A pastor’s life is often a mixture of sorrow and joy. That was certainly my experience in the last 24 hours. Last night David Woollin (RHB’s CEO; see picture) and I dedicated the new building (44,000 square feet) of Reformation Heritage Books (3070 29th St. SE, Grand Rapids) to the glory of God in the presence of 100 invited guests (pastors, employees, donors—some who came from far).
Then, for most of the day today was the funeral and committal and fellowship in memory of dear Jordan Kamp, a young man in our church family who died suddenly in an accident this past Monday—just five weeks after he graduated from our Christian school and eight weeks before he was planning on making public profession of faith before our church. More than 500 gathered for his funeral this morning in our church building where Dr. Kuivenhoven spoke fittingly and powerfully from John 11, especially on Jesus’s statement, “I am the resurrection and the life; believest thou this?” Most of the people also attended the committal at the cemetery where I spoke primarily on, “For me to live is Christ, and to die is gain” (Phil. 1:21). From there we spent another hour or two with the mourning family and friends at our church where we had good fellowship and prayed with several of the mourning family. I was grateful to also learn a bit more in fellowship with others about Jordan’s spiritual life.
After this day full of God’s encouraging and convicting word and gospel—and with human emotion, Mary and I went back to Reformation Heritage Books for the last few hours of the first day that the new store was officially open for walk-in customers. Scores of people filled the store, I was told, all day long, and more than $5,000 worth of books were sold. By God’s grace, we are off to a good start.
Now I am back into sermon preparation for tomorrow morning when I hope to bring our church family a solemn but encouraging message on ten lessons that Jesus is teaching/showing us through the loss of Jordan Kamp. Pray with me please that this sermon, together with the funeral memorials today, might serve as a healing and strengthening balm for the mourning family and for believers, and an awakening and convicting time for unbelievers. Pray that God will grant us all the four needed “R’s” (repentance, revival, reformation, and renewal) in our lukewarm and backslidden day.
