God does not cause the tragedy, but he is with us in the midst and aftermath. Isa. 43:1 Do not fear, for I have redeemed you; I have called you by name, you are mine. 2 When you pass through the waters, I will be with you; and through the rivers, […]
Grief
122 posts
It is the third anniversary of Mack’s death. He died in a helicopter as they were trying to save his life from the fast moving blood infection while getting him to another hospital a two hour drive away. I have never been able to thank the crew in person, but […]
This is my most recent idea for the title of a work coming out of my recent writings and talks on suffering. (See the page A Biblical Theology of Suffering for those links.) The quote comes from Frederick Buechner and is oft cited. I have used it for years in […]
This past week aired my “This I believe” essay for WPSU. You can find the audio and the text here. It is a part of a yearlong project we are doing called “Learning to Live: What’s Your Story?” We recognize and understand that when someone we love dies, we will […]
The following is the homily I shared for Jake’s funeral this past Saturday. It is shared here with the blessing and permission of his family. Jake Correll We came here today to share our grief and sadness, to give thanks for the life of Jake Correll and to hear God’s word […]
We have lost a young member of our community this week and as I prepare for the service I am drawn to this particular reading. I have thought often of it with regards to those who die from debilitating illness, whether physical or mental. Like the plant we are sown in […]
We recently had a clergy conference for our diocese and it was hosted in our local parish. The lectures were given in the sanctuary and our topic was alcoholism and addiction. As the speaker described St. Augustine’s own moment of release from his own sins, the saint, lying prostrate on the […]
Some will find these offensive and in poor taste. I would suggest that it is no more so than the vast majority of vapid sentiments found on the usual sympathy and support cards. These represent real life and the real struggle that people with serious illness and grief are wrestling […]
Concluding the text of the talk I presented at Cornell on 11 April 2015, “My God, my God, Why Have You Forsaken Me? A Biblical Response to Loss and Catastrophe.” I did not touch much upon NT texts for reasons stated (they related to a difference context than the one most of us […]
It is the reviewer’s comments that I find interesting here. I had no idea that there was a term for these books, let alone that it was a growing trend. [I]t is what’s become known as a “grief memoir.” Its points of overlap with similar books lead the reader to […]