Ministering to those grieving is a distinct privilege and responsibility. I have to admit that I'm not good at this. For the most part we are always good at the point of loss but after the funeral when the "rubber meets the road" we "drop the ball". The Lord has challenged me in this of late, especially as a dear friend of mine at the church nears the end of his life. The need for the Body to care for those well after the funeral is huge. It is such an amazing time for the Gospel to be embodied in our care for the souls of the family as they grieve. If we are the Gospel-centered community we should be then we must take on this task and serve well those in our Body whose souls are aching.
The weeks that follow should include direct care by the Pastor and the Body. The Pastor should engage his people in the process of care immediately. He should be quite visible in the beginning while bringing along others from the Body and all the while should allow the Body to function as HE so beautifully intends it to.
The goal is soulcare and seeing the Gospel applied. Grieving is needed and should happen. The function of the Body in the midst of it should be an essential part of the process. Lord, may I love and serve well as a shepherd in this and may our Body do the same.
You are correct. I had to sit by the bedside of my mother during her last week of life, my father during his last hours and my sister for the last week of her life, and my sister in law for the last few weeks of her life. I often wondered what happened to everyone after the funeral. Once we say goodbye everyone seems to disappear. You would be doing a great service as a Pastor to be there for the family afterwards. Why is death so hard even though we know they are going to be with God in Heaven.
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