Tim Thompson invites you to journey with him in exploring a dimension of ministry that has been sparsely addressed in main stream scholarship. Following inumerable experiences in dealing with traumatic situations as a local pastor, a clinical chaplain and a military chaplain, Reverend Thompson has aquired hard learned lessons along the way. Some readers are currently serving as pastors and have experienced traumatic situations themselves. Others, however, may not have dealt with such situations, but know someone who has had to deal with traumas as a pastor or a chaplain. Envision yourslef as a pastor of a local church, say a mid-size congregation in a semi-rural context. The sun rises, announcing the dawn of another day. It feels like just another day until it is rudely interrupted by the news that a member of your church has died tragically. As the pastor, you join with a grieving family, reeling from shock and confusion to organize the funeral. The funeral is well attended. You have planned and executed a memorial service in which the deceased is honored and the family is nutured. A few days later, you contemplate what to say on the Sunday after the funeral. Anticipating a congregation dealing with a wide range of of emotions from saddness to confusion to anger, you prepare for an unprecedented challenge. As you pour over scripture, seeking God for His divine intervention in that moment, perplexing questions course through your thoughts."What do I say?" Where do I start?" Should I address this event at all or should I face it head on?" These are only few questions with many more racing through your mind. Reverend Thompson has engaged in intense literary research and enlisted the experiences from other pastors to assist you for when these dreaded events occur.
