There are two kinds of people in the world: those

who are suffering and those who will suffer. Suffering is, by all

accounts, an inescapable part of the human existence. Because we

are humans, we try to make sense of our suffering: Why is this

happening? What do I do about it? How do I make it go away? All of

these are legitimate questions that deserve an answer. Never was

this more evident than when Christ went to the garden to pray just

prior to His betrayal by Judas. Knowing that His hour had come,

Jesus knew He was about to endure more suffering than any other

human being had before. But too often we, in the church, give

half-baked answers that take verses out of context and end up

causing more harm than good. I often wonder how our 21st century

church would speak to Jesus as He approached the cross. "Hey, buck

up soldier. You know the plans God has for you, plans for you to

prosper!" How Jesus deals with this situation, with His suffering,

is telling and gives us a template for dealing with our own

suffering. In the first garden, I see the source of our suffering.

In the garden of Gethsemane, I see a proper response. And, in the

final garden, I see the hope to deal with suffering. This Sunday,

we close our summer series Don't Waste Your... with a look at Luke

22:39-46 and how we can seek to glorify God even in the midst of

trying and difficult circumstances. Not only will we see how to

deal with suffering in our own lives, but also how we can come

along side those in our midst and gently, and lovingly, show them

the compassion of Christ. Please make it a point to join us this

weekend. I can't wait to see you then! In Christ,

Thomas