Through the Valley: A Grief Series for All Who Mourn

Grief is one of the most universal human experiences, and one of the loneliest. We tend to reserve the word for death — but loss visits us in so many other ways. The end of a marriage. Estrangement from someone we love. A diagnosis, a dream that didn’t come true, a life that changed in ways we didn’t choose. These losses are real, and they deserve to be witnessed.

Beginning March 9th, I will be offering Through the Valley, a four-session interfaith grief series open to anyone in our community who is carrying loss. You do not need to be a member of this congregation. You do not need to explain your grief or justify it. You only need to bring it.

Each session includes a brief teaching drawn from the wisdom of writers I deeply trust — Joan Didion, Rachel Naomi Remen, Joan Chittister, Gerard May, and others — along with poetry, time for contemplative silence, and small group sharing. A participant guide with journal prompts is provided for each session, so that those who miss a week can still engage with the material.

The series is interfaith and open to people of all traditions, and none. Drop-in attendance is welcome; you do not need to commit to all four sessions.

Sessions meet:

Monday, March 9 — What We Carry: Naming grief in all its forms

Monday, March 16 — The Long Winter: When grief doesn’t move or resolve

Monday, March 23 — The Body and the Soul: How grief lives in us

Monday, March 30 — Learning to Carry It: Community, ritual, and the long road forward

Time: 7:00 pm to 8:30 pm

Location: Olmsted Parlor, Acton Congregational Church, 12 Concord Rd. Acton, MA 01720

This series is pastoral care, not therapy, and it is not a substitute for professional support. A resource list with local grief counselors and support organizations will be available at each session.

I hope you will come. And I hope you will share this invitation with anyone you know who might need it.

With care,

Rev. Karen Hodges

Interim Minister, Acton Congregational Church

Planning to attend? Please sign up here.