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Thanks,

Jonathan

Stay Tuned For This Afternoon

The service will be posted later today, I think (one way or another).

Update on Scott

Scott is still doing well. He had a doctor appointment yesterday to ensure that there were no injuries of which he was unaware (I did not end the sentence with a proposition- that is something "up with which I will not put" to quote Churchill). The doctor cleared him, and he spent the day with family yesterday.

Some of us will be meeting together to talk about church services tomorrow. Please be in prayer for us.

I would encourage any and all who would like to come to come visit Wyatt tomorrow.
The address is 4621 Hillsboro, El Dorado, AR 71730.

Jordan Thomas will be preaching in the morning and tomorrow night we will be having a discussion on how we can minister to Scott right now.

We told our girls the night before last and I had told Scott that we were going to do so. He actually sent me a text later that night to ask how it went. That's the kind of guy he is. When he is going through unimaginable pain, he is seeking to minister to others.

The Misery of Job and the Mercy 0f God

This is an intro to a book by John Piper that is a retelling of the story of Job. You can listen to or read the whole thing here.

In Christ Alone

These are the lyrics from a song at the funeral. What hope this song gives. What an amazing time of worship this song was. We sang it with 500 (in our room) other people at the top of our lungs. I can't wait to watch the service on the Wyatt website.

In Christ alone my hope is found;
He is my light, my strength, my song;
This cornerstone, this solid ground,
Firm through the fiercest drought and storm.
What heights of love, what depths of peace,
When fears are stilled, when strivings cease!
My comforter, my all in all—
Here in the love of Christ I stand.

In Christ alone, Who took on flesh,
Fullness of God in helpless babe!
This gift of love and righteousness,
Scorned by the ones He came to save.
Till on that cross as Jesus died,
The wrath of God was satisfied;
For ev'ry sin on Him was laid—
Here in the death of Christ I live.

There in the ground His body lay,
Light of the world by darkness slain;
Then bursting forth in glorious day,
Up from the grave He rose again!
And as He stands in victory,
Sin's curse has lost its grip on me;
For I am His and He is mine—
Bought with the precious blood of Christ.

No guilt in life, no fear in death—
This is the pow'r of Christ in me;
From life's first cry to final breath,
Jesus commands my destiny.
No pow'r of hell, no scheme of man,
Can ever pluck me from His hand;
Till He returns or calls me home—
Here in the pow'r of Christ I'll stand.

Not For The Faint of Heart

I realize that this video is disturbing, but I believe it is a message we all need to hear. Jill loved the gospel, and it was not the prosperity gospel. This is what is getting Scott, his parents, and her family through this.

Meaning

An important part of the process of grieving for Scott and all the rest of us will be to see the purpose of God in this. It doesn't mean that we will know the exact reasons why, but there are biblical promises that we know God works all things together for good, and that even the worst tragedies, evils and calamities are purposed and intended for our good.

Another stanza of God Moves In a Mysterious Way says:

Blind unbelief is sure to err
And scan His work in vain
God is his own interpreter
And He will make it plain

Oh Lord, make this plain to us. Unfold your purposes before us Lord, through your word, that we may be comforted in knowing that you have grand designs and meaning in our most terrible suffering.

One of the amazing things about the sovereignty of God is that He has an almost infinite number of layers of intentionality working together the fabric of history to accomplish His purposes in creating a beautiful tapestry of His glory. The point here is that Jill's death will be used by God to affect each of us in a different and biblical way.

I would invite you to share stories of good things that have happened, such as evangelistic opportunities, personal convictions, and other "sweet flowers" that have unfolded before your eyes during this tragic time.

I'll start.
Personally I have been convicted of my own sin and have been driven to repent. Luke 13:4-5 has been circulating in my mind. I am reminded that God does not afflict us in the order of our desert. I have mentioned before that I have thought about how much more I deserved to be the one in the hospital. It has caused me to have a more sober look at my life and reevaluate my shortcomings.

I have heard many people talk about the spiritual renewal that this has caused, and I pray that this would be lasting in my own life. I am most afraid that as we learn to accept the reality that we have been given that I might be the same person I was before this happened- I don't want that.

In Scott's Own Words

The following was an article written by Bro. Scott a little over two years ago after the death of our music minister's daughter. May his words comfort us and cause us to hang all of our hope in God during this difficult time. The reformers of the 16th century birthed the phrase, "Soli Deo Gloria," which means "for the glory of God alone!" Since that time, this monumental statement has been the cry of all God-centered theology. It is for this very reason that the writers of the Westminster Confes-sion of Faith wrote that the chief end of man is "to glorify God and enjoy Him forever." As Paul says in I Corinthians 10:31, "Whether, then, you eat or drink or whatever you do, do all to the glory of God." I Peter 4:11 says, "Whoever speaks, let him speak, as it were, the utterances of God; whoever serves, let him do so as by the strength which God supplies; so that in all things God may be glorified through Jesus Christ, to whom belongs the glory and dominion forever and ever." Because our church places such a great emphasis on the glory of God in all things, I couldn't help but ask myself two questions in light of Lauren Hymer's death: 1) How will this glorify God? 2) If God does all things for His glory, how will this fact comfort the Hymers? The answer to the first question is both plentiful and difficult. There are numerous ways that we have already witnessed God's glory in this time of loss. When members of Wyatt poured out their love on Donny, Lori, and Wesley, through visits, cards, memorials, yard work, food, house cleaning, funeral preparations, hugs, and words of encouragement, God's glory was revealed. When we reflect on the sanctifying work of Christ in Lauren's life, we praise God. When we see the strength displayed in the Hymers, we marvel at God's grace. Of course, we will never know all of the ways God uses Lauren's death for His own purposes. Further, it is both impossible and foolish to speculate all of the specific reasons for such an event to occur. The difficulty in answering this first question lies in the fact that every ounce of glory God receives is echoed by the pain experienced by the Hymers. In other words, it seems peculiar to focus on God's glory in an event when the same event produces grief and sorrow. This leads us to the more difficult question, "If God does all things for His glory, how will this fact comfort the Hymers?" At first glance, it seems cold that in their time of grief God would have the audacity to think about His glory. However, it is in this fact alone that we may find the greatest comfort. Because God is glorified in Lauren's death, we can be confident that she did not pass away in vain (Psalm 116:15). Here we see the love of God: that in glorifying Himself, he points all who mourn to their only source of hope: Himself. Although we don't pretend to understand God's mysterious purposes, we are comforted in the fact that there is a purpose. Without a sovereign God who is concerned with His glory, all things are meaningless -and that would be a tragedy. Instead, even through the pain and sorrow, we have every reason to proclaim, "Soli Deo Gloria." To Donny, Lori, and Wesley: We love you dearly. -Pastor Scott

Our Church

I couldn't be more proud of our church family during this time. They have responded in an amazing way.

Our deacons are incredible and rare. They have served with all of their might during a very dark hour.

I love to see the love and concern on people's faces. It is also a protecting love. Our people love Scott with an unusual love. I hope Scott feels protected right now, because he literally has an army surrounding him.

Scott has been preparing us for this (not this specifically, but something like this) ever since he got to Wyatt. He has taught us that we are all ministers and has sought to blur the line between the pulpit and the pew. This happened much sooner than we would like, but we as a church must step up now and tote Scott's water for him for a little while. Women of the church, you have been left the biggest challenge of all, to fill Jill's shoes, and they are big ones to fill. I know Jill had great hopes for some of the younger women in our church, and I hope you will see this as an opportunity for growth (however hard and painful it may be).

We must be careful not to seek just to be like Jill. To use an analogy from C.S. Lewis, Jill was a beam of light that shines on the earth like a beam of light coming into a dark room. Let us not look at the light on the floor and glory in it, but let us follow the beam back to the brilliant and blinding light of the sun. Jill's life pointed to something much bigger than her life, she would be disappointed if we got so focused on her that we forgot about the "...savior who is everything and anything good in [her]"

If You Told Me That Secretly Jill Had Found a Cure for Cancer I Wouldn't Be Surprised

This was in a comment below...


My name is Sparky Hamilton. I am from Lufkin, Texas. I knew Jill and Scott very well. When I heard the news, I was very, very hurt. Jill and my sister, LaTonya Hamilton, played on the same softball team when I was little. I must admit that if it wasn't for Jill, I wouldn't be here today. I was playing by the pool one night when nobody was loooking and accidently fell in and I couldn't swim. I drank so much pool water it wasn't even funny. Jill got there at the last minute right when I saw my life flash before my eyes and jumped in grabbed me. My parents and my sister couldn't stop thanking her that night. Since then, I couldn't forget her. The last time I saw here was in Arkansas at fan day when I was playing in 2003. She still had that pretty smile like always. If you would please pass this email on to her husband Scott and tell him to call me or email @ Larry.Hamilton@erac .com or 832-443-2334. Thankyou so much for doing this.