Thoughts from the Connecticut School Shooting Tragedy

We thought we would post a couple of thoughts from two of our Church Leaders about the tragedy that occurred today at Sandy Hook Elementary School in Newtown, Connecticut   We ask that you join us in praying for the families of the victims and would welcome your thoughts below.

As many of you are aware, our nation has yet again been struck by tragedy.  Many lives were lost today at an elementary school in Connecticut.  While I do not have words to express my feelings right now, I know the families of those involved in this shooting need our prayers.

I can't even begin to imagine what these parents are feeling, and my heart aches deeply for them.  This is not a time for us to debate political agendas; it is a time to pray for peace and healing to fall on all of those affected.  This goes to show that we really do need more of Jesus in this broken world.  Will you join me in praying Isaiah 40:28-31 for these families, victims and speak it loud for our nation? I know I will be hugging Chloe and Jireh a little tighter tonight. 
-Pastor Ryan

While I can be a very emotional person, tragedy in this fallen world has sometimes left me numb to express feelings, however, this tragedy in light of the book I am reading has me heartbroken and unapologetically crying for not only these families, but this nation.  I am a lucky one, I was raised by great faithful parents, however, I am confessing, I was not a great parent/husband, or even a good parent/husband, and this is why I am so heartbroken because I was not a parent/husband that I would have liked our kids to emulate.  I /we can rationalize all I want about how we are at different stages in our walk with the Lord, but, the only person holding me (us) back from walking closer is ourselves, no one else.

I know that good parenting can still result in troubled children, however, our (my) obedience to the word of God “while” I was a faithful churchgoer during the raising of our children was in all seriousness, pathetic.  This tragedy “should” make us all re-evaluate, how are we raising our children, what am I showing my children through my marriage, what seriously have I changed in my life over the last week, month, year that would make God stand up and take notice that I am serious about following him.  This isn’t about your spouse, about your children, or your neighbor, this is for “YOU” to think about and then (as Pastor Ryan says) BEG God to help you change by the power of the Holy Spirit.  As we try to evangelize this community, this is so doubly important, because we as a church live in a fishbowl.  Yes, we can’t be perfect, but even in our imperfection, do others see Christ in us to how we then respond to that imperfection.  Are we the first to apologize?  Are we the first to reach out, or are we settled into our way of life, and this is just the way it is going to be.

Tragedy brings about some change – however, as we learned with 9-11, as time goes along, things just get back to normal, and we start settling into how we always have been – may this not be the case for Central.  

-Stan Bream