Grief and Hope
“that you may not grieve as others do who have no hope.”
– 1 Thessalonians 4:13
Our All Saints’ Grief Ministry Team is offering a two-part series (April 14 and April 21, 7:00pm) about the dance of grief and hope that we have experienced this past year.
“Truth Be Told”
As we slowly emerge from the season of Covid, we recognize that many of us have had a variety of losses—we have lost the ease of socializing with friends and family, moving freely to travel or shop, and gathering in person for worship. Some of us have even lost loved ones who have succumbed to the virus.
Perhaps the song Truth be Told by Matthew West (recently quoted by Rev. Jess in a sermon) resonates with you:
“You’re supposed to have it all together.
And when they ask how you’re doing,
just smile and tell them, ‘Never better’…
I say I’m fine,…but I’m not, I’m broken.”
“But I’m not, I’m broken.”
In our culture there is pressure to white-knuckle or ‘grin and bear’ the grief and challenges of life. We politely say, “I’m fine” while rarely given the appropriate outlet to process the losses experienced.
Grief can be described as the pain and sorrow we experience on the inside when we experience a loss; and, mourning as the outward expression of those emotions. Both grief and mourning do not go away just because we say that we are fine; they require our attention and intentional work in order for healing and hope to emerge.
As we acknowledge surpassing the one-year anniversary of the pandemic, we invite you to explore with us teachings about how God created us to turn our grief into mourning and our mourning into hope, particularly Christian hope.
This special two part series will be held on Wednesdays, April 14 and April 21 from 7:00–8:30 pm.
https://us02web.zoom.us/j/85726721089?pwd=N2F4Y2oxTzMzQ3ZpRERJN29wS0hPZz09
(Meeting ID: 857 2672 1089, Passcode: 685112)
