Dr. Bryan Chapell has put together a wonderful collection of essays from well known established Pastors who often are called upon to preach the tough sermons at funerals that have devastated a family, a church or a community. How do we as faithful Pastors respond in such times of crisis? How do we write and preach sermons that will be tools in the Redeemer's Hands to bring comfort and care, show empathy and compassion, and yet preach the Gospel in all situations?
The books is broken down into five sections, they are;
Part One: Preaching in Response to Tragedy
Part Two: Preaching after the loss of a child
Part Three: Preaching funerals with Especially Difficult Causes or Circumstances
Part Four: Preaching funerals for Public figures
Part Five: Preaching after Suicide
Then there are three Appendixes to help the pastor deal with putting together these sermons and helping families to cope with the stresses they are facing.
Within the Five Categories listed above there are twenty-five chapters written by people such as John Piper, Bryan Chapell, Tim Keller, Michael Horton and others. The combined wisdom of these men and the years they have spent in preparing and teaching these difficult sermons gives them a unique perspective and they provide us with guidance that is difficult to find almost anywhere.
If you Shepherd a Flock of any type you will eventually be faced with a difficult crisis. I'm convinced that this will be the first reference book that you will reach for when you sit down to start writing that sermon that you desire to bring hope and healing to your congregation.
I want to thank Dr. Chapell for putting this together and believe he has given a very valuable gift to the Body of Christ.
Enjoy!
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