1. How to Bring Hope to the Hurting
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.”

9. 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.”

10. 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.”

11. 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

12. 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?

13. 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?

14. 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?

15. 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?”

16. 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

17. “It’s Supernatural to Hope in the Midst of Grief.”
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

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

19. 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.

20. 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

21. 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!

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

23. 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.

24. 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

25. 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.

26. Stage Three: Cry 3. Cry Biblically Supported Psalm 56:8 Psalm 72:12-14
1 Samuel 30:4-6

27. 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

28. 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.

29. 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

30. Healing Sufferology Healing: 2 Corinthians 1:9-10
“Celebrating the Resurrection”
Sustaining: “Life Is Bad.” Smaller, Earthly Story.
Healing: “God Is Good.” Larger, Heavenly Story.

31. Stage Five: Waiting Regrouping Described: Immediate Gratification
2. Waiting Defined
Waiting is trusting God’s future provision without working to provide for myself.
Waiting is refusing to take over while refusing to give up.
Hope waits. Hope is the refusal to demand heaven now.

32. 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

33. Stage Six: Wailing 1. Deadening Described: “Don’t Get My Hopes Up!”
2. Wailing Defined
Wailing is longing for heaven and living passionately for God and others while still on earth.
Philippians 1:23-25
Wailing is grieving the “Not yet.”
Aching for Paradise while pulling up weeds East of Eden.

34. 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

35. 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

36. Stage Seven: Weaving 1. Despairing/Doubting Described
2. Weaving Defined
Weaving is entrusting myself to God’s larger purposes, good plans, and eternal perspective.
Weaving perceives suffering not with rose-colored glasses, but with faith-eyes, with Cross-eyes, with 20/20 spiritual vision.

37. 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

38. Stage Eight: Worshipping
1. Digging Cisterns Described: Jeremiah 2:13
2. Worshipping Defined
Worship is wanting God more than wanting relief.
Worship is finding God even if we don’t find answers.

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

40. Stage Eight: Worshipping
3. Worshipping Biblically Supported
In suffering, God is not getting back at you. He’s getting you back to Him.
“Delicious Despair”
4. Worshipping and Competent Biblical Healing
Trialogues

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

42. Maturing Your Spiritual Friendship Competency
Biblical Diagnosis
Biblical Treatment Planning

43. Maturing Your Spiritual Friendship Competency

44. How to Bring Hope to the Hurting
Biblical Sufferology
How to Bring Hope to the Hurting