The Pastor's Perspective

     If you have lived for any length of time you have had your fair share of grief. There have been loved one's who have passed on, jobs that you have lost, relationships ruined, the list could go on and on. Grief is sadly one of the problems that all of us face in this life.      The author Edgar Jackson in a few short words describes grief perfectly. He writes; Grief is a young widow trying to raise her three children, alone. Grief is the man so filled with shocked uncertainty and confusion that he strikes out at the nearest person. Grief is a mother walking daily to a nearby cemetery to stand quietly and alone a few minutes before going about the tasks of the day. She knows that part of her is in the cemetery, just as part of her is in her daily work. Grief is the silent, knife-like terror and sadness that comes a hundred times a day, when you start to speak to someone who is no longer there. Grief is the emptiness that comes when you eat alone after ea...

    Socrates of Constantinople was a church historian who once told about a man named Pambo. Pambo one day came to Socrates at his home with a request. He said "Teach me a Psalm or some part of Scripture"      Hearing this request Socrates began to read from Psalms 39 where it reads "I said, I will take heed to my ways, that I sin not with my tongue"       After Socrates finished the first verse Pambo asked Socrates to close the bible. Pambo told Socrates "I want to learn what that verse means and master it before I hear anymore". With that Pambo  left Socrates home and said "I will be back when I have mastered that verse".      Weeks went by and Pambo never showed back at Socrates house. Until one day Socrates, happened to accidentally ran into him at the market. He asked Pambo "Why have you not come back Pambo?"      Pambo replied and said "I am still trying to learn that first lesson you taught me about m...

          There was at one time an Italian bishop who had been struggling with his health. He had for some time, been struggling with a great amount of pain due to his ailment. Family, friends and those who were close to the bishop knew the amount of pain and struggle it was just to get out of bed.      The bishops struggles lasted for year and years. He would labor on each day with the pain and hardships due to his declining health. Those who were around the bishop and knew the struggle he had to endure each and every day were all amazed. Despite all that the bishop had to go through and the vast amount of pain that he had to endure; the bishop always had a positive attitude. In the years that they had watched the bishop day in and day out, not once did the bishop seemed irritated, impatient or depressed.      Well one day one of the bishops closest friends asked him "Would you tell me your secret on being content in this life...