Dean, we ALL have baggage and a blog isn’t going to relieve it.

However, I will agree that pastors can take lessons from Mrs. Messner’s passing. She was never a hypocrite. She was always sincere, in her faith and herself. She believed in Jim Bakker, whom she married at 19. She believed in Jerry Falwell when he came to save the PTL. When both of them failed her, she still stayed strong to GOD. She believed that the cancer that was killing her was a way to open a door. It gave her an opportunity to talk about Jesus. To tell people that GOD is able, no matter what the situation you find yourself in. Don’t let fear rule your life. Live one day at a time. Never be afraid.

She believed GOD made and loved all His people, so she loved them, too, even those who scorned her, and especially those society scorned. “We’re all just people made out of the same old dirt and GOD didn’t make any junk”.

What I think is remarkable is not just Tammy’s immoveable sense of peace and serenity, but the fact she never judged anyone. All she ever wanted to do was talk about her faith and spread it around the best way she could. Because of that many secular point-of-views embraced her.

Tammy Faye Messner’s life took many strange twists. But she was always a woman of grace. A timely pastoral blog post will not relieve someones baggage. What is greatly needed are pastors who voice compassion in an increasingly cruel world.

And perhaps it’ll free the pastor to preach about the bible without having to waste time on such cultural trivia.

As parents, we might have called this a ‘teachable moment’. One that pastors are letting slip by.

I don’t get Tammy, never did. Your post explained much about why she is important. Having the ability to discuss that ‘over the water cooler’ is important friendship evangelism, if we faithful are being prepared for it. Which, you are right, we aren’t. We’d rather hide from the fact that she represents our faith.