Death comes as an uninvited interruption.
The disruption forces individuals to abandon regular routines so they can deal with urgent concerns, such as caring for a dead body, planning a funeral, and beginning the journey through grief.
In days clouded by sorrow, pastors embody the Good Shepherd who walks through the valley with those who mourn.
Presence: A Pastor's Guide to Funerals begins with a story about Pastor Jamie who recently graduated from seminary.
In just the second week as a pastor, Jamie recognizes the nuances of ministry not evident in a classroom as he steps alongside a family mourning the death of its matriarch.
This fictional account sets the context for the remainder of the book.
Presence intentionally begins with biblical theologies of death, dying, and the funeral service.
Those theological tenets are then applied to the practice of bereavement ministry.
By considering the ways that God is made manifest in seasons of sadness, pastors discover guidance for the incarnational ministry of presence.
The book concludes with a discussion of formative practices that aid in the development of the being and doing of pastoral ministry when people grieve.
With the ministry of presence, the pastor as a person provides deep comfort when words may seem shallow.
Presence: A Pastor's Guide to Funerals explores bereavement ministry by helping pastors apply their theological convictions to particular situations.
Lifelong ministry practitioners will appreciate the reminder of the theological foundation that undergirds ministry actions.
New pastors will find value in the quick start hints found in the practical applications.
Presence provides numerous examples of the significant role played by pastors through which God comforts those walking in the shadows of death.
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Storian Press Presence, paperback/jonathan k. twitchell
