Tuesday, October 9, 2007
Grieving and the ministry.
One of our beloved church ladies died yesterday. I am having a really hard time with it because I was just starting to get to know her. She was a quiet non-anxious presence and who was very involved in our church and in the community of our city. This is a huge blow to our church because she is an officer in a couple of our committees and has supported our church in talents and financial means for over twenty years. Her funeral will be later on this week. I hope I get through it without crying through the service. In seminary I was told that pastors grieve outside of the church setting and seek their comfort through support systems outside their congregations. My job as pastor is to comfort and care for the congregation in their time of loss. This is tough for me because I am still trying to build a support system for myself out here.
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3 comments:
How did the funeral go? I think funerals are crucial for ministers in a new call. It is where you start to build trust with the congregation.
The funeral went wonderfully. It was a lovely ceremony and a true testament to the woman who passed away. I am an associate pastor so I had a small role in the service but I am fortunate that I got to participate. I've heard horror stories about senior pastors not allowing their associates participate in big funerals because they want to be the big cheese at the service.
Glad it went well. Admittedly I forgot your current call was AP when I wrote that, but I still think it is true.
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