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Death theme

“Have you actually understood, and realized, the truth of impermanence? Ask yourself, 'Do I remember at every moment that I am dying, and everyone and everything else is, and so treat all beings at all times with compassion?'” -- Sogyal Rinpoche, The Tibetan Book of Living and Dying

“To live in this world you must be able to do three things: to love what is mortal, to hold it against your bones knowing your own life depends upon it; and, when the time comes to let it go, to let it go."  --Mary Oliver, In Blackwater Woods

Sermon Excerpts

Click here for the story of a life, told by Rev. Kate Tucker on April 24, 2011, about a man touched by the life of a member of our church who had never met.

Click here for excerpts from "The End," a sermon by the Rev. Justin Schroeder on March 27, 2011

On March 20, "Does Tuesday Work for You?," Rev. Schroeder asked us to imagine our death space. What aspect of death is most frightening? What makes you panic? After we project ourselves to the final days of our life -- break through the denial of our own mortality -- use it to push back into life. What do you need to do before that day comes? What conversations do you need to have with loved ones? What peace do you need to make?

Resources recommended by ministers:

  • Talking About Death Won't Kill You, by Virginia Morris
  • Love and Death, by Forrest Church
  • Tuesdays With Morrie, by Mitch Albom

Recommended books in the First Universalist Library

In general, see the 155.9 section for books on death, dying, grief and loss. Here are a few specific titles on display during March 2011, including call numbers if they are refiled on the shelf.

  • After the Darkest Hour: How Suffering Begins the Journey to Wisdom, by Kathleen Brehony -- an illuminating, compassionate guide that reveals the transformative power of suffering. (155.9 Bre)
  • The Mourning Handbook: The Most Comprehensive Resource Offering Practical and Compassionate Advice on Coping With All Aspects of Death and Dying, by Helen Fitzgerald. (155.9 Fit)
  • Midlife Orphan: Facing Life's Changes Now That Your Parents Are Gone, by Jane Brooks -- even self-sufficient adults can feel the pain of "orphanhood" when their parents are suddenly gone. (155.66 Bro)
  • Final Gifts: Understanding the Special Awarenes, Needs and Communications of the Dying, by Maggie Callanan and Patricia Kelley -- a moving book written by two hospice nurses that shares the intimate experiences with patients at the edge of life, offering the gifts of wisdom, faith and love that the dying leave for us. (155.937 Cal)
  • Love & Death: My Journey Through the Valley of the Shadow, by Forrest Church -- the final gift from a notable minister whose terminal cancer enabled him to write about the goal of life being "to live in such a way that our lives will prove worth dying for." (289.10 Chu)
  • The Grieving Child: A Parent's Guide, by Helen Fitzgerald -- practical, compassionate advice for heping a child cope with the death of a parent or other loved one, including helping the child visit the seriously ill or dying, age-appropriate language, decisions about attending a funeral, and handling difficult situations including murder and suicide (155.9 Fit)

Children's Story Books

  • The Tenth Good Thing About Barney, by Judith Viorst -- a fictional account about a pet's death (E Vio)
  • Lifetimes: The beautiful way to explain death to children, by Bryan Mellnoie and Robert Ingpen -- a storytelling look at the life cycles of animals, and people (E 306.9 Mel)
  • When Dinosaurs Die: A Guide to Understanding Death, by Laurie Krasny Brown and Marc Brown -- a headlong discussion about children's fear and curiosity about death (E 155.9 Bro)

See also