Denise Wright- Northern Region
Denise shares a bit about the Grief Care Ministry at
A recent gathering of GriefShare
incorporated some Visual Prayer
in a gathering.
Most of the people who come for GriefShare
are from the community.
They are not all unchurched,
but a good number of them are in that category.
I always feel like GriefShare time
is really “church!”
The gospel message is shared, every time.
We share questions, thoughts, feelings,
laughter and many tears.
We go through many boxes of tissues!
Sometimes there is really confession
and the letting go of regrets
and wrongs of the past.
Sometimes this is where
we wrestle hard with forgiveness
and come to a better understanding
of what Jesus has done for us.
We struggle with where God
is in the midst of the suffering.
Sometimes people arrive very early,
hungry for the opportunity to share
and be heard and accepted.
Most times people stay for a
long time after the gathering.
It is time to enjoy the fellowship
with people "who get it".
New friends are made.
Hope is shared – always!
We share food and drink.
Jesus is always always there.
It is a time of communion in His presence.
The Visual Prayer process was well received
and it will be a part of how we design
our time together in the future
as learn and grow in the grieving journey.
St. John's Lutheran Church in York, PA.:
A recent gathering of GriefShare
incorporated some Visual Prayer
in a gathering.
Most of the people who come for GriefShare
are from the community.
They are not all unchurched,
but a good number of them are in that category.
I always feel like GriefShare time
is really “church!”
We share questions, thoughts, feelings,
laughter and many tears.
We go through many boxes of tissues!
Sometimes there is really confession
and the letting go of regrets
and wrongs of the past.
we wrestle hard with forgiveness
and come to a better understanding
of what Jesus has done for us.
We struggle with where God
is in the midst of the suffering.
Sometimes people arrive very early,
hungry for the opportunity to share
and be heard and accepted.
long time after the gathering.
It is time to enjoy the fellowship
with people "who get it".
New friends are made.
Hope is shared – always!
We share food and drink.
Jesus is always always there.
It is a time of communion in His presence.
The Visual Prayer process was well received
and it will be a part of how we design
our time together in the future
as learn and grow in the grieving journey.
Denise became the Director of Spiritual Growth
for St. John Lutheran Church in August 2005.
Denise was born and raised in Hamlin, NY,
a small town on the shores of Lake Ontario.
Denise attended Concordia College in Bronxville, NY,
and then taught for 26 years., from preschool to Middle School.
Denise is a experienced retreat writer and leader.
A life passion is the care and spiritual nurture of others.
A favorite Bible verse is: Colossians 3:17,
"And whatever you do, whether in word or deed,
do it all in the name of the Lord Jesus,
giving thanks to God the Father through Him."
We welcome Denise as a contributing writer
for the Journeys of Faith blog.
This is wonderful! Thank you for sharing!
ReplyDelete