Worship 11-16-25

Why do bad things happen to good people?

On All Saints’ Day in 1755, Lisbon was struck by one of the most devastating earthquakes in history. As churches crumbled and fires raged, philosophers and poets across Europe asked the same haunting question we still ask today: Where was God?

In this sermon, Pastor Justin Bishop explores that ancient question through Scripture, history, and lived experience — from Voltaire’s lament, to Jesus’ words in Luke 21, to a tornado-struck community in rural Alabama that left behind a simple sign: “We are not alone.”

This message invites us to see God not as a distant force controlling events from afar, but as Almighty Love — a God who “runs in,” who stands with us in the smoke, dust, grief, and rebuilding. A God who is creating still.

The sermon concludes with the congregation speaking “A New Creed” from the United Church of Canada, followed by a musical blessing of “You’ll Never Walk Alone.”

If your world feels shaky, if you’re searching for hope, or if you just need a reminder that God has not abandoned you — this message is for you.

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Scripture Readings

•Isaiah 65:17–25

•Isaiah 12

•2 Thessalonians 3:6–13

•Luke 21:5–19