Death and Meaning in a Storefront Church

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Abstract
Nurses are often uncomfortable in addressing the needs of a spiritual family in times of death and grieving. They frequently find that scientific explanations and even emotional support fail to comfort individuals and families. This study, based in a small Black storefront church, explores the meaning of death and the experience of grieving among the deeply religious church members. Ethnographic description and analysis of life history interviews were employed to analyze these concepts. Church members had a particular way of managing the death of one of their members or the death of a child. They made an attempt to “go on,” and they had a strong belief in an afterlife. Church members sometimes experienced visions and visits from “the other side” that supported these beliefs. They had a spiritual manner of comforting those left behind, speaking often of the “homegoing” with acceptance, examining the purpose of the “journey” of one's life, trying to inspire hope, and yet simultaneously preparing for death. Members praised each other for doing all that they could for their loved one. The nurse who cares for a spiritual family needs to carefully assess each family individually, however, s/he may find that the approaches used by the church members in caring for one another are helpful to incorporate into her/his care.

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