New England news & perspectives
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Grieving with Hope
Grief. I’m not sure that I ever really understood grief until the last few months. It is one of those emotions you can read about, study, or discuss, but can’t really understand until you personally experience it. After losing my wife to pancreatic cancer 7 months ago, I’m still coming to terms with what it means to grieve.
Leading Worship through Grief
Before the pandemic, early in 2019, during a Saturday setup and rehearsal for our Sunday worship gatherings, I received news that one of my brother’s best friends had to be rushed to the hospital. He was thirty-six, fit, in the prime of his life, a father, and a strong male presence in his church. Within two hours, he had died and gone to be with the Lord.
Walking with those who weep
In the age of social media, it is easy to believe that only what is clean cut and manicured is worth sharing. We like to celebrate in public and mourn in private. In a culture obsessed with perfection, grief and lament feel awkward and out of place. Grievers can feel isolated under their burdens when others do not know how to make space for their sorrows. Those who are supporting sufferers can feel overwhelmed and uncertain of how to best love and serve in the tension. Even within the church, grief can be lonely and strange.
Reflections on the death of a loved one
My family recently suffered the loss of my mother-in-law, a wonderful woman of God who was taken from us rather suddenly by pancreatic cancer.
My mind turns to the story of the raising of Lazarus in John 11 when Jesus Himself lost someone He loved (John 11:3, 5), and I ponder three questions: