Brothers and sisters,
I wanted to briefly write about our upcoming sermon series, where the inspiration came from, and what I’m hoping we can do over the next four weeks. The sermon series is titled, “I’m Just Trying to Help” and, in this series, we’re going to take a look at some phrases that Christians will say that might not be as helpful as we think they are. In other words, we’re going to look at some cliches that get thrown around in casual conversation and ask ourselves, “Ok, but what does it mean to say that?”
Over these next four weeks, we’re going to look at four phrases. The first is a classic, “God will never give you more than you can handle”—a phrase usually said to folks going through some sort of trial. The second is, “The Bible says…”—something you typically hear when a person wants to make a more generic point about some-thing they believe. Third, the phrase, “But for the grace of God, there go I”—one that a person will sometimes say when they recognize how fragile life can be. Finally, the big one, “Everything happens for a reason”—when someone is going through the unthinkable, we Christians are quick to reach for this one.
In this series, we’re going to talk about why these phrases are not as helpful as we might initially think. But I do not want this to be a negative series. In other words, I don’t want anyone to think this is a series in which we’re going to dogpile anyone who has ever said any of these. Instead, I want this to be a series in which we acknowledge what the phrases are trying to say and how they can unintentionally be hurtful. But, in each sermon, we’re also going to take the time to talk about a better phrase that we can use in place of the four I just listed. At the end of the day, we’re all trying to help each other. If we have better language to use, I think we can help each other more effectively.
Grace and peace,
Pastor Ben