Friday, February 04, 2005

Why do people have to suffer? Why do church people usually have no clue how to respond? Why do suffering people typically expect church people to be super human ( I know I do sometimes)? Why do people gossip about church leadership and decide how things are without finding out for themselves? Why is it so easy to pass judgement on people in leadership positions? Why do too many people in leadership positions come across as though they have all the answers and make people in their care feel stupid for asking questions? (Larry King etc) Why does hurt and suffering sometimes color one's impression of faith and the church? Why does the church not do better with hurting and suffering people? Why are we so reluctant to admit our pain? Why does a church filled with hurting people, broken marriages, addiction, grief, and other things typically find themselves staring at an empty front during response time? Why does brokenness come so easily for some and never come to others? Why do some people find physical healing and others don't? Why are we afraid of questions? Do we really think we have all the answers and if we don't then we're going to hell? Why do we try and paint a world that is filled with so many bright and wonderful colors into shades of black and white? Why do I hate it when that happens and still find myself doing it? Why do I allow myself to get into places of frustration without breaks in my day to even it out? When will I learn that when my spirit and mind begin to tell me that I'm speant DOESN'T mean keep going at 100mph until I crash? Why am I taking my frustrations out on Blog world today by asking questions? :)

Blessed be your name in a land that is plentiful
Where your streams of abundance flow,
Blessed be your name.

Blessed be your name when I’m found in the desert place
Though I walk through the wilderness
Blessed be your name.

Every blessing you pour out I turn back to praise.
When the darkness closes in Lord,
still I will say,

Blessed be the name of the Lord,
Blessed be your Name.
Blessed be the name of the Lord,
Blessed be your glorious name.

16 comments:

Clarissa said...

As a wise friend of yours and mine recently told me ... the whys are really never answered. The goal is just to keep trying to be God's person through it all.

You can't control the behaviors of those around you, which are naturally as varied and unpredictable as the shape of each snowflake that falls. However, you can choose for yourself to respond in a Godly way to all the situations implied by your very valid questions. And you can pray for God to work his way into the hearts of those you see around you.

Of course I'm not saying anything you don't know, but we all need reminders every now and then.

Ron said...

Sounds like a bit of creamed corn :-)

You know I've found that Oreo's and milk really work wonders.

I'll be praying for you my friend.

Thurman8er said...

Nothing has helped me work out my own response to pain and suffering better than reading the works of Phillip Yancey. I've learned that suffering is necessary, that without pain, we'd never know when something was wrong. It's helped me deal with my own problems better, help others deal with theirs, and teach people to understand that sometimes in this broken world of ours, things go wrong.

We have a lot to learn at College Church, but one thing I'm proud of is our ability to share our hurts with each other...to listen to others and comfort without trying to answer all of their questions.

We all think of Job when this topic comes up, but what strikes me about that book is this: Job and his friends spend something like 40 chapters asking questions of God very similar to the ones you are asking today. And when God finally speaks, He doesn't answer a single one of them. He simply reminds his servant Who He Is. And for Job...and for us...that's enough. Blessed be His Name indeed.

Beaner said...

As a parent, you KNOW the answer God will give you:

"Because I said so, that's why."

Beaner said...

OK - I really meant "That's just how it is." I guess I got the other response stuck in my head because I have a strong-willed 3 yr. old, but you get the point!

Val said...

True story: Every time I have led that one I have had to stop to clear the lump from my throat. It gets to me- at least a heck of a lot more than "Brusha Brusha."

Brandon Scott Thomas said...

Does asking questions ever make you feel better than hearing answers? Are there really answers worth hearing on most of those questions? Will I ever shut up? (thanks for bearing with my cynical mood today. I am ok. Just one of those days. No need to try and fix me, you can just pray. I'm afraid the fixing job is already taken and He's having quite the time of it.)

Beaner said...

I like to ask questions. Or, at least, I used to. Then my husband became the Worship Leader & I am privy to having my questions answered by the powers that be. I like to ask about "the way things are" - especially the WHY? part. But I mostly don't like the answers (and I didn't grow up CofC so a lot of the why's just sound silly to me.) Anyway, I often find that I wish I could go back to being a pew-warmer. And then I try to focus on the good stuff & it helps. God's love is the good stuff & he'll see you through the frustration! Blugs!

Stephen Bailey said...

Hello Friend. Please see Rob Bell's teaching on suffering. www.mhbcmi.org.

Specifically to your gossip question, I read a great Mark Twain quote the other day that I think you will appreciate, "A lie can travel half way around the world while the truth is putting on his shoes." Isn't that true?

Thanks for suffering with me over the last few months.

SAB

Katherine said...

That song has really been on my heart and my lips lately-thanks for sharing...and keep asking the "Why?" questions...even Jesus did...all the way to the cross!

Fajita said...

Seriously, start cussing. People really treat you different when you do. They focus on the cussing and not other things. Boom! Gossip control.

I know that everyone else has some sound spiritual advice, and that's great. But when you start cussing, everything changes.

Wouldn't you rather answer the question, "Why do you cuss?" than a bunch of the other questions you must answer?

Of course I am just messing with you. Love you bro. May you have a frustration laxative, and get it all out.

OK, yuck. Best to end here.

Stephen Bailey said...

I've never met him, but I think i love Chris Gonzalez.

SAB

SG said...

Why do we always feel we need to answer questions? Why does there have to be an answer? Why do we ask questions that we know no one could ever answer to our satifaction? Why do we question orselves when we are the one with the answers? Why am I egging you on by asking more questions? :) This must be going around. I almost posted a blog of WHY questions just a few days ago, REALLY! It sorta weirded me out to read this on your blog today. Great minds question alike!!!

Hope Sheryl's back is feeling better. I tried one of those stick on hot pad things (can't remember the name just now) last week and it really helped. Wonder if her Doctor would Ok that? Well, love you guys! :)G'night!

Anonymous said...

Why do we park in a driveway and drive on a parkway?

Rob

Brandon Scott Thomas said...

Stephen--
I think you HAVE met Chris. Chris is married to Gail (Sheryl's sister). Therefore making him my bro-in-law (well, sort of). Love that guy!

Stephanie--
She's using that just about all the time. It gives her minimal relief--but minimal is better than nothing.

Chris--(Fajita)
Actually, I'll try that cussing thing. Can I blame it on YOU by saying something like, "My counselor is making me do this as a project?" I mean...I'm no Tony Compolo.

Saw "Ray" tonight. WHOA! Awesome movie. The scene where Ray sees his mom and brother at the end did me in. It reminded me how Jesus has walked with me through some pretty dark days over the last 15 years. Seriously, it was what I needed to lift or maybe complete and redeem this funk today.

One last question from me tonight borrowed from the Psalms--
What is man that YOU are mindful of him?

Keith Brenton said...

Hate to add a postscript to a postscript x 16 ... but I found what I wanted to say and post for posterity. A few lines from Max Lucado's "On the Anvil":

"Sometimes I want to stand at the corner of the street and yell, 'Doesn't anyone want to know why? Why lonely evenings? Why broken hearts? Why abandoned marriages? Why fatherless babies?' But I never yell it. I just stick my hands in my pockets and stare ... and wonder.

"The most deadly trick of Satan is not to rob us of answers. It's to steal our questions."

Keep asking, brother!