Preaching Through Grief to Wholeness

Abstract

Grief and loss are ever present in the life of the church. Death, illness, and change are ongoing events in the gathered community that lead to loss of membership. Such loss is often accompanied by grief, at times unrecognized and therefore unresolved, which in turn causes unease in the life of the community. In such cases, many congregations express the desire to go back to “the good old days.” This project is directed at naming unresolved grief and, through preaching that intentionally addresses the subject of grief, offering a legitimate and helpful way to address and resolve such grief as the beginning point of a process that can help move the congregation from grief to wholeness.