Here are notes from my sermon Sunday. If you are struggling with grief feel free to reach out.
The is part one of a 2 part series on grief.
Message Notes
“The Power of Grief over us” (how grief affects us)
Define grief
deep sorrow, especially that caused by someone’s death. (dictionary.com)
Grief is the anguish experienced after significant loss, usually the death of a beloved person. (American psychological association)
My definition: Our response to loss.
Meaning: we grieve no matter what.
How do we grieve? Ignoring it or living it
Most well known understanding of Grief
In 1969, Elisabeth Kübler-Ross described five common stages of grief, popularly referred to as DABDA. They include:
Denial
Anger
Bargaining
Depression
Acceptance
What we grieve
Loss of loved ones,
jobs,
relationships (deceased or not),
the past.
Physical symptoms of grief
Common physical symptoms of grief
https://www.mariecurie.org.uk/help/support/bereaved-family-friends/dealing-grief/physical-symptoms-grief#common
a hollow feeling in your stomach
tightness, or heaviness, in your chest or throat
oversensitivity to noise
difficulty breathing
feeling very tired and weak
a lack of energy
dry mouth
an increase or decrease in appetite
finding it hard to sleep or fear of sleeping
aches and pains.
The Power of Grief over us (How Grief affects us) (from Scripture)
There are some 20 Hebrew words translated in the King James Version by “grief,” “grieve,” “to be grieved,” etc.
They differ, partly, in their physical origin, and partly, in the nature and cause of the feeling expressed. the Revised Version (British and American) in several instances gives effect to this.
First mention of Grief in Scripture: Genesis 6:6
Genesis 6:6 “And it repented the LORD that he had made man on the earth, and it grieved him at his heart.”
Our hearts break in grief
In the Bible, grief and depression were often associated with the breakdown of the body, and in particular, the eye:
Of all the parts of the body, the eyes are arguably the most expressive of human emotion. Tears flow from our eyes and they can become dead with grief:
Psalm 31:9-10
“Be gracious to me, YHWH , for I am in distress; my eye is wasted away from grief [v-ka’as], my soul and my body too. For my life is spent with sorrow and my years with sighing; my strength has failed because of my guilt, and my body has wasted away.”
Psalm 6:6-10
I am weary with my sighing; every night I make my bed swim, I flood my couch with my tears.
Job 17:1-7
17 6 “God has made me a byword to everyone,
a man in whose face people spit.
7 My eyes have grown dim with grief;
my whole frame is but a shadow.
Job 17:6-8
The Message
6-8 “God, you’ve made me the talk of the town—
people spit in my face;
I can hardly see from crying so much;
I’m nothing but skin and bones.
Decent people can’t believe what they’re seeing;
the good-hearted wake up and insist I’ve given up on God.
Job 17:6-8
Common English Bible
6 He makes me a popular proverb;
I’m like spit in people’s faces.
7 My eye is weak from grief;
my limbs like a shadow—all of them.
Psalm 73
Psalm 73:21-22
(read 21-22, commentary on Psalm 73 and discuss v. 21-22)
21
When my heart was grieved
and my spirit embittered,
22
I was senseless and ignorant;
I was a brute beast before you.
Psalm 73
Begins a new section of psalms (3rd volume,of 5 total)
BOOK III
Psalms 73–89
The title of this psalm (A Psalm of Asaph) tells us that it was written by the great singer and musician of David and Solomon’s era
(1 Chronicles 15:17-19, 16:5-7, 25:6).
1 Chronicles 25:1 and 2 Chronicles 29:30 add that Asaph was a prophet in his musical compositions.
Volume 3 begins with 11 Psalms of Asaph
How has music helped you in your grief?
Psalm 73:21-22
21
“When my heart was grieved
and my spirit embittered,”
Embittered = angry or resentful at having been treated unfairly.
One of the stages of Kubler Ross grief is anger. (anger at God, ourselves, the one we lost).
“22
I was senseless and ignorant;
I was a brute beast before you.”
Not ourselves
Resources on Grief
CS Lewis Book – A Grief Observed
Observations on grief on his dying wife.
Conclusion:
Grief has power over us, but we have too have power over grief.
Amen!
Nspire4Today 