One of the hardest parts of professional pastoring is ministering to families in times of loss. It is hard because our natural inclination when folks are hurting is to try to fix it. We want to make the sorrow stop, but it’s impossible. You can’t make it so folks don’t weep and hurt at the death of a family member or friend. Nor should you make it stop. Hurt is a part of life and mourning is a healthy natural thing that has to happen. As a Christian, we often turn to Paul’s words in 1 Thessalonians 4. In that letter, he reminds the church that they believe in heaven, where God resurrects all b...
