Grieving tragedy and glimpsing triumph

In July of this year, Uliana and I enjoyed several days of rest in the fine city of Norwich. Our initial plan had us back in London for the weekend, but we were able to extend our trip by a couple of days so instead of returning on Friday morning, we came home on Sunday afternoon. Wanting to worship on the Sunday morning with a local gathering of Christ's people, we made the short walk from our accommodations to Surrey Chapel.

We were richly blessed, encouraged, and refreshed by the couple of hours we spent there and found the congregation to be warm, welcoming, and worshipful. A number of things stand out in my memory about the service, most significantly the congregation's response to some very bad news. Their pastor, Tom Chapman, had been battling a brain tumour (I later found out about the ups and downs of this struggle: first diagnosis in 2007, radiotherapy, five years of reasonably good health, the return of debilitating migraines in 2013, another diagnosis, surgery, chemotherapy, dieting). It fell to one of the elders the day of our visit to announce to the congregation that the treatment had stopped working.

The congregation responded in hope, with prayer. And then the service went on. The congregation sang. One of the elders preached and the church listened attentively. The body and blood of Jesus were signified in the distribution of the Lord's Supper. There was more singing, and prayer, and a benediction spoken to each other. And then trays of tea, coffee, and biscuits were circulated and everyone enjoyed talking with each other.

Why? I could only suppose that the ministry of their pastor - who throughout his sickness served them, loved his wife, and cared for his children - communicated good news that outweighs any bad news they could receive.

I did not get a chance to meet Tom. Nor will I, sadly, this side of eternity. I received an email this morning from his wife Suzanne, who accompanied the musical worship of the church that Sunday on the piano. After a long struggle, Tom died yesterday. Pray for his wife Suzanne, his sons aged 18, 15, and 13, and his daughter aged 7. Pray too for his church, who this morning will have prayed and worshiped, once again after hearing bad news.

Psalm 116:15 says "Precious in the sight of the LORD is the death of his saints." So too is the life of those who are left behind, and the love that they show to God and to each other. "Precious in the sight of the Lord", but also, dare I say "Powerful in the eyes of the world". Christians, you see, can carry cancer and its consequences like no one else because we follow the Christ who carried the cross. He was buried and rose again, even as Tom one day will rise - in good health, with great joy, to everlasting life. Our worship goes up because God's worthiness goes on, unaffected by the violent ravages of a fallen world.