave., Pasadena, (626) 792-4169 or visit www.haglc.org.