Friday Tornado and FCC

On Good Friday, the St. Louis area was pummeled with severe thunderstorms and at least two tornadoes. Over 750 homes were lost. The airport had to be shut down for at least a day to recover from damage. Miraculously, no fatalities or serious injuries were reported. I'd like to think that God spared lives on purpose this weekend. Easter weekend is the celebration of Christ's resurrection. It is God's gift of salvation and ultimate gift of grace. He's still in the grace giving business and proved it this weekend. Even though the storms still came, God looked after His people.

Having said that, yes, there was a tremendous amount of damage. That number of 750 just includes homes, not mentioning the many businesses that either suffered damage or were completely destroyed. Thoughts and prayers go out to all affected of course, but one specific story hit close to home.

Ferguson Christian Church lost their entire sanctuary roof to the tornado. Just gone. One can stand in the sanctuary, look straight up and see sky. Pity, it was a very pretty church. All gorgeous wood planks and beams intertwined to make up the high vaulted ceiling. Gone. The reason it affects me so much is because I used to be a member-in fact I was both baptizeded and married in that church.

We haven't attended for some time, but thought that one day when the kids were a little older and could grasp it we'd attend a service to show them where we got married. Might not happen now.  Ferguson is a small congregation without much funds, so the possibility of their rebuilding is probably going to be based on how good of an insurance plan they have. Even if they do rebuild, I have a feeling that they probably won't use the same plan. Maybe they will, but for some reason I doubt it.

Anyway, as I said, we haven't attended for a few years now. We left under not the best circumstances, but it had nothing to do with the congregation at large,who are good people, or Pastor Stacey Garner who is a fine man. The elders of the church made a decision which directly negatively affected my family and we wasted no time in leaving. The doors were nowhere near our butts on that one. I hesitate to go into further detail as I don't want to speak where it's not my place, but I will state that church elder ship can be a grand thing that carries on traditions and brings people together, but if given too much free reign, not kept in check and given too much power, it can be a destructive tool of the enemy.

Still, that's all in the past. I no longer hold a grudge (last paragraph notwithstanding) and have forgiven the parties involved. They did what they thought was right, misguided as they may have been.

It makes me sad, though, that there is a part of my life that's different now. Sure, the church is just a building , I know, but buildings can be just as much of an emotional trigger as an old photograph, a song, or faded letter found in an old trunk. I am sadder still for those who call FCC their church home. It must be difficult to process on an emotional and spiritual level. And there's a long road ahead to recovery.

My heart goes out to the good folks over at Ferguson Christian Church. In the coming weeks as more info becomes available I will try to find a way to help. Until then, they are in my prayers.