Preaching Hope in Darkness: Help for Pastors in Addressing Suicide from the Pulpit

How can a preacher best address suicide from the pulpit?

Pastors face many challenges. Suicide in a congregation is amongst the most heart-rending and intimidating. However, the preacher has a unique capacity to engender gospel hope for preparing the congregation and comforting the bereaved. To do so, preachers need help understanding the challenges and opportunities presented by addressing suicide from the pulpit.

In Preaching Hope in Darkness, two practitioners in fields that do not typically interact--homiletics (Scott M. Gibson) and psychology (Karen Mason)--work together to support the preacher in this difficult task. Gibson and Mason offer wise advice on a range of topics such as suicide prevention, post-crisis care, and funeral sermon preparation. With an appendix of sample sermons and a sample funeral liturgy, Preaching Hope in Darkness is an essential go-to guide for this difficult topic.

Scott M. Gibson (DPhil, University of Oxford) is the David E. Garland Chair of Preaching and director of the PhD program in preaching at George W. Truett Theological Seminary, Baylor University, in Waco, Texas. He previously served as the Haddon W. Robinson Professor of Preaching and Ministry and director of the Center for Preaching at Gordon-Conwell Theological Seminary. He is past president and cofounder of the Evangelical Homiletics Society and has served as a pastor or interim pastor in churches in Pennsylvania and New York. Gibson has written or edited numerous books on preaching, including The Big Idea of Biblical Preaching and Preaching with a Plan.

Karen Mason holds an MA in Old Testament and a PhD in counseling psychology and is Professor of Counseling and Psychology at Gordon-Conwell Theological Seminary in South Hamilton, Massachusetts. She is the author of Preventing Suicide: A Handbook for Pastors, Chaplains, and Pastoral Counselors.