<p>As pastors, our parishioners look to us as experts on God, as if we know intimately the character and will of the Eternal. We have read great theologians and argued finer points of salvation. We use fancy words to talk about our beliefs. We exegete the Bible, reading it in Greek and Hebrew. We stand before them in worship, preaching as if we have the answers and praying as if we are confidants with the Creator of the universe. But God is not known in textbooks and just because we act like we know God doesn’t mean we really do. Pious prayers and learned dogma must be tested in the struggles and fears of each new experience, in the hurts and healing of relationships, and in the sadness and joy of each day. Pastors are on the same journey as parishioners, a journey to discover meaning and hope in a mixed up and puzzling world. Parishioners often give us a unique and sacred privilege by inviting us to accompany them on their journeys. They look to us not for counsel to solve problems but to walk alongside, helping them to see and taste the presence, mercy and comfort of God unfolding in their lives. The search for God heightens as we see our lives and the lives of our loved ones draw to a close. This book comprises stories of journeys I was privileged to undertake with my parishioners as they travelled through doubt and belief, fear and faith, humor and laughter on the way to the grave. Confronting aging, grieving and dying we searched together for God’s Spirit and God’s voice. The stories, of course, are not just about grieving and dying, for in encountering death we learn best how to live.</p>

Looking for Life on the Way to the Grave: Pastoral Journeys amidst the Dying and Grieving

Neal R. Sadler

Sigel Press

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Books by Neal R. Sadler

See the best price to sell, buy, or rent books by Neal R. Sadler. BookScouter helps to compare book prices from 25+ online bookstores and 30+ buyback vendors with a single search.

Looking for Life on the Way to the Grave: Pastoral Journeys amidst the Dying and Grieving