When we are in deep despair, we feel totally insignificant and might even question the existence of God. In the situation with John, I fervently prayed after our first meeting and asked God how I could help him discover a meaningful purpose for his life. As I prayed, I… Read More

One of the struggles with depression is that it limits us to short-sighted thinking. When we are in deep despair and feeling hopeless, we find it difficult to imagine any source of hope to heal our deep heartache. Maybe you can relate to the following statements of John. Read More

When it seems that there are no rational answers to explain our deepest despair, we don’t want to hear trite explanations. I knew that John in his situation did not want me to give a justifiable response to his question, “So tell me, Chaplain, what is God’s great hope for… Read More

Your experiences may have left you with a sense of despair and hopelessness – dreams lost; relationships damaged; your self-esteem trashed. Does it feel as though God has disappeared? Or that there is no hope left for you? Spend some time on this journey and discover the comfort and hope… Read More

Do you find yourself in doubt, not recognizing yourself or some of the decisions you have made? Do you doubt that God cares or is present in the midst of difficult situations? You are not alone. Peter and Thomas, two of Jesus’ closest friends, also experienced times of doubt. Jesus… Read More

Henry arrived early for his next session with Pastor Jenkins. “Come on in, Henry. I had a cancellation, so we can get started now.” Henry found the familiar overstuffed chair, which had become a comforting presence in itself. “I can’t believe that I really told you that… Read More

Henry sat in the second row of the sanctuary. It was 4:10 p.m. He had knocked on Pastor Jenkins’ office door, but there was no response. Henry sat, mulling over his spiritual struggle of the past few weeks – how he had dared to open up, speaking the truth… Read More

Pastor Jenkins welcomed Henry to his office for their second visit. “Hello, Henry. I am glad to see you again. How are you doing?” “That assignment you gave me was pretty tough. You said to study the Scripture. I realized after I started reading it, I wasn’t… Read More

As Pastor Jenkins was leaving his office on a late Thursday afternoon, he saw Henry Jacobson sitting in the front of the sanctuary. Henry’s head was bowed, cupped in his hands. Pastor Jenkins heard muffled sobs. As he walked slowly forward, he saw Henry was dressed in fatigues, reminding the… Read More

Research has shown that among the common fears of death are the fear of dying in pain, the fear of being a burden to others, and the fear of dying alone. At some point many people approaching death also wonder about what lies beyond death for them. Is God… Read More