Understanding Death

Today
How do we
die?
Where do we die?
Historically speaking…

TAMED DEATH – EARLY CHRISTIANITY

• Usually forewarned
• Prepared for death through
public ritual
• Lie down and face east
• Expressing sorrow
• Being pardoned
• Turn toward God
• Death was familiar and near
Philip Ariés, Western Attitudes toward Death
Historically speaking…

TAMED DEATH – EARLY CHRISTIANITY FORBIDDEN DEATH IN MODERNITY

• Usually forewarned • From home to hospital
• Prepared for death through • From family to professional care
public ritual • From ritual to technology
• Lying down
• Expressing sorrow
• Being pardoned
• Turning toward God
• Death was familiar and near
 Views of death
Death is inevitable
There is a time for birth,
a time for dying…”
Ecclesiastes 3:2,4
“Death twitches my ear.
‘Live,’ he says, ‘I am coming.’“
Virgil
Death is to be avoided
“Cost is a symptom of a deeper
problem. We have an ‘infinite
progress’ model. Nothing is ever
good enough. The standard of
care is raised higher and higher
but death always wins.”
Daniel Callahan
 Views of death
Death is natural Death is unnatural
“Do not fear death, but welcome it, since it too
comes from nature. For just as we are young and
grow old, and flourish and reach maturity, have
teeth and a beard and grey hairs, conceive,
become pregnant, and bring forth new life, and
all the other natural processes that follow the
seasons of our existence, so also do we have
death. A thoughtful person will never take death
lightly, impatiently, or scornfully, but will wait for
it as one of life's natural processes.”
Marcus Aurelius
 Views of death
Death is a kind of sleep Death is a punishment
“But we do not want you to be uninformed,
brethren, about those who are asleep, so for sin
that you will not grieve as do the rest who
have no hope. For if we believe that Jesus
died and rose again, even so God will bring “For the wages of sin is death,
with Him those who have fallen asleep in
Jesus. For this we say to you by the word of but the free gift of God is eternal
the Lord, that we who are alive and remain life in Christ Jesus our Lord.”
until the coming of the Lord, will not
precede those who have fallen asleep.” Rm 6:23
1 Thess 4:13-18:
 Views of death
Death is a process and a Death is the enemy
journey
“The last enemy to be destroyed is
“I am not going to die. I'm going home death.”
like a shooting star.”
Sojourner Truth
1 Cor 15:26

“The grave is the first stage of the

journey into eternity.”
Muhammad
 Views of death
Death is a friend
“It’s very simple. If you have fear and
anxiety and you talk to a friend, then
those fears and anxieties are minimized
and could even disappear. If you see
them as an enemy, then you go into a
state of denial and try to get as far as
possible from them. People of faith who
believe that death is the transition from
this life to life eternal, should see it as a
friend.”
Henri Nouwen to Cardinal Bernardin
Death is to be feared
“The fear of death never left me; I
couldn't get used to the thought; I
would still sometimes shake and weep
with terror. By contrast, the fact of
existence here and now sometimes took
on a glorious splendour.”
Simone de Beauvoir,
Memoirs of a Dutiful Daughter
 Views of death
Death is the gateway to Death is a failure
new life
“For a cardiac surgeon, death is traditionally
seen as failure.
We view our job as trying to preserve life at
Jesus said to her, all costs.”
“I am the resurrection and the life. Dr. Tony Cosgrove
Those who believe in me, even
though they die, will live… “Narratives of restitution”
John 11:25 Arthur Frank
What experiences of death are part of your
stories?
+ To be -
Inevitable
avoided
Natural Unnatural
Punishment
Sleep
for sin
Process and
Enemy
journey
Friend To be feared
Gateway to
Failure
new life
 What saves us?

MEDICAL GLORY
• Prolonged life through the cure
of many diseases

• Terminal illnesses become

chronic and last longer

• Inability to cease treatment and

seek a cure
 "He's got to take every step possible. It's tough,
but, you know, why give up? What's that going to
do?"
--Deborah Alberti

Facing Death "I just hope that I make the right choice. I don't
know. I really don't know." --Julia Romero

"Is my brother dying? I think I need a straight

answer." --Phyllis Hunte
 "We don't know exactly how long she is actually
going to survive. Are we betting on how many
days, how many months, how many weeks?"
--Sherley Laureville

Facing Death "I think this week has changed me, I really
believed that he was going to get stronger. ... So I
think now I'm scared." --Debbie Moloney
 What saves us?

MEDICAL GLORY THE CROSS OF JESUS

• Prolonged life through the cure • Abundant life through quality of
of many diseases relationship

• Terminal illnesses become • Acceptance of suffering and pain

chronic and last longer as part of life

• Inability to cease treatment and

seek a cure • Faces the inevitability of death
 Language of lament

Being in exile, broken, under trial

How do we Crying out our whole story

help people
approach Expressing painful emotions

their death? Gathering it up into prayer

Where does the minister stand in the prayer of

lament?
 Reframes our experience and
identity
Reframes the story of our faith
How lament
heals Reframes the community

Reframes who God is

“hope beyond Praise and hope…
healing” the other side of lament