Give Sorrow Words

Sermon Form in Trauma-Aware Preaching

Abstract

Preachers have an obligation to be aware of and responsive to the survivors of trauma in our pews. This article seeks to answer the question of how sermonic form might contribute to the process of developing resiliency after trauma. By employing and reflecting on different forms, I examine the contributions each of them make toward resiliency. My research suggests the importance of intentionally naming traumatic experiences from the pulpit, as well as the promise of sermons that leave space for the agency of survivors through unanswered questions and silence.