Even So, It Is Well With My Soul

For those not familiar with an Anglican Service there are 4 Scripture readings before the Message. Today's assigned readings are: Deuteronomy 15:7-1, Psalm 112, 2 Corinthians 8:1-15 and Mark 5:21-43

In 1871, ...tragedy struck Chicago... as fire ravaged the city.

When it was finally extinguished ... the fire had taken over 300 lives... and had left 100,000... homeless.

A man by the name of... Horatio Gates Spafford ...was one of those ...who tried... to help the people of the city... get back on their feet.

Spafford... a Chicago lawyer, ...had invested heavily... into the downtown area, ... and he too ...lost all of his properties ...as a result of that fire.

More tragically, ...Spafford had also suffered the loss ...of his only son... just a year earlier.

Still... for two years after the fire ......Spafford assisted ......the homeless... the impoverished, ...... the grief-stricken.

After these two years, ...Spafford and his family decided to go to England...... and join D. L. Moody ...on one of his ...evangelistic crusades.

After the crusade ...they were going to take a family vacation ...and travel Europe.

Horatio Spafford ...was delayed ... due to business, ...but he sent his family ...on ahead.

He would catch up with them ...on the other side... of the Atlantic.

Their ship... the Ville de Havre, ...never made it.

Off Newfoundland, ...it collided with an English sailing ship, ...the Loch Earn, ...and sank... within 20 minutes.

Though Horatio's wife, Anna... was able to cling to a piece of floating wreckage... one of only 47 survivors among hundreds.

Their four daughters ...Maggie, Tanetta, Annie, and Bessie ...had all perished.

Horatio received a horrible telegram from his wife, ...only two words long ... "Saved alone."

Spafford boarded the next available ship ... in order to be with ......his grieving wife.

When the ship passed near the spot ...where his daughters died ...... (Slow Down)... Spafford penned ......these precious words:

When peace, ...like a river... attendeth my way,

When sorrows... like sea billows... roll.

What ever my lot... Thou hast taught me to say,

It is well... it is well, ...with my soul.

Tho Satan should buffet... tho trials should come,

Let this blest assurance... control,

That Christ hath regarded my helpless estate,

And hath shed... His own blood ...for my soul!

Beloved...Every one of us ......has been impacted by tragedy... By trials.

Both individually... And as a community.

Whether it be discourse...illness, or infirmity... we have all ......all...experienced pain.

We have all experienced... the trials ...of life.

Beloved...We live... in a broken world.

We will all experience trials... though I pray... not to the level... of Haratio Spafford.

In our Gospel text today... we are confronted with a father...... who is experiencing ...a trial... a tragedy.

Jairus ...heart is broken ...... and in the midst of his tragedy...... he turns ......... to Jesus.

That day, ...death showed up at the house of Jairus ...... death had come ...for his 12-year-old daughter. (Pause)

We are told that this man Jairus was a "ruler of the synagogue".

He was a man... of prominence...... in the community.

He was a man ...who had much.

But at this moment ......, none of it...... none of it mattered!

When Jairus spoke... people listened.

When Jairus walked into a room...... everyone would stand... in recognition.

But, now... Now...he finds himself in a place ...... where none of that ...matters!

Sickness and death ...could care less about who you are...... what you possess ...or the position ...that you hold.

I can assure you... that Jairus would have traded everything...... for the power ...to change ...the moment.

Life became very defined ...for him!

Death had come to the house of Jairus...... and it had come...... for his "real" treasure.

That "little daughter" the one that Dr. Luke describes in his telling ...as his "one ...and only daughter"!

(Strong) Beloved...Hell could care less about who you are ...... and what ...you have done.

When tragedy and death come calling...... you better know the one... that is greater than self.

You better know the one... who saves.

Life comes into crystal clear focus ......when tragedy comes forth!

What you think matters now.

What you think is important...will cease to matter then.

I remember very clearly ...a conversation with my grandfather ......when he was in the hospital ......dying of cancer.

He said ... "Jeffy, ...all the problems ... I have faced in life ......were nothing... compared to this;

I would give up all my money; ......I would give up all the things... all that I own ......to only have ...my health back. (Pause)

I had the opportunity ... to pray the sinners prayer with my grandfather ... in the hospital ...a few days before he died.

Trials ... Put life into perspective.

Beloved... Trials define us.

They speak ......to the maturity of our Faith.