“The Gift of Grieving” - 5 p.m. The River Service

The Rev. Billy Cerveny focuses on the nature of grief, as the experience of love having no place to land when something or someone we cherish is lost or broken. Grief is unavoidable and can either harden our hearts or deepen us, depending on how we walk through it with God. Using the story of Lazarus, the message highlights that Jesus gives us the freedom to fully grieve, showing that sorrow is not a lack of faith but evidence of love. It also emphasizes that Jesus meets us in our pain with compassion before removing it, reminding us we never suffer alone.