Sermon Tone Analysis

* *

*Grief Counseling** *

*Sermon Series**:*

 

1.

Understanding Grief

 

2.

Overcoming Grief

 

3.

Helping Others      with Grief

 

4.

God and Grief

 

 

 

 

*Understanding Grief*

* *

/Introduction:/

 

(1)  Sadly, grief is a fact of life.

(2)  However, many people fail to understand grief.

(3)  Therefore, we will seek to gain an understanding about grief.

/Discussion/:

 

I.

Definition of Grief:

 

A.

Webster’s defines grief as: “Deep and poignant distress caused by or as if by bereavement” (New Collegiate Dictionary).

B.     Harold Ivan Smith describes it as “a 1001-piece jigsaw puzzle – only there is no picture to guide you.

You have no idea whether this piece of blue is sky, water, or a car.

All you know is someone is impatiently demanding, ‘Come on.

Haven’t you figured it out yet?’” (78).

C.     Please note: Grief may occur over the loss of something as well as someone.

II.

Biblical Examples of Grief:

 

A.

Gen.

26:34-35 – Isaac & Rebekah grieved over Esau’s marriage to women outside the lineage of Abraham.

B.     1 Sam.

1:16 – Hannah grieved over her barren womb.

C.     2 Chron.

6:28-29 – Landowners grieved over their loss of land.

D.     Job 6:2-3 – Job grieved because of the: 1) Loss of children; 2) Loss of livestock; 3) Loss of Servants; and 4) Loss of health.

III.

Stages of Grief (Kubler-Ross):

 

A.

Denial

B.     Anger

C.     Bargaining

D.     Depression

E.      Acceptance

F.      Hope (added by Dr. Mathis)

 

IV.

Facts about Grief (Williams & Williams 30-36):

 

A.

Grief is a natural and healthy consequence that should occur when a loss has happened in a person’s life!

B.     Grief affects a person with their whole being: Emotionally, Physically, Mentally, and Spiritually!

C.     Grief is always an individual matter; You NEVER know how another person feels!

D.     A person’s grief experience will be directly affected by the significance of that loss!

 

/Conclusion:/

 

(1) M. Scott Peck well-said: “Life is difficult” (1).

(2) Nevertheless, an understanding of what is grief can help us as we grieve.

*Overcoming Grief*

 

/Introduction:/

 

(1)    Again, grief is “a whole host of emotions ranging from anxiety to anger to guilt to confusion to relief and more … it reaches into every part of your life, touch your work, you relationship with others, and your image of yourself … you can expect grief to have an affect on you psychologically, socially, and physically” (Rando, How to Go On 25).

(2)    Today, let us look at way of ‘overcoming grief.’

/Discussion:/

 

I.

Some Biblical Responses to Grief:

 

A.

Deut.

34:8 – Israel mourned and wept over Moses’ death for a period of 30 days.

B.   Job 2:11-13 – Job’s friends simply sat with him in complete silence for a period of 7 days.

C.   2 Sam.

12:15-23 – David fasted and wept while his child was sick and stopped upon the child’s death; thus, displaying acceptance and hope.

D.   John 11:35 – Jesus wept.

II.

Elements of Recovering from Grief:

 

A.

The grieving process = 18-24 months

B.   Like the uniqueness of a thumbprint, no two grief experiences (i.e., ‘griefprints’) are identical.

C.   “The essential processes of grief work are, first, the facing of the physical reality with all of its implications; second, the recognition and expression of the emotions that are relevant to the physical event; third, the process of working through the emotions by talking them out in visitations and family events or with trusted counselors, and also by acting out the deep feelings through appropriate rites, rituals, and ceremonials” (Branch & Platt 225).

D.   3 Tasks to Be Accomplished:

1.     Intellectual Recognition and Explanation of the Loss

2.     Emotional Acceptance of the Loss

3.     Assumption of a New Identity

III.

Positive Aspects of Grief (Westberg):

 

A.

We come out of our grief experience at a slightly higher level of maturity than before.

B.   We come out of our grief as deeper persons, because we have been in the depths of despair and know what it is like.

C.   We come out of it stronger, for we have had to learn how to use our spiritual muscles to climb the rugged mountain trails.

D.   We come out of it better able to help others.

We have walked through the valley of the shadow of grief.

We can understand.

/Conclusion:/

 

(1) Note: One never truly ‘gets over’ his~/her loss.

(2) However, one can learn to live with the loss and how to continue on with life in a different capacity.

*Helping Others with Grief*

 

/Introduction:/

 

(1)    Over 2.3 million persons die each year in the U.S.

(2)    Thus, someone you know will be faced with grief.

(3)    What can we do to help those who are grieving?

/Discussion:/

 

I.

What to Avoid:

 

A.

Things not to say:

1.

Time will heal all wounds

2.     Life goes on

3.     No sense dwelling on the past

4.

It was God’s will