As I made my way onto the web today, a headline appeared declaring that an anti-gay church was fined $11 million.  With fear, I clicked on the link to read the story.  My fear was that I would read a story of a church where a pastor stated, in a sermon, that homosexuality is a sin.  I wasn't ready to read that kind of story.  It would mean my fine would soon be on the way!  Rather, the story actually deals with a church (I don't remember where the church was located) who sent people to a military funeral to protest and say that the the death of our soldiers in Iraq is God's way of punishing us for our tolerance of homosexuality. 

That church has every right to believe that, if they want.  They have every right to express that opinion.  HOWEVER, there is a time and a place for everything!  Here is a family who has a son volunteer to defend his country and his life is cut tragically short at the hands of evil people.  All they want to do is take one day to grieve the loss of their son, remember his life, and honor his service.  Along comes a church sending some people to Maryland to make a painful day even worse for this family. 

This church could have used this tragedy to share the Gospel with grieving families.  Instead, they use it an opportunity to possible turn this family off to all things related to the Church and the Gospel.  Way to go!

There is a time and place.  There is a time and a place!  This was not the time and it was not the place!