Comfort Those Who Mourn
When we think about comforting those who mourn, we typically think about those who have lost someone in death. However, the action of mourning can indicate any number of losses—the loss of a job or the dissolution of a relationship. We also mourn as communities, especially following community, and worldwide events such as war, natural disasters, and mass shootings. In the Bible, we find texts of loss and grief, as well as words of comfort, healing, and presence. Through the resurrection of Jesus, we learn that the power of death cannot overcome the power of life (John 20:1–18). This is our profound belief—nothing will separate us from God’s love—and we share that belief with one another.
In this unit, participants will learn that as we nurture our own ability to comfort others, it is equally important to be in touch with how we grieve ourselves. We all mourn at times and need others to console us and accompany us as we recover. Through the practice of comforting one another, community bonds are strengthened and those who suffer are restored. The four dimensions of the practice that are discussed in this unit include: show up for those who mourn, name loss, and receive God’s comfort, comfort others, and share God’s promises.
Youth Leader's Guide
This leader’s guide is for youth ages 11–18. It contains helpful information for the leader, including information about leading youth, background information about the practice, a note about supplies, and other helpful information for each session. There are symbols for each activity within the session that allow a leader to see at a glance the type of activity and customize each session for their group of youth. Our youth leader guide activity symbols assist the leader in accommodating both concrete- and abstract-thinking youth. Each session includes resource pages that may be copied, printed, or sent out electronically to participants. There are other helpful pieces for youth in the Congregational Guide.
Featured in the Youth Leader’s Guide:
Show Up for Those Who Mourn (Job 2:10b–13)
Name Loss and Receive God’s Comfort (Isaiah 43:1–2)
Comfort Others (Matthew 5:1–4)
Share God’s Promises (Philippians 4:4–7)
Series Description
Follow Me: Biblical Practices for Faithful Living is a twenty-seven-unit curriculum based on practices Jesus did and taught us to do as faithful followers. Written for people of all ages who wish to live out their faith, this new curriculum examines where these practices are found in the Bible and how they have been used in Christian faith then and now.
