HCC news: The tragedies of life

Pastor’s Message

The tragedies of life

For the past couple of days we have been hearing about the devastating news that dozens of young people, most of them girls between ages 8 and 9, have died due to flash flooding in Texas.

The death toll continues to grow, and the search and rescue efforts are ongoing, with more people missing. The camp director also died while he tried to save the girls. We can only imagine the devastation that the floods have caused in the area and how each of those families will be grieving individually and collectively.

This, of course, is not a unique experience in our world today. Israel is still at war with Hamas in Gaza, and the death toll in that war is well over 60,000 lives. There are talks of a ceasefire, but the terms offered by both parties seem so far apart that it will take a miracle for them to come to an understanding. In the meantime, soldiers continue opening fire at civilians queuing for food, and the ordinary citizens waiting for their abducted/kidnapped family and friends continue to wait anxiously.

Ukraine keeps getting battered by Russian missiles, now even closer to the capital, Kyiv. Any hope for peace there seems to have fallen flat, and the major players, the USA and NATO-allied countries, are increasing defence spending. China and Russia seem to have very different ideological solutions. As it usually happens, the civilian majority continues to suffer. While deaths come to us in numbers, news bytes, and social media clickbait taglines, each of those numbers represents a grieving family and community.

When we look at all this, we are overwhelmed. Michell C. Clark, an author, says that human beings were not designed to process global tragedy at breakfast, respond to work emergencies at dinner, and fall asleep doomscrolling at night. Our nervous system never consented to this arrangement. Yet this is the reality we live in. 

I am always interested in our response as Christ followers. Both individually and collectively. On one hand, we can just seem dismissive and extremely insensitive when we start with statements like “Everything happens for a reason” and “It is well.” However, it is rather superfluous to say God doesn't exist or care in the face of tragedy. That is such a hollow assumption. It also seems to be the playground for agnostics and those looking for reasons not to believe or be held accountable for their beliefs. 

So then what becomes our response?

Rod Dreher, a theologian, offers us a glimpse of what it looks like to have a Christ-like response. In an article on apologetics, he offers some gems.

Ours is, after all, a religion of salvation; our faith is in a God who has come to rescue His creation from the absurdity of sin and the emptiness of death, and so we are permitted to hate these things with a perfect hatred. For while Christ takes the suffering of his creatures up into his own, it is not because he or they had need of suffering, but because he would not abandon his creatures to the grave. And while we know that the victory over evil and death has been won, we know also that it is a victory yet to come, and that creation therefore, as Paul says, groans in expectation of the glory that will one day be revealed. Until then, the world remains a place of struggle between light and darkness, truth and falsehood, life and death; and, in such a world, our portion is charity.

He is quoting something that Paul talks about in Romans.

God is calling us to adopt a theology of the “now and the not yet.” Christ's work on the cross is complete, and we have salvation and hope for the future, but creation is not yet fully redeemed, but it will be one day, and we can hold on to that.

So today, for our prayer corner, please spend some time praying for those who are suffering through the tragedies of life and the consequences of decisions made by a few powerful people. But also ASK God to give you the hope to keep going and offering hope to those who do not have it, as we live in the now and not yet period.

Have a week with God’s perspective in it.

Mato.

Community

⛪ Update on Seven Oaks

We have received official notice that the school will be handed over to the new owners on the 8th of August. 

There is potential for us to continue using the space, but that will be negotiated with the new owners soon. We will keep you posted on all the developments.

For now, the prayer is that God shows us favour with the new owners as we meet and talk through what us staying on the site would look like.

Community

SGM: How can you help?

This Sunday, we have our Special General Meeting. The plan is to highlight areas in the church that we can all be involved in (more details below).

The SGM will take place at the end of Sunday's service. We will not have a morning tea but rather a shared lunch. We should still finish at the same time.

Community

🛠️ Church volunteer roles

This Sunday, we’re holding a short meeting to share more about the many volunteer roles that help our church thrive. Our roles cover a wide range and include website manager, worship team, women's/men's ministry, outreach coordinators, Sunday service support, children's church, and youth helpers, to hospitality, prayer, welcomers, MCs and behind-the-scenes admin.

This is a great opportunity to learn more, ask questions, and see where you might be able to serve. We’re also asking everyone to pray — that God would stir hearts and provide the right people in the right places.

🔗 Find role descriptions here

You can fill in this form to sign up beforehand if you like.

Church Sundays

King Nebuchadnezzar’s dreams

We continue with our series on Daniel. We are in chapter 4. Phil will be speaking and it is all about dreams again. King Nebuchadnezzar and his dreams seem to be a key feature in this first part of Daniel. They lay the foundation for the second part as well.

Church Sundays

Children’s church

Kids church is back this Sunday for the first lesson of the term. Youth group returns the following week after the school holidays.