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Biblical Sufferology How to Bring Hope to the Hurting

Biblical Sufferology How to Bring Hope to the Hurting. Our Goal.

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Biblical Sufferology How to Bring Hope to the Hurting

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  1. Biblical Sufferology How to Bring Hope to the Hurting

  2. Our Goal • Students of human grief have developed various models that track typical grief responses. However, these models fail to assess whether the responses correspond to God’s process for hurting and hoping. Biblical sufferology identifies eight scriptural stages in our response to life’s losses. Our biblical theology of suffering equips helpers to competently sustain and heal sufferers so that they can face suffering face-to-face with God.

  3. Our Objectives • We want to encourage people to find God in the midst of their suffering. • When tragedy occurs, our faith is tried (James 1:2-4; 1 Peter 1:6-7).

  4. Encouraging people to see Christ amidst the rubble of their lives. • Empowering people to find Christ in crisis.

  5. The Big Picture: Creative Suffering • “There is no human experience which cannot be put on the anvil of a lively relationship with God, and battered into a meaningful shape.”

  6. “I have been determined in captivity, and still am determined, to convert this experience into something that will be useful and good for other people. I think that’s the way to approach suffering. . . .

  7. “. . . . It seems to me that Christianity doesn’t in any way lessen suffering. What it does is enable you to take it, to face it, to work through it and eventually convert it.”

  8. Biblical Sufferology: Toward a Theology of Suffering A. Why We Need a Biblical Sufferology 1. The Bible Has One and We Don’t! • “The maladies of the human spirit in its deprivation and in its depravity are matters of common pastoral concern.”

  9. Biblical Sufferology: Toward a Theology of Suffering A. Why We Need a Biblical Sufferology • Depravity: The Sins We Have Committed • Deprivation: The Evils We Have Suffered • “Pastoral care is defective unless it can deal thoroughly both with the sins we have committed and with the evils we have suffered.”

  10. Biblical Sufferology: Toward a Theology of Suffering • Why We Need a Biblical Sufferology 2. The World Has One, But It’s Incomplete and Inaccurate • At Best It Describes What Typically Occurs • It Cannot Prescribe What Should Occur

  11. Biblical Sufferology: Toward a Theology of Suffering B. How We Develop a Biblical Theology of Suffering • What Pattern of Responding to Suffering Do We Find in Scripture? • What Prescriptions Concerning How to Respond to Suffering Do We Find in Scripture?

  12. Biblical Sufferology: Toward a Theology of Suffering B. How We Develop a Biblical Theology of Suffering • What Procedures for Helping Others to Progress through Suffering Do We Distill from Scripture? • What Patterns, Prescriptions, and Procedures Have Our Predecessors and Colleagues Discovered in Their Study of Scripture?

  13. Biblical Sufferology: Toward a Theology of Suffering B. How We Develop a Biblical Theology of Suffering 5. Are These Patterns, Prescriptions, and Procedures Practical in the Real World? 6. How Do These Patterns, Prescriptions, and Procedures Contrast with Research?

  14. A Sample Research Model • Denial: “No, not me.” • Anger: “Why me?” • Bargaining: “I’ll be a good me. Be good to me.” • Depression: “Yes me. I’m sad. I feel hopeless.” • Acceptance: “What’s next for me?”

  15. Biblical Sufferology Sustaining in Suffering “It’s Natural to Hurt and Necessary to Grieve.” Stage Typical Biblical Grief Response Stage 1: Denial Candor: Honest with Self Stage 2: Anger Complaint: Honest to God Stage 3: Bargaining Cry: Asking God for Help Stage 4: Depression Comfort: Receiving God’s Help

  16. Biblical Sufferology Healing in Suffering “It’s Supernatural to Hope in the Midst of Grief.” Stage Typical Biblical Acceptance Response Stage 5: Regrouping Waiting: Trusting with Faith Stage 6: Deadening Wailing: Groaning with Hope Stage 7: Doubting Weaving: Perceiving with Grace Stage 8: Digging Worshipping: Engaging with Love Cisterns

  17. Sustaining Sufferology • Sustaining: 2 Corinthians 1:8-9 • “Climbing in the Casket” “Shared sorrow is endurable sorrow.”

  18. Stage One: Candor 1. Denial Described: Shock. “You’re kidding.” 2. Candor Defined • Candor is courageous truth telling about life to myself in which I come face-to-face with the reality of external and internal suffering.

  19. Stage One: Candor 2. Candor Defined • Level One External Suffering: What Happens To Us and Around Us—Life’s Losses • The World Is Fallen and It Often Falls on Us • Level Two Internal Suffering: What Happens In Us—Life’s Crosses • The World Is a Mess and It Messes with Our Minds

  20. Stage One: Candor 3. Candor Biblically Supported • Psalm 42:3-5 • Job, Jeremiah, Solomon, Asaph, Heman, Jesus, Paul • 1 Thessalonians 4:13 (Rom. 9:2; Phil. 2:27) • No Grieving; No Healing. Know Grieving; Know Healing. • Candor Is Our Decision to Step on the Mats!

  21. Stage One: Candor 4. Candor and Competent Biblical Sustaining • Trialogues: A Third Party Joins Our Conversation—God • Sample Candor Trialogues

  22. Stage Two: Complaint 1. Anger Described: Cursing that Pushes Away 2. Complaint Defined • Complaint is vulnerable frankness about life to God in which I express my pain and confusion over how a good God allows evil and suffering.

  23. Stage Two: Complaint 3. Complaint Biblically Supported • Psalm 62:8 • Job 3:23-25 • Jeremiah 20:7 • Lamentations 5:20 • Psalm 88:18 • To diminish suffering is to refuse to need God! 4. Complaint and Competent Biblical Sustaining • Trialogues

  24. Stage Three: Cry 1. Bargaining/Works Described: Self-Sufficiency 2. Cry Defined • Cry is a faith-based plea for mobilization in which I humbly ask God for help based upon my admission that I can’t survive without Him.

  25. Stage Three: Cry 3. Cry Biblically Supported • Psalm 56:8 • Psalm 72:12-14 • Psalm 34:17-18 • 1 Samuel 30:4-6

  26. Stage Three: Cry 3. Cry Biblically Supported • Crying empties us so there is more room in us for God. • Suffering Is God’s “Opus Alienum” 4. Cry and Competent Biblical Sustaining • Trialogues

  27. Stage Four: Comfort 1. Depression/Alienation Described 2. Comfort Defined • History • Co-Fortitude • Comfort /communion experiences the presence of God in the presence of suffering—a presence that empowers me to survive scars and plants the seeds of hope that I may yet thrive.

  28. Stage Four: Comfort 3. Comfort Biblically Supported • Genesis 32-33 • Psalm 73:21-28 • Isaiah 63:9 • 2 Corinthians 12:9 4. Comfort and Competent Biblical Sustaining • Trialogues

  29. Healing Sufferology • Healing: 2 Corinthians 1:9-10 • “CelebratingtheResurrection” • Sustaining: “Life Is Bad.” Smaller,EarthlyStory. • Healing: “God Is Good.” Larger,HeavenlyStory.

  30. Stage Five: Waiting • Regrouping Described: Immediate Gratification 2.Waiting Defined • Waiting istrusting God’sfutureprovision without working toprovidefor myself. • Waiting is refusing to takeoverwhile refusing to giveup. • Hopewaits. Hope is the refusal to demand heavennow.

  31. Stage Five: Waiting 3. Waiting Biblically Supported • OT Prophets: Better Day Is Coming…Later • Romans 5; James 1; 1 Peter 1-2; Hebrews 11 • Hebrews 12:16 and Esau • Hebrews 11:24-26 and Moses • Romans 8:18-19 4.Waiting and Competent Biblical Healing • Trialogues

  32. Stage Six: Wailing 1. Deadening Described: “Don’t Get My Hopes Up!” 2.Wailing Defined • Wailing is longingfor heaven and livingpassionatelyfor God and others while still on earth. • Philippians 1:23-25 • Wailing is grieving the “Not yet.” • Aching forParadisewhile pulling upweedsEast of Eden.

  33. Stage Six: Wailing 3. Wailing Biblically Supported • Romans 8:18-25 • Frustration: Vanity • Eager Waiting: Desperate Desire • Pregnant Labor for a Lifetime! • Pregnant with Hope

  34. Stage Six: Wailing 3. Wailing Biblically Supported • Romans 8:28-39—Nikao/Nike/Victorious! • Long passionately for heaven. Live passionately on earth. 4. Wailing and Competent Biblical Healing • Trialogues

  35. Stage Seven: Weaving 1. Despairing/Doubting Described 2. Weaving Defined • Weaving isentrustingmyself to God’s largerpurposes, goodplans, and eternalperspective. • Weaving perceives suffering not with rose-colored glasses, but with faith-eyes, with Cross-eyes, with 20/20 spiritual vision.

  36. Stage Seven: Weaving 3. Weaving Biblically Supported • John 14; Romans 8; Ephesians 3; Colossians 3; Hebrews 11; Revelation 19-22 • Genesis 50:20 • Genesis 45:5-8 4. Weaving and Competent Biblical Healing • Trialogues

  37. Stage Eight: Worshipping 1. Digging Cisterns Described: Jeremiah 2:13 2. Worshipping Defined • Worship is wantingGodmore than wantingrelief. • Worship is findingGodeven if we don’t findanswers.

  38. Stage Eight: Worshipping 3. Worshipping Biblically Supported • Psalm 73:25 • Psalm 42:1-2 • 1 Peter 1:8 • Philippians 3:8, 10

  39. Stage Eight: Worshipping 3. Worshipping Biblically Supported • In suffering, God is not gettingbackat you. He’s getting youbackto Him. • “Delicious Despair” 4. Worshipping and Competent Biblical Healing • Trialogues

  40. The Big Question:Destructive Suffering or Creative Suffering? • Destructive Suffering: Coram Anthropos • Creative Suffering: Coram Deo

  41. Maturing Your Spiritual Friendship Competency • Biblical Diagnosis • Biblical Treatment Planning

  42. Maturing Your Spiritual Friendship Competency

  43. Biblical Sufferology How to Bring Hope to the Hurting

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