Thursday, February 10, 2011

Jesus Feels Our Sorrow

"Jesus wept." -- John 11:35

The shortest verse in the Bible. Two words. Heartache. Grief. Anguish. Jesus knew emotional pain. He shared his friends' sorrow. He shares our sorrow.

Today Enterprise First United Methodist Church holds a Memorial Service for its senior pastor, Rev. Bob Penton. In typical Bob fashion, he joked about the nurses and hospital gowns before he headed to Birmingham. He expected to be home in less than a week. Well, I guess he was right. It just wasn't the home any of us was expecting.

For his widow, Ruth, the pain surely seems unbearable. He loved her with a depth few ever experience. Tears would fill his eyes as he spoke about meeting her. They were partners in life and in ministry. Her life has changed in ways she's only starting to understand. My heart breaks for this sweet woman.

His family will ache in the days, months and years to come. His friends will miss his laughter and his guidance. His wit was dry and pointed, as he poked fun at himself and others. His eyes twinkled as a smile crossed his face and laughter bubbled forth. Yes. He was a good friend.

His congregations -- both past and present -- hurt for a man they lost too soon. He cared deeply for people. He ministered to everyone, reaching out to people who no longer attended church, to the sick in body and heart, to those alone and seeking. He bravely stood before a contemporary church service, held up a copy of The Message, and vowed to learn a different way of worshipping. Perhaps the real lesson is that in doing so, he taught the congregation to dig a little deeper to find God's voice.

A friend once told me that when a Christian dies, we don't grieve for him because we know he's gone home to an eternal life with Christ. Instead, we grieve for ourselves and for all the days ahead that we'll spend without our loved one by our side. She's right.

Today we celebrate a life that in our minds ended too soon. We give glory to the God Bob served so unselfishly all these years. We thank Jesus that Bob is walking on streets of gold on this day we grieve. And we hold tight to the hope that one day we, too, will meet Jesus face to face.