What does it mean to follow Jesus when life has been shattered by loss? with Leanne Friesen

If our churches became communities of seeking solace rather than perhaps the promise of finding solace, what would be different on a Sunday morning? Or what could be different for churches that want to step into...

This is a

fun question.

What do you

think, Paul?

I think we'd say less stupid stuff.

Oh, for sure.

I think we'd get more

space

for lament.

We'd have so much more lament.

We would not feel, you know, even the other day with no criticism, I was at a church and the worship pastor got up and with all good intentions, he says, is everyone happy today? And people went, ooh.

And he goes, come on, is everyone happy today? And I just was like, I hate this.

And bless, it wasn't negative, but after the service, I literally talked to someone who fell down in tears because it was their son who died that year's birthday that week.

They were

not happy that day.

They were not happy that day.

And so I'm not saying you have to go out and be like, is everyone sad today? But it shifts if instead of saying, hey, is everyone happy today? If we say, hey, welcome, we're glad to be here to worship.

Wherever you are, whatever you're feeling today, bring it to God.

It doesn't mean we don't have services of joy and celebration, but making space for all those things in the church calendar throughout the year.

I think letting ourselves have times that are purely lament and purely sadness without needing to wrap it up neat and tidy.

I talk about that in Grieving Room.

I have a whole chapter on that.

But then also week to week making space for that.

And I think we'd feel a lot freer as a church.