Do you have an event from your childhood that you perceive very differently now than you did as you went through it?
Focus 4 | After It Happens
Once you're through it, you're not necessarily done with it.
Now that you've answered the icebreaker question, here's another to consider - this one about the tension between after and forever:
See what this Spotlight is focused on.
Tap on the words "Focus 4" in the image below to read this Spotlight's summary.
Tap on the words "Focus 4" in the image below to read this Spotlight's summary.
Hopefully that makes enough sense to get you going. Say this prayer together as you transition into the Worship portion of this Spotlight:
Lord,
We endure, we pass through, and we know
that bad things don't last forever.
But they do last - they stick with us in more ways than one.
Help us as we reflect, process, and recover
and fill us with hope.
Amen.
Lord,
We endure, we pass through, and we know
that bad things don't last forever.
But they do last - they stick with us in more ways than one.
Help us as we reflect, process, and recover
and fill us with hope.
Amen.
Read the story of Jesus reaction to something bad that happened.
Matthew 14:1–14 (NIV)
John the Baptist Beheaded
14 At that time Herod the tetrarch heard the reports about Jesus, 2 and he said to his attendants, “This is John the Baptist; he has risen from the dead! That is why miraculous powers are at work in him.”
3 Now Herod had arrested John and bound him and put him in prison because of Herodias, his brother Philip’s wife, 4 for John had been saying to him: “It is not lawful for you to have her.” 5 Herod wanted to kill John, but he was afraid of the people, because they considered John a prophet.
6 On Herod’s birthday the daughter of Herodias danced for the guests and pleased Herod so much 7 that he promised with an oath to give her whatever she asked. 8 Prompted by her mother, she said, “Give me here on a platter the head of John the Baptist.” 9 The king was distressed, but because of his oaths and his dinner guests, he ordered that her request be granted 10 and had John beheaded in the prison. 11 His head was brought in on a platter and given to the girl, who carried it to her mother. 12 John’s disciples came and took his body and buried it. Then they went and told Jesus.
Jesus Feeds the Five Thousand
13 When Jesus heard what had happened, he withdrew by boat privately to a solitary place. Hearing of this, the crowds followed him on foot from the towns. 14 When Jesus landed and saw a large crowd, he had compassion on them and healed their sick.
Matthew 14:1–14 (NIV)
John the Baptist Beheaded
14 At that time Herod the tetrarch heard the reports about Jesus, 2 and he said to his attendants, “This is John the Baptist; he has risen from the dead! That is why miraculous powers are at work in him.”
3 Now Herod had arrested John and bound him and put him in prison because of Herodias, his brother Philip’s wife, 4 for John had been saying to him: “It is not lawful for you to have her.” 5 Herod wanted to kill John, but he was afraid of the people, because they considered John a prophet.
6 On Herod’s birthday the daughter of Herodias danced for the guests and pleased Herod so much 7 that he promised with an oath to give her whatever she asked. 8 Prompted by her mother, she said, “Give me here on a platter the head of John the Baptist.” 9 The king was distressed, but because of his oaths and his dinner guests, he ordered that her request be granted 10 and had John beheaded in the prison. 11 His head was brought in on a platter and given to the girl, who carried it to her mother. 12 John’s disciples came and took his body and buried it. Then they went and told Jesus.
Jesus Feeds the Five Thousand
13 When Jesus heard what had happened, he withdrew by boat privately to a solitary place. Hearing of this, the crowds followed him on foot from the towns. 14 When Jesus landed and saw a large crowd, he had compassion on them and healed their sick.
Reflect on the story with this video.
Pray this prayer that is based on the story. Choose one person to read the prayer.
Merciful Lord,
You know what it is to receive bad news.
You know what it is to feel pain and to need space.
You showed us that even the Son of God needed time to step away,
to breathe, to grieve, to seek the Father in silence.
We thank you that our grief is not foreign to you.
You do not ask us to be strong when we are weak.
You do not shame us for tears or for silence.
Instead, you welcome us into your presence,
and you carry what we cannot carry alone.
We pray for those here and far away
who are in the aftermath of difficult things:
who are stunned by tragedy,
who are weighed down by what happened,
who are trying to find their next step in the dark.
Give them the grace of rest.
Give them companions who will not hurry their healing.
Give them hope that does not erase pain, but stands with them inside it.
Lord Jesus, just as you withdrew to a solitary place,
draw near to us when we retreat.
And when the time comes to return,
renew us with compassion that can flow into the lives of others.
Until that day when you wipe away every tear,
teach us to honor our grief and to trust your promise.
We rest our hearts in you.
Amen.
Merciful Lord,
You know what it is to receive bad news.
You know what it is to feel pain and to need space.
You showed us that even the Son of God needed time to step away,
to breathe, to grieve, to seek the Father in silence.
We thank you that our grief is not foreign to you.
You do not ask us to be strong when we are weak.
You do not shame us for tears or for silence.
Instead, you welcome us into your presence,
and you carry what we cannot carry alone.
We pray for those here and far away
who are in the aftermath of difficult things:
who are stunned by tragedy,
who are weighed down by what happened,
who are trying to find their next step in the dark.
Give them the grace of rest.
Give them companions who will not hurry their healing.
Give them hope that does not erase pain, but stands with them inside it.
Lord Jesus, just as you withdrew to a solitary place,
draw near to us when we retreat.
And when the time comes to return,
renew us with compassion that can flow into the lives of others.
Until that day when you wipe away every tear,
teach us to honor our grief and to trust your promise.
We rest our hearts in you.
Amen.
Name the Tension
The Bible doesn’t pretend bad things don’t hurt. In fact, it often lingers on pain. Think of the Psalms of lament: “How long, O Lord?” (Psalm 13). Or Jesus weeping at Lazarus’ tomb (John 11). Even when he knew resurrection was coming, he honored the pain.
Why We Hurry Recovery
Culturally, we are deeply uncomfortable with suffering. We want things fixed, smoothed over, explained away. Even Christians can misuse the promise of eternal life as a “shortcut,” saying things like, “Well, heaven will be better,” - sometimes too soon.
Biblically, hope is not a denial of pain. Paul says in 1 Thessalonians 4:13: “We do not grieve as others do who have no hope.” Notice: he doesn’t say, “We do not grieve.” He says, “We grieve with hope.”
Christ’s Pattern
In Matthew 14, after John’s death, Jesus withdrew. He didn’t push forward in denial; he stopped. Later, he returned with compassion, feeding and healing. That rhythm (withdraw and then return) is a faithful way to live in the aftermath of something unpredictable, uncontrollable, and unfortunate.
Look up Elijah's actions in 1 Kings 19. How is he doing?
God didn’t scold him. He gave him sleep and food, then sent him on again. Both Jesus and Elijah show us that rest and retreat are not failures of faith; they’re part of walking with God after loss.Prompt:
Eternal Reframing
Christian doctrine of the resurrection reframes grief. Martin Luther called it living in the tension of the “Theology of the Cross”: God meets us in going through the weakness, not by erasing it. Revelation 21 promises that one day God will wipe away every tear — but until then, those tears matter.
Christian hope doesn’t erase grief; it reframes it. The cross and resurrection mean grief is temporary, but they also mean grief is valid. Our tears today are not wasted. They are honored by Christ, who wept himself. And they will one day be wiped away by the hand of God himself.
As you carry your own stories of aftermath, may you give yourself permission to withdraw, to rest, to honor your grief - alongside the hope that pain has an expiration date.
The Bible doesn’t pretend bad things don’t hurt. In fact, it often lingers on pain. Think of the Psalms of lament: “How long, O Lord?” (Psalm 13). Or Jesus weeping at Lazarus’ tomb (John 11). Even when he knew resurrection was coming, he honored the pain.
- Turn to someone near you: Why is it important that even Jesus wept before he raised? What does that teach us about how to treat grief?
Why We Hurry Recovery
Culturally, we are deeply uncomfortable with suffering. We want things fixed, smoothed over, explained away. Even Christians can misuse the promise of eternal life as a “shortcut,” saying things like, “Well, heaven will be better,” - sometimes too soon.
Biblically, hope is not a denial of pain. Paul says in 1 Thessalonians 4:13: “We do not grieve as others do who have no hope.” Notice: he doesn’t say, “We do not grieve.” He says, “We grieve with hope.”
- Discuss: Have you ever seen hope used as a way to hurry recovery?
How could we instead help people grieve with hope?
Christ’s Pattern
In Matthew 14, after John’s death, Jesus withdrew. He didn’t push forward in denial; he stopped. Later, he returned with compassion, feeding and healing. That rhythm (withdraw and then return) is a faithful way to live in the aftermath of something unpredictable, uncontrollable, and unfortunate.
Look up Elijah's actions in 1 Kings 19. How is he doing?
God didn’t scold him. He gave him sleep and food, then sent him on again. Both Jesus and Elijah show us that rest and retreat are not failures of faith; they’re part of walking with God after loss.Prompt:
- Reflect personally: What would “withdrawing” look like for you in a season of aftermath? What might “returning with compassion” look like when you are ready?
Eternal Reframing
Christian doctrine of the resurrection reframes grief. Martin Luther called it living in the tension of the “Theology of the Cross”: God meets us in going through the weakness, not by erasing it. Revelation 21 promises that one day God will wipe away every tear — but until then, those tears matter.
- Romans 8:18 — “The sufferings of this present time are not worth comparing with the glory that is to be revealed.”
- Revelation 21:4 — “He will wipe away every tear.”
- 2 Corinthians 1:5 — “We share abundantly in Christ’s sufferings, so through Christ we share abundantly in comfort too.”
- As a group, name one truth about eternal hope that strengthens you without canceling out the pain of now.
Christian hope doesn’t erase grief; it reframes it. The cross and resurrection mean grief is temporary, but they also mean grief is valid. Our tears today are not wasted. They are honored by Christ, who wept himself. And they will one day be wiped away by the hand of God himself.
As you carry your own stories of aftermath, may you give yourself permission to withdraw, to rest, to honor your grief - alongside the hope that pain has an expiration date.
Life often confronts us with things we cannot predict, control, or explain. Jesus himself experienced this. We are not asked to pretend it doesn’t hurt. Instead, we are invited to bring it into God’s presence and not carry it alone.
Step 1 – Sharing:
Step 2 – Silent Holding:
Step 3 – Spoken Prayer:
Step 4 – Blessing One Another:
After everyone has shared and been prayed for, close by saying together:
Step 1 – Sharing:
- Each person takes a turn to briefly share one or two “unpredictable, uncontrollable, or unfortunate” things they are going through right now, or something weighing on their heart.
- The others listen silently, without advice or fixing: only with love and attention.
Step 2 – Silent Holding:
- After each person shares, the group sits in quiet for a short pause, silently lifting that person’s burden to God.
Step 3 – Spoken Prayer:
- After the silence, one of the listeners prays aloud for the person who just shared.
- The prayer can be simple:
- “Lord, have mercy on [Name].”
- “God, hold this sorrow with them.”
- Or whatever you'd like to say.
Step 4 – Blessing One Another:
After everyone has shared and been prayed for, close by saying together:
- God, you are our refuge and strength, an ever-present help in trouble.
Carry what we cannot carry.
Be with us in what we cannot control.
And teach us to trust your love, even here.
Amen.
Feel free to submit a prayer request by filling out the below form.
(If you choose to make your request public, you'll see it display in the Current at the end of the Spotlight along with anyone else who did the same.)
(If you choose to make your request public, you'll see it display in the Current at the end of the Spotlight along with anyone else who did the same.)
Pray through your requests—together—as a group.
After submitting your requests in the above form, take some time to share with your group whatever requests the group might have for this week.
After submitting your requests in the above form, take some time to share with your group whatever requests the group might have for this week.
Close with the song, "Abide with Me."
Let's wrap things up by taking a look at what's Current at Illume.
Tap on the buttons in the frame below to see what’s currently happening at Illume—information on everything from current and upcoming online content to live events and opportunities to serve in the community can all be found here.
Tap on the buttons in the frame below to see what’s currently happening at Illume—information on everything from current and upcoming online content to live events and opportunities to serve in the community can all be found here.
Posted in On Letting It Happen
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