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grief

Hallmark holidays can hurt

The church should be a safe place to validate other life experiences that are different from those in greeting cards.

Final goodbyes

A palliative care physician and author offers advice on how to say goodbye when the actual moment of death is at hand.

A pandemic baby who stares down the naysayers

The Rev. Irene Pak Lee, associate pastor of Stone Church of Willow Glen in San Jose, California, told the churchwide gathering of Presbyterian Women that her 1-year-old daughter, Eden, born during the pandemic, has enjoyed milestones of late, including seeing the inside of her mother’s church for the first time, going to the grocery store and being held by someone other than her parents.

Remembering more than 1,600 Delaware lives lost to COVID-19

A Garden Remembrance Memorial has been installed on the front courtyard of the Presbyterian Church of Dover, 54 S. State St., Dover, Delaware. It’s a temporary tribute, a space for healing, reflection and prayer to honor the lives of more than 1,600 Delawareans lost to COVID-19 from March 2020 to the end of May 2021.

Prayer shawls, chips and chocolate

A congregation makes grief relief kits with prayer shawls, treats and mementos to comfort church members who suffered a loss.

Preparing for the last goodbye

More congregations are learning about ways to prepare for death and dying — spiritually, practically, financially and emotionally.

Poet in the pulpit

As the Rev. Crawford Brubaker began working on what would be his new book, “Alas! A Lament for the United States of America,” he remembers tossing page after page of paper into the garbage.

Finding a new normal during a global pandemic

On the surface, things seemed calm. Professors came and left every two weeks, teaching courses to adult South Sudanese students on various aspects of peacebuilding. The students sang together during morning devotions, laughed while acting out dramas in class, and played boisterous volleyball matches before dinner. The staff enjoyed the liveliness of a campus brimming with activity. Yet underneath, we were all aware of the country’s instability. At any time, a spark might fly, igniting a rapidly spreading flame of violence.

Honoring our feelings of despair during the ‘most wonderful time of the year’

During the holidays, so many of us can suffer for all kinds of reasons. The magnitude of our weary world weighs on our hearts and minds. We wrestle with chronic pain, broken relationships, shattered dreams, fragile faith, and unexpected losses. Our grief and sorrow feel particularly acute when compared to the festivity and joy everyone else seems to be feeling. More and more churches are acknowledging this fact with “Blue Christmas” services (also called “Longest Night” services) and offering resources to give particular support and comfort to those struggling during the “most wonderful time of the year.”