A Week of Grief

Grief. It can come in all forms. It can hit you when you least expect it. I am reminded of this each time I have to share some bad news. Recently, I had to tell a community that someone they loved had died. Some of us are ugly criers. Some of us are stoic. Some of us get angry. Some of us are in denial. That day I saw it all in the community. People yelling, people in disbelief, people sobbing. Myself – I was the task focused one until I could get home and grieve myself. Everyone handles it differently. Each year during Holy Week, I am reminded of the weight of grief. We spend an entire week in the Christian faith in a whirlwind of emotions. We begin the week full of joy and celebration and by the end of the week we are plunged into despair when Jesus is killed. When we lose someone we love we can feel as though we are wandering in darkness. The world seems to change around us. While people are still moving forward, something is different for us. Something feels empty and incomplete.

But as Christians, we grieve differently. We grieve with hope.

The darkness isn't the end.

If you or someone you know might be in that darkness right now or want to learn more about grieving with hope, join me for one of the following opportunities:

• I’ll be preaching at the Good Friday worship service, Friday April 14th at 7:30 pm at Sandy Springs UMC

• An 8-week therapy group for those that are experiencing grief and the loss of a loved one will begin on Tuesday, April 25th from 6:30 – 8:00 pm. Sign-up to explore with others the clinical perspectives as well as the theological understanding of grief

• If you would like to journey individually with someone through your grief and loss (be it a death or loss of something else in your life), feel free to reach out and schedule an individual appointment.

As you grieve, know that there isn’t a perfect way to handle grief and that whatever way you express your sadness, you are not alone. Join others as we grieve with hope this season.