about bereavement. Lead a discussion, using some When you have been bereaved, what of these questions to guide you: supports have you received and from where? Have you provided support to How does the presence or absence of others in times of grief? How have you supportive community affect the grief traveled with others through the valley of process? the shadow of death? What is the effect of our emphasis culture’s How can our faith community be helpful on the individual? in supporting those who are bereaved? What is the effect of family health (or dysfunction) when a death in the family Activity 4: Grief in Our Time (30 occurs? minutes) How do work policies regarding bereavement time help or hinder our Post the newsprint with Elizabeth Kübler-Ross’s coping? stages of grief. Introduce a discussion, saying: Are we impatient with grief? Does the Kübler-Ross’s work was very helpful when it of focus common at “celebration life” was published in 1969. Her work pushed Unitarian Universalist memorial services Western culture into a new understanding of short-circuit or deny grief? grief. Contemporary understanding tells us Are we willing to acknowledge the anger the stages are not linear. A person may skip that is often part of the grieving process? a stage or two, may repeat a stage or two, How do contemporary trends such as and may get stuck in the process. We know delaying funerals, videotaping funerals, and now that these are not really stages but private rites (or none at all) fit with what we rather recognizable aspects of grieving. know about grief and mourning? Invite participants to reflect on both the In what ways are we urged to use work and the prereading they have done pharmaceuticals to medicate and mediate the pain of grief? What other
When you have been bereaved, what supports have you received and from where? Have you provided support to others in times of grief? How have you traveled with others through the valley of the shadow of death? How can our faith community be helpful in supporting those who are bereaved? Activity 4: Grief in Our Time (30 minutes) Post the newsprint with Elizabeth Kübler-Ross’s stages of grief. Introduce a discussion, saying: Kübler-Ross’s work was very helpful when it was published in 1969. Her work pushed Western culture into a new understanding of grief. Contemporary understanding tells us the stages are not linear. A person may skip a stage or two, may repeat a stage or two, and may get stuck in the process. We know now that these are not really stages but rather recognizable aspects of grieving. Invite participants to reflect on both the work and the prereading they have done about bereavement. Lead a discussion, using some of these questions to guide you: How does the presence or absence of supportive community affect the grief process? What is the effect of our culture’s emphasis on the individual? What is the effect of family health (or dysfunction) when a death in the family occurs? How do work policies regarding bereavement time help or hinder our coping? Are we impatient with grief? Does the “celebration of life” focus common at Unitarian Universalist memorial services short-circuit or deny grief? Are we willing to acknowledge the anger that is often part of the grieving process? How do contemporary trends such as delaying funerals, videotaping funerals, and private rites (or none at all) fit with what we know about grief and mourning? In what ways are we urged to use pharmaceuticals to medicate and mediate the pain of grief? What other