Helping Youth Grieve

Suicide, depression, eating disorders, and other mental health illnesses have dramatically increased among adolescents in recent decades. Our American culture demands high levels of success and propagates a "feel good" attitude that denies pain, loss, and failure. Churches contribute to these distressing realities among youth. Our theology associates "being happy" with "true faithfulness" to God, overemphasizing praise and thanksgiving while neglecting lament, even though lament comprises the largest number of Psalms. There is much good in the lives of today's adolescents, but there is also much grief and woundedness. Helping Youth Grieve exposes the warped view of God modeled and taught to our young people. This book portrays a God who yearns to hear the honest cries of our youth, even when that involves blaming God! Spiritual caregivers will discover good news in biblical lament for its role in pastoral care and faith formation of adolescents.