Monday Ministerial Musings

By Rev. Mark William Ennis

Blog Number 13

April 29, 2019

Suicide is Painless, Not!

Easter is a wonderful holiday when we celebrate new life, new opportunities, new hope. It was sad that just three days after Easter our town suffered massive traffic jams. A train was stopped, causing east/west traffic to come to a stand-still. The train was stopped because a man from a neighboring town knelt down on the railroad tracks to end his life. The train could not stop in time and the man was killed. I cannot imagine how much pain he was in to make him think that suicide was a good option. Perhaps he remembered the line from the theme song of the TV show MASH, “suicide is painless.” The problem is that suicide is not painless for those around us.

I don’t know who the engineer of the train was who hit the man, but I am certain that he will feel guilty for the rest of his life. I don’t know the family status of the man who wished for death, but I am certain that there must be some family and friends who are now asking “what could I have done for him?” I bet there are co-workers asking the very same thing. When we commit suicide, we inflict pain on those around us. 

This is a plea to anyone who is in such pain that they are contemplating suicide. Please don’t. I know your pain is great, but to kill yourself will only transfer that pain to those around you. I am certain that you really don’t wish to hurt others, but your suicide will do just that. Please find someone to talk to instead. There is a twenty-four hour a day hotline for anyone considering suicide. Please call instead of acting. The number is: 800-273-8255. Suicide is not painless. Please protect those who know you and give the number a call.

#ReformedChurchInAmerica                                             #ClintonAvenueReformedChurch

#Suicide                                                                                 #PastorMarkAuthor.com

To read more of Pastor Mark’s writings, please order a copy of his book: https://deepriverbooks.com/books/the-circle-of-seven/

The Circle of Seven

Monday Ministerial Musings

By Rev. Mark William Ennis

Blog Number 12

April 22, 2019

Holy Week Holy Work

Holy Week has now ended. Every pastor is tired at the end of this week. It is a time of extra hours, extra visits, and extra worship services. No, I’m not complaining. As a child in church I realized how much time we spent in church during Holy Week. I knew what ministerial requirements were during this season before I was ever ordained. I’m simply pointing out the work that every minister experiences during this time.

Each of these activities greatly moves me. It is a deeply spiritual week for me, perhaps my favorite of the year. Yet, this year was a little different.  Some of us participated in Holy Week Work that I found very rewarding. It involved a weekly ministry that our church regularly engages help for the day laborers in town. We make weekly lunches and distribute them to the corners of town where the laborers gather, hoping for work. Our Spanish language skills are not sufficient to engage these workers in counseling or prayer, but the lunches are a start.                                                                                                                                            

This Holy Week, we were able to distribute more than just lunches. We had palm crosses that were surplus from our Palm Sunday services. These we distributed along with the lunches. We said blessings on them as we passed them out. Many workers crossed themselves in blessing as they accepted these crosses. We had done more than passed out lunches, we gave them tangible reminders of the love of Christ. This was our good Holy Work of Holy Week; bringing Christ to the humble workers who are so often overlooked by the larger society. 

#ReformedChurchInAmerica                                             #ClintonAvenueReformedChurch

#HolyWeek                                                                            #DayLaborers

To read more of Pastor Mark’s writings, please order a copy of his book: 

The Circle of Seven