This last Saturday we laid to rest Evelyn Tonnessen in Staten Island, NY. For as long as I had known her, a sign hung on her front door: Velkommen.

"Welcome" in Norwegian.

Evelyn often quoted her late husband Walter, “If there’s room in your heart, there’s room in your house.” And she not only welcomed me into her house, she welcomed me into her family.

At the funeral, one family member reported that Evelyn always said, “When my time of service is over, I want to go home.” She served her church, her family, her friends, and her community up until the day she died. Evelyn was a servant among servants.

I can still hear her voice. Still hear her laughter. Still feel her welcoming warmth.

The church (a rather large church) was packed. It felt like a state funeral. But it wasn’t because Evelyn was famous, or powerful. It was because Evelyn loved people, like Jesus loved people. A single life filled with pain and turmoil that was submitted to Christ and transformed the world around her.

Evelyn was preceded by her husband, Walter, who passed away in 2002. He was a builder, and she missed him tremendously.

She spent Valentines days with him.

My wife told our children, “Granny’s husband built houses. He passed away a long time ago, and he spent all this time building a home with Jesus for her.”

As a theologian I can’t verify that statement, but as an artist I know it’s true.

Evelyn’s passing is a huge loss. My grief, and the grief of her family is incredible.

But our grief is not without hope.
She trusted Jesus – the Resurrection and the Life.

Though she is dead, she shall live forevermore.

This prayer is my immediate response to the article posted today by the Houston Chronicle. I am praying this prayer as a pastor of a small SBC church in rural Northern Michigan.
 
Almighty God,
Eternal Heavenly Father,
Why?
Why do you allow the wolves into the fold?
Why do you allow your servants to ignore the predators in their midst?
Why do you allow us to ignore evil in your name?
 
Why do you let us ruin your name, trample upon your glory,
when we protect the wolf,
and turn out the lamb?
 
Is now the time of your justice?
Your wrath?
 
We deserve it.
 
We have honored you with words, but our hearts are far away.
Far away protecting our own institutions
instead of your Church.
Far away using your Name to build our glory.
Claiming your power as our own.
 
You have shamed us.
You have shamed us before the whole world.
We deserve it.
 
Thank you for using the Houston Chronicle to expose our nakedness.
For Robert Downen, Lise Olsen, and John Tedesco.

Help us, O God.
Help us to repent.
Help us to produce fruit consistent with repentance.
 
For the churches who have protected their flocks by exposing evil
– may you increase their tribes.
For the churches who have failed to protect their flocks from the wolves
– may they repent in tears.
For the churches who refuse to protect their flocks,
            who feed on their own sheep,
            who re-victimize their victims,
            who claim your glory as their own,
            who take your name in vain
                        by calling what is evil good,
                        and by doing this evil in your Name,
            - may they be anathema.
            - may they be judged.
            - may your wrath be revealed.
            - may you fight against them with the sword of your mouth.
 
We pray for the victims, O Lord.
            We do not know how to pray.
            We do not know how to help.
 
            Many will never again enter into a church.
            Many will never experience good fellowship with your people.
            Many will never walk with you.
 
            Be with them, O Lord.
            Send them friendship, Father.
            Comfort them, Spirit.
           
            Cradle and hold them, O God.
            May they feel your embrace and know they are loved.
 
Holy Father,
            For the Southern Baptist Convention:
            May all pastors renew their covenant with you to protect the people they serve.
            May all elders and deacons worship you, and you alone.
                        (Fearing you, more than man.)
            May denominational leaders take swift action to protect victims, and expose evil-doers.
            May we, in our pitiful and broken state,
                        as we lay crumbled in our complacent guilt,
                        lift a broken and weary finger to heaven and say,
                                    “Look at us,
                                    Look at us.
                                    We are proof.
                                    We are evidence,
                                    that all of humanity needs Jesus.
                                    Our knowledge has indicted us.
                                    Our knowledge has made us the chief of all sinners.
                                    As we wallow in the sewage of our pathetic failure,
                                    We know better than all that we need Jesus.
                                                For the forgiveness of sins.
                                                For the redemption of our souls.
                                                For the redemption of our bodies.
                                                For adoption into God’s family.
                                                For freedom
                                                       from our self-imposed slavery to our own selfish desires.”
 
O God,
            We do not know how to pray.
            We do not know what to pray.
 
Teach us your ways O Lord.
 
In Jesus’s Name we pray.
Amen.

Note: While prayer should always be the first response of a Christian, it is not the final response. In my personal ministry context, my primary focus is to guard the flock in my congregation. To that end, you can hear some of my thoughts and practices in this sermon which has been posted on the front page of the church for the past year, and pinned to my personal Twitter profile for the same amount of time.
 
What will happen if the church ignores sexual abuse? It will destroy us.