- Why do bad things happen to good people?
- Why don't people understand me?
- Why don't I understand what's going on?
- Why is God allowing this to happen?
- Why doesn’t he make things clear?
In this first service, we addressed the question: Why do bad things happen to good people?
As with all our services, worship is intended to be a free expression of our love for God and the joy we feel when we accept that love. Of course, there are many ways for us to express that love and joy.
We started the service with the announcements. As the Bible entered (marking the beginning of our worship), we sang "This is the Day that the Lord Has Made."
Instrumental and vocal music are important to our worship. Songs give us the chance to praise God and to help focus our attention on the theme of the service. During the service, we have the opportunity to sing songs that reflect different musical styles. Since God has called into his church as individuals with a variety of tastes, this offers us the chance to display our sensitivity for our fellow worshipers and to grow in our knowledge of how we might praise God. Our first song was “We Believe”
Our prayers represent our communication with God. Of course, as Paul wrote, the Holy Spirit “...intercedes for us with groans too deep for words”; therefore, God already knows our needs. Still it’s important that we put them into words, as well as the regret we feel for our sins and our thanks for all God has done for us.
During the Our Congregational Prayer, we confessed our sins and hear the assurance that we're forgiven. We also lifted our concerns and needs to God. We closed this prayer with The Lord’s Prayer. After we collected the offering, we praised and thanked God for his presence in our church and within our lives. During the offering, the choir sang “Sing for Joy.”
God’s word is at the core of the worship service. It’s often reflected in the songs we sing and the prayers we pray. But it’s most clearly present when we focus a passage from the Bible and apply it to our daily living in the sermon. During this service, we looked at Job 1:1-20:
Many years ago, a man named Job lived in the land of Uz. He was a truly good person, who respected God and refused to do evil.
Job had seven sons and three daughters. He owned seven thousand sheep, three thousand camels, five hundred pair of oxen, five hundred donkeys, and a large number of servants. He was the richest person in the East.
Job’s sons took turns having feasts in their homes, and they always invited their three sisters to join in the eating and drinking. After each feast, Job would send for his children and perform a ceremony, as a way of asking God to forgive them of any wrongs they may have done. He would get up early the next morning and offer a sacrifice for each of them, just in case they had sinned or silently cursed God.
One day, when the angels had gathered around the Lord, and Satan was there with them, the Lord asked, “Satan, where have you been?”
Satan replied, “I have been going all over the earth.”
Then the Lord asked, “What do you think of my servant Job? No one on earth is like him—he is a truly good person, who respects me and refuses to do evil.”
“Why shouldn’t he respect you?” Satan remarked. “You are like a wall protecting not only him, but his entire family and all his property. You make him successful in whatever he does, and his flocks and herds are everywhere. Try taking away everything he owns, and he will curse you to your face.”
The Lord replied, “All right, Satan, do what you want with anything that belongs to him, but don’t harm Job.”
Then Satan left.
Job’s sons and daughters were having a feast in the home of his oldest son, when someone rushed up to Job and said, “While your servants were plowing with your oxen, and your donkeys were nearby eating grass, a gang of Sabeans attacked and stole the oxen and donkeys! Your other servants were killed, and I was the only one who escaped to tell you.”
That servant was still speaking, when a second one came running up and saying, “God sent down a fire that killed your sheep and your servants. I am the only one who escaped to tell you.”
Before that servant finished speaking, a third one raced up and said, “Three gangs of Chaldeans attacked and stole your camels! All of your other servants were killed, and I am the only one who escaped to tell you.”
That servant was still speaking, when a fourth one dashed up and said, “Your children were having a feast and drinking wine at the home of your oldest son, when suddenly a windstorm from the desert blew the house down, crushing all of your children. I am the only one who escaped to tell you.”
When Job heard this, he tore his clothes and shaved his head because of his great sorrow. He knelt on the ground, then worshiped God and said:
“We bring nothing at birth;
we take nothing
with us at death.
The Lord alone gives and takes.
Praise the name of the Lord!
In spite of everything, Job did not sin or accuse God of doing wrong.
The title of the sermon and the question we considered was this: “Why do bad things happen to good people?”
The service ended with the song, “No One Understands Like Jesus”
Below is the podcast of the service.
I want to thank the following persons who were involved in the service:
- Choir Director: Ray Seifert
- Organist: Janice Torrance
- Bell Choir Director: Sue Willson
- Video Technician: Chris Pierce
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