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Many Seek God’s Solace After Bosma Murder

May 21, 2013

Peter Schuurman was among those who attended an emotional grief/prayer service last week at Ancaster (Ontario) Christian Reformed Church, following news that police had found the body of church member Tim Bosma.

Standing in the church, Schuurman says, “it felt like the community was struck by a wave. But they are falling back on their faith and the support of all those who have shown they care.”

A lifelong member of the Christian Reformed Church, Bosma was abducted on May 6 after going with two men who came to test drive a black 2007 Dodge Ram pickup truck he was trying to sell.

The service at the Ancaster CRC was among many services and events held across Canada memorializing Tim Bosma and expressing an outpouring of grief for his family.

Following the prayer service at Ancaster CRC, Schuurman wrote a meditation on the circumstances surrounding, and some of the significant aspects reflected in, this tragedy. Schuurman is an instructor in youth ministry at Redeemer University College in Ancaster and a PhD student in religious studies.

Among some of the things contained in the meditation, published in the Reformed community newspaper the Christian Courier, Schuurman writes that Bosma’s disappearance “made national news headlines .. and galvanized church communities, Christian Reformed and many others, across Canada and the U.S. to pray.”

Being so galvanized meant that the CRC community came together in a special way.

“Sunday church bulletins of Christian Reformed churches across Ontario included information about Bosma’s disappearance with requests to further publicize the search for Bosma and to pray for all concerned.”

In his meditation, Schuurman recounts much of what led up to the discovery of the body and the aftermath of that discovery on Bosma’s family.

But he also gives a broader view of what this all meant.

“One thing that has distinguished this unfolding drama from the start has been the constant murmur of prayers. Petitions, lament, complaint, gratitude and more petitions. The outcome was far from what those who prayed pleaded for, and yet many people continue to trust and rest in the hope that God will make amends in time for the pain of this nightmare.”

He writes that “it would not be overstating the case to say that never before has the CRC church been so publicly visible, so pervasively discussed and so positively described in the history of the denomination in Canada.”

He discusses the role social media played in all of this in keeping the public updated and two other pastors also provide reflections in the meditation published in the Christian Courier.

Other news outlets are currently running stories about the police investigation into who killed Bosma.

Still other media sources have made available profiles on Bosma as well as stories on the impact his murder has had on his wife and family.