God of All Comfort

Episode 12 – Grief: God of All Comfort             Intro – grief patch story from: https://heidigoehmann.com/blog/loss-and-grief-grief-without-shame    2 Corinthians 1:3-5 (ESV)   Psalm 10:14 (NIV)   God is thoughtful about our grief and holds our grief with us. So we are: thoughtful about grief for one another, and we help one another hold the grief and the weight of that grief   Psalm 34:17-18 (NIV)   God of All Comfort = God of all losses Exercise: write down all the losses that you've encountered personally, or those you see around them, then write the word All or God or Jesus or a favorite Bible verse over it We have both – honor the losses and embrace the comfort   God isn't far off – He is big, but also personal Isaiah 53:3-4     Jesus encountered his own grief and entered into other people's grief Jesus took on the judgment of grief as well   Biblical narratives of loss: Mary, Martha, Lazarus – loss of loved one, the experience of illness Mary and John and the crucifixion – comfort in one another, finding a community to morn with Joseph – loss of family, loss of freedom, loss of dreams, loss of promises, restoration David – loss of men in battle, loss of an infant, loss of a son to betrayal Solomon – Ecclesiastes, loss of time and opportunity, sense of hopelessness but comfort Ruth and Naomi – widowhood, loss of livelihood, loss through moving   What loss narratives have given you comfort in Scripture?   Luke 7:11-17  (NIV)