Hope and Peace in the ashes of Life

Christmas is a joyful time for many.

It’s also a stressful time for many.

Some face Christmas with heavy sorrow on their hearts.

Hear the Christmas Story from Lukes gospel and then I will tell you a story of tragedy and peace.

Luke 2:1–21 NIV

1 In those days Caesar Augustus issued a decree that a census should be taken of the entire Roman world. 2 (This was the first census that took place while Quirinius was governor of Syria.) 3 And everyone went to their own town to register. 4 So Joseph also went up from the town of Nazareth in Galilee to Judea, to Bethlehem the town of David, because he belonged to the house and line of David. 5 He went there to register with Mary, who was pledged to be married to him and was expecting a child. 6 While they were there, the time came for the baby to be born, 7 and she gave birth to her firstborn, a son. She wrapped him in cloths and placed him in a manger, because there was no guest room available for them. 8 And there were shepherds living out in the fields nearby, keeping watch over their flocks at night. 9 An angel of the Lord appeared to them, and the glory of the Lord shone around them, and they were terrified. 10 But the angel said to them, “Do not be afraid. I bring you good news that will cause great joy for all the people. 11 Today in the town of David a Savior has been born to you; he is the Messiah, the Lord. 12 This will be a sign to you: You will find a baby wrapped in cloths and lying in a manger.” 13 Suddenly a great company of the heavenly host appeared with the angel, praising God and saying, 14 “Glory to God in the highest heaven, and on earth peace to those on whom his favor rests.” 15 When the angels had left them and gone into heaven, the shepherds said to one another, “Let’s go to Bethlehem and see this thing that has happened, which the Lord has told us about.” 16 So they hurried off and found Mary and Joseph, and the baby, who was lying in the manger. 17 When they had seen him, they spread the word concerning what had been told them about this child, 18 and all who heard it were amazed at what the shepherds said to them. 19 But Mary treasured up all these things and pondered them in her heart. 20 The shepherds returned, glorifying and praising God for all the things they had heard and seen, which were just as they had been told. 21 On the eighth day, when it was time to circumcise the child, he was named Jesus, the name the angel had given him before he was conceived.

The Spaffords

The Spafford family lived in Chicago in the 1800’s. Horatio Spafford was a lawyer and from his earnings he invested his money.

In 1871 he gathered up his savings and invested heavily in Chicago real-estate.

Later that year, there was a fire in Chicago.

[slowly]

The Great Chicago fire

where 300 people died and 17,450 building were destroyed.

Horatio lost much of his investment,

much of his savings in that fire.

A year or so later there was a financial depression that again hurt the family resources.

That is when they decided to take a break,

to have a vacation and

to see their friend D. L. Moody the great Evangelist speak at the London crusade.

So they booked passage from New York to Europe on the Ville Du Havre,

a steam powered passenger ship from France.

Then just before voyage,

some business dealings came up and it was decided that the family would go on ahead

and Horatio would finish his work and soon follow them to Europe.

So in November of 1873, the family: Anna the mother,

Annie age 11

Margaret Lee age 9

Bessie age 5 and

little Teneeta age 2

boarded the ship and had a wonderful time on the ship

[slow]

until the morning of Nov 22 when they woke at about 2AM

because of a loud crash and lurch of the ship.

[slowly]

It was the sound of another ship crashing into their ship, and nearly cutting it in half.

Anna, that is Mrs. Stafford tried to keep their four girls together but in all the confusion, the older two girls Anniee and Margaret Lee were soon lost.

Some passengers tried to launch the lifeboats

but the lifeboats, having been recently painted, were stuck fast, to the deck.

Few of the lifeboats were pried loose.

When the first wave crashed over the sinking deck, Anne was clinging tight to Bessie the 5 year old and Teneeta the 2 year old.

In the water, Anna soon she lost hold of Bessie and Bessie was gone.

Mrs. Spafford’s last memory before going un-conscience was of little Teneeta drifting away too.

[pause

pause]

It only took 12 minutes for the ship to sink and about 2/3rds of the passengers died that night.

The other 1/3 were rescued by the other ship the Loch Earn,

Anna, that is Mrs. Spafford was found unconscious clinging to a piece of wreckage and pulled onto the Loch Earn.

When Anna revived and learned all four of her children was lost,

her first feeling was despair,

what was there left to live for?

Her first thought was to throw herself back into the ocean and

join her daughter in that horrible sea of death.

When she reached land in Wales England,

she telegraphed her husband

“SURVIVED ALONE, WHAT SHALL I DO”

Horatio of course dropped all business and

immediately took the next boat to meet Anna.

On the fourth night at sea the captain

summoned Horatio and said as best we can figure,

we are nearing the spot where your children died.

Horatio went out to the edge of the deck but he didn’t look down toward their watery graves.

He looked up to the heavens and experienced peace like a river,

even though he also felt sorrows like sea billows rolling over him.

He wrote down his thoughts,

which he later developed further into a song and

then asked Philip Bliss to fit a tune to the song.

Anna also found peace in her despair and

was assured she was spared for a reason and had work to do for Christ.

The Spafford’s made their way back to Chicago,

they had 3 more children,

a boy, then a girl,

then the boy was lost to scarlet fever,

then another girl.

These two girls were their only Spafford children to survive to adulthood.

After a while they left there Presbyterian church,

started a home church and in 1881

they moved to Israel to start the American Colony near Bethlehem.

They wanted to live there and help all in need: Christians, Jews and Muslims.

Over the decades the family line started hospitals and orphan works.

Some of the Spafford works are still running today.

What gave this family,

what gave Horatio,

what gave Anna the strength to carry on?

Knowing Jesus in their hearts.

My Christmas prayer for you and I,

is that we,

would know the peace that Jesus brings,

know His peace so well,

know His peace so closely

that we can have the peace of God that passes understanding,

that we can weather any storm, any tragedy that happens in our life.

THAT WE CAN EVEN BE A COMFORT TO OTHERS

AS WE POINT THEM TO CHRIST.

Let’s pray

Closing hymn