Biblical SufferologyHow to Bring Hope to the Hurting

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.

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).

♥ Encouraging people to see Christ amidst the rubble of their lives.

♥ Empowering people to find Christ in crisis.

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.”

♥ “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. . . .

♥ “. . . . 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.”

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.”

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.”

Biblical Sufferology:Toward a Theology of Suffering

A. 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

Biblical Sufferology:Toward a Theology of Suffering

B. How We Develop a Biblical Theology of Suffering

1. What Pattern of Responding to Suffering Do We Find in Scripture?

2. What Prescriptions Concerning How to Respond to Suffering Do We Find in Scripture?

Biblical Sufferology:Toward a Theology of Suffering

B. How We Develop a Biblical Theology of Suffering

3. What Procedures for Helping Others to Progress through Suffering Do We Distill from Scripture?

4. What Patterns, Prescriptions, and Procedures Have Our Predecessors and Colleagues Discovered in Their Study of Scripture?

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?

Biblical Sufferology:Toward a Theology of Suffering

♥ 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?”

A Sample Research Model

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

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 FaithStage 6: Deadening Wailing: Groaning with HopeStage 7: Doubting Weaving: Perceiving with GraceStage 8: Digging Worshipping: Engaging with

Love Cisterns

Biblical Sufferology

♥ Sustaining: 2 Corinthians 1:8-9♥ “Climbing in the Casket”

“Shared sorrow is endurable sorrow.”

Sustaining Sufferology

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.

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

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!

Stage One: Candor

4. Candor and Competent Biblical Sustaining♥ Trialogues: A Third Party Joins Our

Conversation—God ♥ Sample Candor Trialogues

Stage One: Candor

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.

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

Stage Two: Complaint

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.

Stage Three: Cry

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

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

Stage Three: Cry

1. Depression/Alienation Described2. 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.

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

Stage Four: Comfort

♥ Healing: 2 Corinthians 1:9-10♥ “Celebrating the Resurrection”

♥ Sustaining: “Life Is Bad.” Smaller, Earthly Story.♥ Healing: “God Is Good.” Larger, Heavenly Story.

Healing Sufferology

1. 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.

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

Stage Five: Waiting

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.

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

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

Stage Six: Wailing

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.

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

Stage Seven: Weaving

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.

Stage Eight: Worshipping

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

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

Stage Eight: Worshipping

The Big Question:Destructive Suffering or Creative Suffering?

♥ Destructive Suffering: Destructive Suffering: Coram AnthroposCoram Anthropos♥ Creative Suffering: Creative Suffering: Coram DeoCoram Deo

Maturing Your Spiritual Friendship Competency

♥ Biblical DiagnosisBiblical Diagnosis♥ Biblical Treatment PlanningBiblical Treatment Planning

Maturing Your Spiritual Friendship Competency

Biblical SufferologyHow to Bring Hope to the Hurting