A Response To A Situation

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Sunday - 9:00 Sunday school & 10:00 Sunday Gathering /// Wednesday - 6:00 LSM & 6:30 ROOTS

by: Craig Duncan

03/17/2022

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I wanted to take a moment to address a situation which occurred last Wednesday, March 9th at Lonoke. We found one of our glass doors broken and a concoction had been thrown inside which had been lit on fire. It landed next to a wooden table and charred the leg, but no other damage was sustained and the fire flamed out.

Conway County Sheriff's Office sent out an officer and a couple of investigators. They did an outstanding job taking care of things for us. There isn’t much information regarding the situation as far as motive or who might have been involved.

There are a few things that are important for me to convey…

There are no safety concerns. I cannot stress this enough. There is no reason for us to believe there is any danger. In any case, we have individuals in our congregation who provide security during worship and nights of ministry. This has been a part of Lonoke for years and nothing has changed.

We hold no animosity. There is absolutely no reason to be angry or stirred in the flesh. We lean into the words of Paul and the example of Jesus when it was written, “And be kind to one another, tenderhearted, forgiving one another, even as God in Christ forgave you” (Ephesians 4:32). If we cannot be moved by forgiveness than our ability to minister is severely hampered.

Lonoke has always made every effort to love and serve the Morrilton and Conway County community with the Gospel as our foundation. There is no reason for us to believe that anyone would have any ill intent toward us. We also have to keep in mind though that the world will be offended by the Gospel. Jesus prayed these words concerning His disciples and they still relate to us today, “I have given them Your word; and the world has hated them because they are not of the world, just as I am not of the world” (John 17:14). While we may not pinpoint a reason for the cause of this situation and while we may be a bit taken back considering our desire to love and serve the community, we have to remember the reality of our relationship with the world.

We have no choice but to continue preaching truth and giving grace to each other in our faith family and to the community where God has placed us. We are not martyrs and we are not persecuted. A situation occurred and it was handled. We cleaned the mess up, working on getting the glass replaced, and continue forward in our call.

Everything is good and God is great.

Pastor Craig

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I wanted to take a moment to address a situation which occurred last Wednesday, March 9th at Lonoke. We found one of our glass doors broken and a concoction had been thrown inside which had been lit on fire. It landed next to a wooden table and charred the leg, but no other damage was sustained and the fire flamed out.

Conway County Sheriff's Office sent out an officer and a couple of investigators. They did an outstanding job taking care of things for us. There isn’t much information regarding the situation as far as motive or who might have been involved.

There are a few things that are important for me to convey…

There are no safety concerns. I cannot stress this enough. There is no reason for us to believe there is any danger. In any case, we have individuals in our congregation who provide security during worship and nights of ministry. This has been a part of Lonoke for years and nothing has changed.

We hold no animosity. There is absolutely no reason to be angry or stirred in the flesh. We lean into the words of Paul and the example of Jesus when it was written, “And be kind to one another, tenderhearted, forgiving one another, even as God in Christ forgave you” (Ephesians 4:32). If we cannot be moved by forgiveness than our ability to minister is severely hampered.

Lonoke has always made every effort to love and serve the Morrilton and Conway County community with the Gospel as our foundation. There is no reason for us to believe that anyone would have any ill intent toward us. We also have to keep in mind though that the world will be offended by the Gospel. Jesus prayed these words concerning His disciples and they still relate to us today, “I have given them Your word; and the world has hated them because they are not of the world, just as I am not of the world” (John 17:14). While we may not pinpoint a reason for the cause of this situation and while we may be a bit taken back considering our desire to love and serve the community, we have to remember the reality of our relationship with the world.

We have no choice but to continue preaching truth and giving grace to each other in our faith family and to the community where God has placed us. We are not martyrs and we are not persecuted. A situation occurred and it was handled. We cleaned the mess up, working on getting the glass replaced, and continue forward in our call.

Everything is good and God is great.

Pastor Craig

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2 Comments on this post:

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Laura Clark

Before these words were written, I felt the same way. I would think if I were faced with the individual/s I would choose forgiveness over anger, wrath or anything of the sorts. I am proud to belong to this church and the ministry we have. Knowing our pastor and leaders, this response is exactly what I have come to expect and love about "our church."

Liz Goates

Thank you for these outstanding words of wisdom, encouragement and peace. It is amazing how God's Word does that! Personally, we have always felt safe, and will continue to feel safe in God's
house.

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