“Bring it on,” is what Terry Makelin, pastor of St John’s Lutheran Church in Nebraska, had to say about earthly trial and tragedies like the one that ripped through his town in the form of twin tornadoes earlier in June.

“Satan and the world can throw whatever they want at us, but even if we die, this is all in Christ’s hands,” said Makelin, who stayed at the parsonage that was brought down along with the church by the two tornadoes.

Even with the church missing, Makelin and his parishioners showed up for service the following Sunday. Makelin was out of town on June 16, the day the tornadoes tore through Pilger. He was eight hours away in Missouri, camping with a church youth group until he received a call regarding the storm and set out for Pilger immediately to check on his parish members.

“I was a little bit ready for the devastation… the tornado basically wiped off this town off the map,” he said about Pilger that housed at least 350 residents.

Before Sunday approached, Makelin borrowed candlesticks and an altar from a sister parish so he could explain to his parishioners how God will make good emerge out of this disaster. He also arranged for tents and chairs to be set up for the occasion.

“Our rock still stands and our rock is Christ,” Makelin said.

Apart from the fact that there was no roof over their head among other things that were devastated by the tornadoes, Makelin said he found it difficult to speak without a sound system.

“I noticed that as I’m preaching, I’m preaching about comfort and shouting. It doesn’t match… But it’s the word that has the power not the inflection of my voice. It’s God’s word that serves the soul,” he said with a chuckle.

The Lutheran Church Missouri Synod has set up a donation page to help churches and their members who have been affected by the tornadoes.

Photo Credit: Sarah Hoffman / AP

 

Opinions