Over the years, we have offered a number of classes around the identity, ministry and mission of Jesus of Nazareth and a few on various books of the Bible. We had a class on the sometimes challenging influence of St. Paul on the development of the Early Church and we've offered classes on the nature of the Church.

For this Fall, I've chosen a book which invites us to a deep conversation over loss.

We've all experienced loss and the deep grief which comes from it. For some in our culture, the pain is so pervasive that they seem to be permanently wounded by it. There's even a psychological term for them: "the walking wounded." Others cope somewhat better but live lives of diminished joy and pervasive sadness. Some, who are people of faith, lose their faith and become bitter − angry with God and angry at the world. Some bury their feelings so deep that they don't know what they feel anymore…

Jerry Sittser, in his book A Grace Disguised, tells of that fate - filled night in Idaho when his family car was struck by a drunk driver and three generations − his mother, wife and young daughter − were killed, leaving him to raise three traumatized children as a grieving, single dad. His journey from that chasm of despair back to a place of hope is the subtext of a broader meditation on the losses and sorrow we all suffer and how God's grace can transform us − not in spite of these experiences, but rather through them. He writes: "Sooner or later all people suffer loss, in little doses or big ones, suddenly or over time, privately or in public settings. Loss is as much a part of normal life as birth, for as surely as we are born into this world we suffer loss before we leave it…the experience of loss does not have to be the defining moment of our lives. Instead, the defining moment can be our response to the loss. It is not what happens to us that matters so much as what happens in us."

From the preface, this commendation: "You have made a difference to us and our lives and our terrible loss could be handled. You became a voice to me and my husband…I chased the sun and found no strength until I turned and faced the darkness. Your book brought me to a peak and helped me to be a survivor. You made me see the other side of tragedy. You helped our family deal with loss and learn to go above and beyond our loss." − Pam Hickok, who lost her 19 year old son to suicide.

This will be a different journey for most of us as we read and discuss this short little book, for it may ask us to go somewhat deeper than an academic and objective reflection but rather to places of encounter and healing − at least, that is my hope!

The classes will be held on Sundays from 9:30 - 10:15 a.m. beginning Sunday, October 11th. The books will be available in the bookstore for approximately $17.00 and scholarships are available if needed. Sign up on Sundays on the patio so that we might order sufficient copies of the book.