The church should be a safe place to validate other life experiences that are different from those in greeting cards.
A palliative care physician and author offers advice on how to say goodbye when the actual moment of death is at hand.
A worship liturgy to acknowledge our fatigue and grief and remind ourselves of God’s companionship, guidance and faithfulness.
A Garden Remembrance Memorial has been installed on the front courtyard of the Presbyterian Church of Dover, 54 S. State St., Dover, Delaware. It’s a temporary tribute, a space for healing, reflection and prayer to honor the lives of more than 1,600 Delawareans lost to COVID-19 from March 2020 to the end of May 2021.
A congregation makes grief relief kits with prayer shawls, treats and mementos to comfort church members who suffered a loss.
More congregations are learning about ways to prepare for death and dying — spiritually, practically, financially and emotionally.
As the Rev. Crawford Brubaker began working on what would be his new book, “Alas! A Lament for the United States of America,” he remembers tossing page after page of paper into the garbage.
During the holidays, so many of us can suffer for all kinds of reasons. The magnitude of our weary world weighs on our hearts and minds. We wrestle with chronic pain, broken relationships, shattered dreams, fragile faith, and unexpected losses. Our grief and sorrow feel particularly acute when compared to the festivity and joy everyone else seems to be feeling. More and more churches are acknowledging this fact with “Blue Christmas” services (also called “Longest Night” services) and offering resources to give particular support and comfort to those struggling during the “most wonderful time of the year.”
Bible scholar Christian Brady was as prepared as a person could be for the death of a child — which is to say, not nearly well enough.
The physical distancing and isolation occasioned by COVID-19 has taken a heavy toll on churches. They must name their grief, mourn their losses and strive to find hope.