Jamie D. Aten

In June 2001 I moved to pastor a church on Long Island, New York, about 45 miles from Manhattan. Less than four months later our church family felt the shockwaves of 9-11. One of our members lost his brother, a New York City firefighter in one of the Twin Towers. Other people in our community lost loved ones. How do you preach to your people and your community after something like that? Honestly, I had no idea. I have never felt so unequipped as a preacher. That's why I'm thankful for this practical, insightful article from Christian psychologist and researcher Dr. Jamie Aten—"Preaching in the Wake of Disaster." Dr. Aten offers some of the calm wisdom I wish I would have had when preaching after a disaster.

Steve Walker

Speaking of preaching in the wake of a disaster, imagine this scenario: you've just received a call that there's an active shooting situation on your local community college. That's what Steve Walker faced when he discovered that a young man entered a classroom at Umpqua Community College in Roseburg, Oregon, and killed nine people. This week we offer the message Steve gave—"Death Is not the End of the Story"—to Redeemer's Fellowship in Roseburg just days after the tragedy. Steve's message is filled with grace and some tough truth. When I asked Steve about the message he told me, "People know you're going to offer the familiar, comfortable platitudes; but in this horrible tragedy I also felt like I had to say some hard truths to show our desperate need for a Savior in this fallen world."

Also, check out these new resources:

• Featured Illustration: Woman Accepts Christ After 'Pleasant' Atheism
• Featured Video: Change the Story - This powerful piece tackles themes of mentorship, small groups, recovery, addiction, and evangelism.
• Featured Sermon: "Death Is Not the End of the Story" by Steve Walker
• Featured Skills Article: "Preaching in the Wake of Disaster" by Jamie Aten

Matt Woodley
Editor, PreachingToday.com
mwoodley@christianitytoday.com

P.S. In light of recent events in our nation, you will not want to miss this fabulous interview with Dr. Soong-Chan Rah on the beauty and power of lament.

Matt Woodley is the pastor of compassion ministries at Church of the Resurrection in Wheaton, Illinois.