dying Archives

Final goodbyes

Posted February 20th, 2022

A palliative care physician and author offers advice on how to say goodbye when the actual moment of death is at hand.

Preparing for the last goodbye

Posted March 10th, 2021

More congregations are learning about ways to prepare for death and dying — spiritually, practically, financially and emotionally.

The Rev. Talitha Amadea Aho decided early in her ministry that she wanted to counter this prevailing denial of death in American culture. Inspired by the work of hospice organizations, she was determined to host a congregational conversation on death and dying. When a friend introduced her to the resources of the Death Café movement, she knew she had the perfect way to “take away the sting” of gazing into the abyss.

The Death Café phenomenon

Posted March 16th, 2018

‘In life and in death we belong to God.’ So begins A Brief Statement of Faith of the Presbyterian Church (U.S.A.). Yet many Presbyterians struggle to claim this foundational article of faith. The predominant American culture keeps the reality of mortality hidden from public view, even within the church.

Dennis Hughes reflects on love, loss and all the saints

Posted March 16th, 2017

Dennis Hughes has always known that in life—and in death—he belongs to God. But in 73 years of living, he has known the latter all too well.