When God Feels Distant: The Spiritual Crisis of Grief
One of the hardest parts of grief—especially for pastors—is not always the pain of the loss itself. It’s the unsettling silence that sometimes follows. We pray, we cry out, we open our Bibles looking for a word that leaps off the page… and nothing comes. Worship songs feel hollow. Sermons are prepared out of discipline, not delight. The God who once felt so near suddenly seems far away. If you’ve been in ministry for any length of time, you’ve likely encountered this: the spiritual crisis of grief —those seasons when the presence of God feels hidden and His voice muted. The Pain No One Prepares You For As pastors, we are used to being the ones who remind others that “God is near to the brokenhearted” (Psalm 34:18). We’ve preached it with conviction. We’ve prayed it over grieving families. But when grief knocks at our own door, the emotional reality can feel like the opposite. You might wonder: Why can’t I sense God like I used to? Is my faith slipping? Am I doing something wro...