A Season of Grief and Healing, Part 2: Grief

By Kam Cook

Stephen Ministry Coordinator

Then they remembered the days of old, of Moses his servant. Where is the one who brought them up out of the sea with the shepherds of his flock? Where is the one who put within them his holy spirit… (Isaiah 63:11).

Culturally, we don’t know how to grieve. Grief is about figuring out how to go on living with the pain of loss; grief is experiencing the natural and spontaneous feelings that come with loss. Feelings come from the heart, not the head. Our ability to experience feelings is a gift from God. God wants us to recognize, acknowledge, and understand them. Jesus owned and expressed his feelings, and God invites us to do same. Although we can’t control our feelings, we are responsible for deciding what we do with them. How we express our grief is not important; what is important is that we allow ourselves to feel it.

Grieving is necessary for HHBC to heal, but it will take time and space to move through the pain of our losses. Opening ourselves to our grief and allowing ourselves to be vulnerable is how we heal…how we nurture each other…how we know we are not alone. Our congregation needs to acknowledge and articulate the pain of losing the church as we have known it; we need to open ourselves to the exquisite pain of the absence of our beloved staff. When we understand and express our feelings, it benefits everyone in our congregation: we become more authentic; we encourage others to understand and express their own feelings; we build deeper, stronger relationships; we help lay the foundation for community with others who have revealed their own vulnerabilities. Grieving gives us the opportunity to know and love each other better, to serve and help each other more. It is also an opportunity for spiritual growth, both individually and as a congregation. Grief teaches us we can survive and eventually thrive.

Everyone experiences painful feelings at times. Left unexpressed, these feelings can create problems. Our Stephen Ministers are trained to help guide you through your pain. For more information on how Stephen Ministry can provide you with confidential one-to-one lay pastoral care, contact Referrals Coordinator Peggy Williams at (478) 719-3340 orpjwms12@gmail.com.

Recognizing that God is the ultimate Cure Giver, the Mission of the Highland Hills Baptist Church Stephen Ministry is to serve God and bring Christ’s healing love to individuals who are experiencing life’s challenges through confidential, non-judgmental, one-on-one Christian care.