I’m sure you have all seen the news regarding the shooting at The Covenant School in Nashville, Tennessee. This school is run by a church in our denomination, making this particular event strike closer to home. As a pastor and as a father of a nine year old daughter I can’t imagine the pain of laying my nine year old in a grave.

We should pray for the victims' families and those who were at the school at the time of the shooting. Their wounds will stay with them the rest of their lives—lives that will never be the same—, and they will likely never have an answer to that simple but bewildering question, “Why?”

So how do we pray when we are at a loss for words? In 1 Corinthians 1:3 Paul calls God “the Father of compassion and the God of all comfort.” When faced with tragedy, I’ve found resting in the character of God to be the best choice. God’s heart is big enough for all our troubles. His records are large enough to record all our tears. When words fail, we can still bring God our tears. God is the God of all comfort. So let's pray that those affected by this tragedy will be able to fall into the arms of the God whose comfort runs deeper than their sorrows.

I first saw this news while I was thinking about Easter. I wonder with all the typical Easter celebrations – photo booths, easter egg hunts, etc. – we can miss the fact that Easter is a celebration that only makes sense in the wake of death. It’s a joy that broke into the tomb. Easter proves that death doesn't have the last word. Let’s pray that all those affected would rediscover true hope this Easter. Easter is God’s solution to the darkness of our world. It’s as if we are living in that time after the cries of the cross and the joy of the resurrection. And so we weep and wait and pray with all the saints, “Come quickly, Lord Jesus.”

In Christ,
Pastor Jon

On a practical note, I thought it might be helpful to let you know that JVC has a life and safety policy that outlines plans and procedures for any event that may occur during a worship service. Part of that plan is the security team present at each Sunday service. This policy was set up with guidance from the West Jordan Police department. The West Jordan Police Chief has made it known that it’s a priority of the department to ensure everyone in our city feels safe at places of worship. While we hope for the best and trust God, we also believe it is good to be prepared for the worst.