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TechnoratiSuggestion #2 - Don’t hesitate to seek help.
In the vast majority of cases, a few conversations with your congregation will suffice in getting them through the shock and distress from the recent tragedy. However (and this is BIG however) there may be situations where additional help is required. There are some people who deal with situations like these on a deeper level than pastors are able to access. In no way does this minimize your efforts. In fact the main way you’ll be able to recognize this scenario is by making conversational efforts in the first place. One way to be proactive in this case is to ask counselors in your congregation to make themselves available to meet with those who feel the need to process at a deeper level.
Another major area of concern is families with teens and/or young adults. Because of the nature of this devastation—that it involves students—it may have a particularly devastating effect of the young people in your ministry. Encourage your parents to talk through the Virginia Tech situation with their families—again, encouraging them to process, label, and seek additional help if they feel it is necessary. One particular counsel I would have for parents is that while they cannot absolutely guarantee their children that will forever be safe, they can help them process how many students in how many schools in how many cities across the nation go to classes and go home every day in safety—which will help them get the picture of how rare occurrences like these really are. Additionally, advise parents to talk with their children about how the combined efforts of the school and public safety organizations are dedicated to their continued safety, especially in light of the recent events.
Suggestion #3 - Make the most of this opportunity.
I realize that the vast majority of pastors will in some way address this unthinkable event on Sunday, but the question is: how can I best tackle this issue in a way that will help my people both process the event and draw closer to God? Again, no easy answers or formulas, but from my experience there are three key points that I would suggest including in your message.
Point #1 - In the aftermath of the worst devastation, God does His biggest miracles.
The time to intellectually address the age-old “problem of evil” is not this weekend. Right now, folks are dealing with these shootings on an emotional level, and therefore need a primary message of hope and perspective. So my suggestion would be to highlight the truth in Scripture that when times seem darkest, the Light of the World shines brightest.
In the pages of the Bible, human tragedy is almost always followed by miraculous transformation. Consider the story of the world-wide flood. When everything on the planet and everyone on it were destroyed by a flood, God brought about a new existence for mankind through Noah and his family. He wiped the slate clean through destruction and gave mankind a fresh start. Every rainbow is a reminder of this. This may be the biggest example, but there are countless more in the Bible...
• Through the ten plagues in Egypt God delivered his people from slavery
• Through the destruction of Jericho came the birth of a new nation in a promised land
• Through the death of Christ came the salvation of all mankind
• Through the horrific judgments in Revelation will come the Eternal Kingdom.
Your congregation needs to focus on the fact that the God who accomplished all these things is the same God who somehow, some way, will accomplish good in the midst of evil. Continue »
