When Good News is Harder to Find: Preaching in the Wake of Trauma

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Whether due to gun violence, natural disasters, or the impact of public health crises, mass trauma impacts almost every community in the United States. It is not a matter of if communities and the preachers that serve them will face incidents of mass or communal trauma, but when. Though language often fails us in the midst of trauma, preachers and religious leaders are nevertheless called upon to “offer a Word” to a hurting community.

In this workshop, we will consider together both the individual and communal impacts of trauma. Understanding the nature of trauma, we will then turn to think about how our preaching might faithfully and helpfully respond to such experiences, both in preaching content and sermon form. Finally, we will consider wisdom from our biblical ancestors that might help us to navigate these challenging days and offer preachers and community…