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When Grief Descends: Suffering, Consolation, And The Book Of Job
When Grief Descends is recommended for anyone seeking to learn about loss and grief. Through an authentic and well-researched narration, Anne Mackie Morelli unveils a unique interpretation of the Book of Job, an under-appreciated and, at times, misunderstood book of the Bible. Anne shares her faith, theological and counseling background, with a vulnerable sharing of her own journey of suffering.The reader is invited to sit alongside Anne, Job, and the "miserable comforters" on the ash heap outside the city gates, witness their conversations with God and with each other, and learn how to,· Navigate loss and process grief,· Become a more consoling comforter,· Acquire the communication skills and practical strategies essential in consolation, and· Build an understanding of suffering through the lens of the Christian faith.
245 pages, Paperback
Published May 22, 2020
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Displaying 1 - 11 of 11 reviews
June 23, 2020
The Book of Job; that little book tucked away in the Old Testament that we either avoid or gloss over during our Bible devotionals. We generally dismiss it as “outdated” or “not relevant” to today’s society. In her book, When Grief Descends: Suffering, Consolation, and The Book of Job, Anne Mackie Morelli blows those theories right out of the water. By allowing us to witness not only the suffering of Job, but her own deeply personal seasons of loss and grief, Anne leads us down the path to a better understanding of loss and the grieving process. Her book is not only a Divine-inspired interpretation of the Book of Job, but also a textbook of the grieving process designed to offer comfort to those who are grieving, and those who desire to become “consoling comforters” to those who are suffering. Throughout the book, Anne Mackie Morelli shares “timeless and cross-cultural truths” about grief and suffering and shows us how this universal condition has not changed in the centuries since Job.
When Grief Descends: Suffering, Consolation, and The Book of Job, is a practical and useful guide for understanding and dealing with the day-to-day realities of grief and suffering. Each chapter ends with an opportunity to reflect on the information given as well as apply that information to one’s own situation. Utilizing her vast knowledge and experience in the counselling and education fields, Anne Mackie Morelli has included a wealth of guidelines, resources and practical applications for anyone dealing with their own grief or that of others in the community. In addition to providing insight to individuals, the book is written in such a way to be very useful as a study guide for groups, such as church training and grief support groups.
When Grief Descends: Suffering, Consolation, and The Book of Job is uplifting and inspiring, and provides much needed light for the dark seasons of our lives.
Shirlyn Evans
When Grief Descends: Suffering, Consolation, and The Book of Job, is a practical and useful guide for understanding and dealing with the day-to-day realities of grief and suffering. Each chapter ends with an opportunity to reflect on the information given as well as apply that information to one’s own situation. Utilizing her vast knowledge and experience in the counselling and education fields, Anne Mackie Morelli has included a wealth of guidelines, resources and practical applications for anyone dealing with their own grief or that of others in the community. In addition to providing insight to individuals, the book is written in such a way to be very useful as a study guide for groups, such as church training and grief support groups.
When Grief Descends: Suffering, Consolation, and The Book of Job is uplifting and inspiring, and provides much needed light for the dark seasons of our lives.
Shirlyn Evans
June 23, 2020
In the biblical character of Job, Anne Morelli encounters a kindred spirit. In Job's companions, she recognizes those who valiantly try to be "consoling comforters" but who suffer from a flawed theology that falters before the hard questions of a lamenting, theologically traumatized Job.
In this beautifully and sensitively written book, we are invited into an intimate and vulnerable journey with Anne and with the character of Job as conversation partners. Counsellors, biblical scholars and thinkers come into a timeless and cross-cultural "speaking and listening," a masterful weaving of theological and counselling and friendship approaches to a time-travelling client-friend Job.
For example, whereas biblical scholars struggle with how to interpret (or re-order!) Job's non-linear expressions of confidence followed by despair, praise and lament, Anne notes that Job's jumble of thoughts and emotion is typical to grief. Therefore,a counselling perspective illuminates and helps solve a theological difficulty.
Having experienced a grief journey myself, I personally found Anne's own story especially inspiring and encouraging. The book is also a thought-provoking and illuminating conversational centrepiece for counselling group therapy and theology study groups.
In this beautifully and sensitively written book, we are invited into an intimate and vulnerable journey with Anne and with the character of Job as conversation partners. Counsellors, biblical scholars and thinkers come into a timeless and cross-cultural "speaking and listening," a masterful weaving of theological and counselling and friendship approaches to a time-travelling client-friend Job.
For example, whereas biblical scholars struggle with how to interpret (or re-order!) Job's non-linear expressions of confidence followed by despair, praise and lament, Anne notes that Job's jumble of thoughts and emotion is typical to grief. Therefore,a counselling perspective illuminates and helps solve a theological difficulty.
Having experienced a grief journey myself, I personally found Anne's own story especially inspiring and encouraging. The book is also a thought-provoking and illuminating conversational centrepiece for counselling group therapy and theology study groups.
June 23, 2020
This text, as prepared by Anne gives a depth of understanding, basic skills for attending to others including communication and active listening that will increase the readers ability to be a consoling comforter. Morelli shares the importance of letting “a sufferer know that we see them and hear them, and really care about what they are trying to communicate”
Anne lives and writes the testimony of her words “God broke into my story” (93), calling, trusting, waiting restoring and transforming. Transforming life and action so that she has now become a consoling comforter. As an instructor of those who will offer comfort to the sorrowing, I look forward to being able to use this volume as required reading for ministry students.
Dr. Gloria J Woodland
ACTS Seminaries
Anne lives and writes the testimony of her words “God broke into my story” (93), calling, trusting, waiting restoring and transforming. Transforming life and action so that she has now become a consoling comforter. As an instructor of those who will offer comfort to the sorrowing, I look forward to being able to use this volume as required reading for ministry students.
Dr. Gloria J Woodland
ACTS Seminaries
June 23, 2020
Join Anne as she authentically shares her own story of grief and suffering while searching and reflecting on the book of Job. She asks is there hope? The answers she presents are a resounding yes! Readers will find both practical and spiritual insights to actively engage in while on their own personal journey towards healing.
June 20, 2020
This book is excellent! If you are a spiritually or Christian based counselor it is a guide book for being a consoling comforter. Christian bible study groups would have a ton to contemplate using the end of chapter exercises!
June 23, 2020
Anne's book is an excellent book for reference and for personal or group study. She brings new insights into the study of Job, his suffering, the consolation he receives and the overriding love and sovereignty of God. She brings to life a confusing and difficult book to understand.
It is touching to read Anne's personal experiences of grief. Through these experiences, her thorough research,and her counselling background, Anne deftly weaves the grieving process through out Job's story.From a skewed theological understanding of suffering, Job's comforters intensify his pain and suffering. Anne includes helpful do's and don'ts of consoling for the reader.
Seeing God's footprints and presence throughout Job's life, it is comforting to know that "God is our refuge and strength, an ever present help in trouble." Ps. 46:1
Sumi Kinoshita
It is touching to read Anne's personal experiences of grief. Through these experiences, her thorough research,and her counselling background, Anne deftly weaves the grieving process through out Job's story.From a skewed theological understanding of suffering, Job's comforters intensify his pain and suffering. Anne includes helpful do's and don'ts of consoling for the reader.
Seeing God's footprints and presence throughout Job's life, it is comforting to know that "God is our refuge and strength, an ever present help in trouble." Ps. 46:1
Sumi Kinoshita
June 24, 2020
No one is immune to loss and grief in this world. Anne Mackie Morelli publishes a unique and captivating book “When Grief Descends”. This Olympian and former medal winner shares with the reader a well-researched and balanced analysis, biblically rooted, inspired by the Book of Job showing that suffering can find meaning including fulfilment in God. Living in a region where suffering, pain, loss, grieving are so common in the day to day reality Anne’s book challenges me to develop a fresh and positive attitude towards suffering as sufferer or if I am in a position of “comforter” how in a more human way I should approach the "sufferer". Thanks Anne for this contribution to the world. I highly recommend this book.
June 25, 2020
I am grateful for such a beautiful and profound exposition on grief and suffering through Anne Mackie Morelli’s lived experience of loss. Her words have invited me to sit in the discomfort with Job, and have guided me to reorient my optics toward the indefeasible love and ordained orderliness of my Heavenly Father. Having been walking on a painstaking journey as a divorcee and single parent for a long season, I found true companionship, comfort, insight and strength in this book. I particularly enjoy taking the time to journal my reflections, guided by the questions at the end of each chapter.
June 24, 2020
If you long to come alongside others who are suffering, but aren't sure how, this book is an excellent place to start. In it, the author shares some of her own deep experiences of loss, offers a careful study of the book of Job, and draws on the expertise of others. This helpful resource is biblically grounded, well-researched, and wise, with plenty of practical examples, plus exercises for readers to try for themselves. I recommend When Grief Descends for both individuals and churches seeking to grow in compassion and caring.
September 14, 2021
I've been thinking quite a bit about how my expectations for a book heavily influence my experience of reading the book. I'm not quite sure how to think about this. On one level it feels unfair to give a book a lower rating simply because it wasn't what I expected. I suspect I will go back and try this book again as the topic is so important. For whatever reason, I just couldn't engage. Perhaps there's just too much grief in this season?
January 1, 2021
Super helpful and resource rich for those grieving and/or wanting to learn to grieve well with others. The Western world does a lot of hard work to avoid these topics, many of us are ill equipped to deal with suffering. Great way to approach the topic with scripture throughout and the story of Job as a model for what to do and what not to do.
Displaying 1 - 11 of 11 reviews