The Cure for Pain

Hello Faith Family,

 

Steve Ziemke’s words on pain and suffering from his sermon this past Sunday have been on my heart. As Steve and I chatted while he was preparing his sermon, we discussed the tired cliché of “God doesn’t give you more than you can handle.” Admittedly, I said this to people when I was younger because it seemed like the right thing to say at the time. However, as Steve reminded us during his sermon, the Bible does not affirm this credence; rather the Bible says this regarding temptation:

No temptation has overtaken you except what is common to mankind. And God is faithful; he will not let you be tempted beyond what you can bear. But when you are tempted, he will also provide a way out so that you can endure it. -1 Corinthians 10:13

Perhaps this verse is where we extracted this phrase so commonly heard in Christendom—”God doesn’t give you more than you can handle.” Regardless of where the phrase came from, it is important to note that pain and suffering are real and, yes, at times God gives us more than we can handle. As Steve pointed out on Sunday, our pain and suffering propel us to rely only on God.

But, why do we suffer? Why is there pain?

The spiritual fall of humankind answers this in part and yet there is still a great mystery as to why certain people suffer in such unspeakable ways. For this we do not have a clear answer. We do however have a great hope in Jesus. God’s love is so great for you and for me that in the midst of all of our earthly suffering, He sent Jesus to be our ultimate cure for all pain, seen and unseen. God gave us Jesus as a means to lay down all of our life’s burdens at the cross.

My hope for us as a church family is to acknowledge each other’s pain and suffering in their various forms: mental health issues, chronic pain, diseases, heartbreak, addiction—all are real and all are sometimes more than we can handle. But then, there is our God, who is the cure for our pain, the cure for our suffering and He shows up through fellow Christ Ones. It reminds me of a Jon Foreman song (the lead singer of the band Switchfoot). It’s called “The Cure for Pain.” Feel free to listen to this song as you’re able. And please remember, if you’re struggling, you are not alone in your pain and suffering. The body of Christ is here for you to walk alongside you, God’s helpers are here as resources by way of medical professionals, and God is with you always.

With You on This Journey of Life,

Tone

Here’s What’s Happening at Faith

Garage Sale for Missions-VOLUNTEERS NEEDED

Faith’s All-Church Garage Sale is July 18-20. All proceeds will go to the M.O.M.S. Program. Help this sale be a success by gathering donations at home and/or volunteering! Sign-up to volunteer for set-up, clean-up, and working the day of the sale.  Donations for the sale will be accepted Sunday, July 14, 12-5pm and Monday, July 15, 4-8pm. Drop off at lower level. Do not leave donations at church at other times. Questions or to volunteer contact Kathryn at office@momsprogram.org.

All Church Retreat

Registration is now open for the Faith Covenant All-Church Retreat at Covenant Pines Bible Camp, August 23-25. All are invited to join us! This is a wonderful weekend to gather as a church family, grow closer to Jesus as we learn how to love our Muslim neighbors, and just plain have fun! Speaker will be Kim Gustafson. Once again we will hold a lake baptism service for those interested. Accommodations and activities are available for all ages/seasons of life. Register on Realm.

MUUUCE – Aug 1-3

MUUUCE stands for “The Most Unbelievable, Ultimate, Urban, Camping Experience.” This high-energy, fast-moving, multi-day event is designed to give students in grades 6-9 a chance to connect with Christ and their peers. Save the date! Sign up with Nick at nmadsen@faithcovenant.org or Shelly at sbrinkmann@faithcovenant.org.  DEADLINE is July 15!

Infant Baptism/Dedication Class

Our next baptism/dedication Sunday is July 28. Parents of infants desiring baptism/dedication are asked to attend a one hour class July 14, 9-10am. To register contact Terry at tlangmaack@faithcovenant.org.  Applications are due July 8.

M.O.M.S. Food Pantry Box

The M.O.M.S. Program food pantry box is back upstairs next to the Information Desk. Donations of non-perishable food items, laundry detergent, paper products, and  hygiene items are greatly appreciated. Thank you for supporting the M.O.M.S. Program Food Pantry.

Bible Memorization Challenge

Pastor Brad issued a challenge to our Faith Family in 2017 and would like us to take this challenge once again: to memorize 52 Bible verses in 52 weeks for 2019. These verses will be posted each week in this Faith Update blog and will be in the worship folder each Sunday. To see a full list of verses so you can practice adding a new one each week while keeping up with those you have already learned, click HERE. The verse for the week is this: I tell you the truth, whoever hears my word and believes him who sent me has eternal life and will not be condemned; he has crossed over from death to life. John 5:24