God's bigger than the Easter Hangover

I felt like an OT prophet early last Sunday morning (the first Sunday after Easter).  My message was doom and gloom.  I made sure to find the staff, key leaders, and worship team to warn them don't expect much today.  Easter tends to be the one Sunday when we have nearly 100% of our church show up all on the same Sunday and we also have many visitors - it's exhilarating for those who love the energy of a large group at church... like me.

Inevitably at our church (and many others) the following week is a let down from a numbers/energy standpoint.  I've been doing this long enough to insulate my expectations on the week I call Easter Hangover Sunday and to focus extra hard on what matters more than anything - where is God at work?  I've had to do this on many other occasions leading a church plant located in the far west valley of Phoenix.  Very few people are rooted into this community, and we have, on purpose, targeted the newer families and not the established population (for better and worse.)

Well, not more than a few minutes after giving my dire warning to Tyler our worship leader, I was told that the technician we hire from the school to support the service wanted to talk with me right away.  He shared with me that the SRO (Police) officer assigned to the HS where we meet had been shot and killed the night before.  Although I didn't know Officer Rolando Tirado, Kevin obviously did and so I gathered our worship team before church to pray with Kevin and for the officer's family and the students, faculty and staff of Youngker HS.

This tragic and evil event happened without warning and unfortunately there was nothing that any of his friends and family could do to prevent it.  Yet, in God's providence our church is in a position to minister to to friends and family of Officer Tirado, starting with prayer, but not stopping there.