Shepherding in the Valley of the Shadow of Death

“In the world you will have trouble…” (John 16:33). This is not one of Jesus’ promises we like to focus on. Yet, until our Lord returns, death, loss, and grief are inevitable marks of the fall. Everyone in your church (including you) will bury a spouse or a parent or a child or a sibling. Many will endure more than one of these losses. How can we prepare our congregations for walking the long road of grief and loss with one another? And how do pastors walk that pat