Preaching to Broken Hearts

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My Valued Friend:

You asked about preaching to “broken hearts.”

Thanks for the reminder. I first heard that statement mentioned many years ago by a distinguished Presbyterian Pastor at Emory University in Atlanta. Speaking to our class, the wise clergy person was laying the groundwork for us young theologians on what to expect when we were on our own.

Over the years, meeting and getting acquainted with a cross-section of all kinds of parishioners, the high and mighty, the rich and the poor, the educated and the non educated, you frequently observed broken hearts in each and everyone. Try as we might to cover up or conceal our broken hearts, might work for a time, but they will eventually catch up with us and expose how we feel on the inside.

Broken hearts are no respecter of persons. They occur to us all, whether we will admit it or not. They often happen when life is going right, and we feel that we have everything good and under control. Suddenly the bottom drops out of things. With our broken hearts, we quickly wonder why, how, and what next? As disappointing as it can be, broken hearts are the price of the ticket we all pay for our journey of life.

How we handle these broken hearts of ours has everything to do with the next broken heart that is to come our way, and come they will. In the midst of our grief and anguish, over time and patience, we can resolve to grow stronger, more mature with grateful appreciation of all that has gone before, or not. Perhaps this why Jesus said, "Take up your cross and follow me.." Cross-bearing is not a once in a lifetime occurrence; it is daily. I guess this is why some insightful person said, "the only problem with life is, it is so everlastingly daily." How true.

It may not be a magic formula, but family, friends, church, love, and prayer are great bridge builders in helping us to handle, mend and grow from our broken hearts. We decide.

Sorry for this long explanation. You raised an excellent and probing question. Thanks.

Standing in the pulpit every Sunday, a pastor often knows those with broken hearts. Sitting in the pews right before them, they see it in the people's faces, and often remembers it from previous conversation. Then, he or she may be preaching with a broken heart of their very own.

You eventually gather up and endeavor to mend the broken pieces and dare to live another day.

Jesus did!

Prayers and best wishes,

Billy

A former military chaplain and local congregation pastor, the Rev. Billy Cox, a retired clergy member of the Kentucky Annual Conference, has been in ordained ministry for more than 70 years. This post is republished with permission from his Facebook page.