Ashland Theological Seminary Discovering Factors
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ASHLAND THEOLOGICAL SEMINARY DISCOVERING FACTORS WHICH HELPED SELECTED PARTICIPANTS IN COLUMBUS, OHIO ACHIEVE WELLBEING DURING TIMES OF GRIEF A DISSERTATION SUBMITTED TO THE FACULTY OF ASHLAND THEOLOGICAL SEMINARY IN CANDIDACY FOR THE FOR THE DEGREE OF DOCTOR OF MINISTRY BY DJUANA DREW ASHLAND, OHIO FEBRUARY 4, 2021 Copyright @ 2021, by DJuana Drew All rights reserved To Henri Nouwen, thank you for showing me the way of the Wounded Healer To Jesus Christ, our Eirene, who showed such love and grace to those who were grieving that day at Lazarus’ tomb. You are there with us in the midst of our pain. You show us the way to wellbeing. Search me, O God, and know my heart, Test me and know my thoughts, See is there is any wicked way in me, And lead me in the way everlasting. Psalm 139:23-24 APPROVAL PAGE Accepted by the faculty and the final demonstration examining Committee of Ashland Theological Seminary, Ashland, Ohio, in partial fulfillment of the requirements for the Doctor of Ministry degree. _______________________________ ______________________ Academic Advisor Date _______________________________ ______________________ Director of the Doctor of Ministry Program Date ABSTRACT The purpose of this project was to discover the extent to which identified factors can assist persons in achieving wellbeing during times of loss among a select group of participants from Columbus, Ohio. The design was a discovery project administered in the form of a survey distributed to volunteer participants. The results of the survey showed that most respondents chose avenues that would lead them to achieve wellbeing. Participants acknowledged the presence of God and feelings of love, security and acceptance as the primary keys to walking the journey toward wellbeing. CONTENTS LIST OF TABLES . .. viii ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS . .. ix Chapter 1. INTRODUCTION AND PROJECT OVERVIEW . 1 2. BIBLICAL, THEOLOGICAL, AND HISTORICAL FOUNDATIONS . .28 3. REVIEW OF THE LITERATURE . .62 4. DESIGN, PROCEDURE, AND ASSESSMENT . 95 5. REPORTING THE RESULTS . ….. 107 6. SUMMARY AND REFLECTIONS . 125 Appendix 1. PROPOSAL . .. .150 2. ASSESSMENT TOOL . 178 3. INTRODUCTORY LETTER TO SURVEY PARTICIPANTS . 183 REFERENCES. .185 vii TABLES Table Page 1. Goal #5: Experiences with God and Core Longings . 108 2. Goal #1: Defining Experiences with God . 110 3. Goal #4: Experiences with God and the Grieving Process . 112 4. Goal #2: Perceiving Wellbeing . 113 5. Goal #6: Connection to Christian Community . 115 6. Goal #3: Personal Definition of Wellbeing . 117 7. Goal #7: Connection to Any Community . 119 8. Composite Scores for All Goals . .. 120 viii ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS This discovery project was birthed from the heart of God and through my journey toward personal healing. I would not have chosen this path had it not been for the encouragement of so many others God used to bless me. To Dr. Terry Wardle who showed me transformation in human form. Your teaching and encouragement to live a transformational life has been more than inspiring. God used you to teach and show me that I could heal from the pain of long ago and begin the journey toward transformational living. I am brave because you were brave, all with Holy Spirit’s power. Thank you. To Dr. Dawn Morton, my first instructor when I entered seminary. Your steadfast presence and consistent encouragement have not gone unnoticed. To Dr. Thomas Gilmore for your wise counsel as I navigated my way through the dissertation process. Your patience and wisdom were what I needed. To Dr. Angela Billingslea, my sister, roommate and best friend. You encouraged me when there were times I wanted to hide or run. Thank you for telling me, each time, that I could do it. There were others who blessed me with wisdom, prayers and encouragement. Dr. Nyreia Harrington, Rev. Nancy Dumford, Dr. Nickol Calhoun and many other prayer warriors. Thank you. And my Papa God, by Your grace and with Your peace. I did it because You were there! Thank You Abba Father! ix CHAPTER ONE INTRODUCTION AND PROJECT OVERVIEW We do not know a world without suffering. Books of fiction have been written about the possibility. Theologians have postulated about the effects of suffering on the human condition. Questions about the nature of suffering have been asked and asked again. It is apparent today that questions asked went unanswered or the answers proved to be unsatisfactory. We were not settled with the answers we received. On the minds of many Christians is the question that begins with “why?.” Why is there so much suffering and pain in the world? The project created for this dissertation was not meant to answer the question of why. The project was intended to illuminate the work of individual healing. It was meant to answer, to a small degree, the nature of an individual’s need and ability to resolve the pain endured in life. The project was meant to discover the significance of God’s presence to those responding to the survey. Purpose Statement The purpose of this project was to discover the extent to which identified factors can assist persons in achieving wellbeing during times of loss among a select group of participants from Columbus, OH. The research question was: To what extent can identified factors assist in achieving wellbeing during times of loss among a select group of participants from Columbus, Ohio? Overview The focus of this project was to discover the extent to which a person’s development and use of specific resources helped them achieve wellbeing after 1 suffering a loss, which brings grief. The participants were surveyed via an online assessment tool that allowed them to provide input. None of the assessments were administered in person. The factors were suggested and identified by the participants during the survey. Areas within the survey allowed participants to list specific resources they utilized to achieve wellbeing. Grief is an experience shared by all. The fact that one may be experiencing grief is not often acknowledged. This project was intended to discover the tools, resources, interventions, persons, or groups that enabled each participant’s journey toward wellbeing. They were asked to identify where they believe they are based on statements made in the survey. Participants were asked what activities have encouraged their wellbeing during their grief experiences, whether current or past. They were asked to make connections between their current experiences with grief and their expectation of what grief is for them. Participants were encouraged to choose methods that would improve their wellbeing. Foundations As one who has experienced grief and loss, I am no different from others now and in our past, who struggled to understand it. It is common to the human experience. Our literature, regardless of societal or racial foundations, speaks in great length about grief. Life brings loss, and with that great pain. Grief, an outcome to the loss suffered, can be defined in many ways. It can have positive connotations, “a thread that connects all humanity” (Kelley 2010, 7) or negative ones, “You have put me in the lowest pit, in the darkest 2 depths” (Psalm 88:6 NIV). It can bring on a time of reflection, growth, and positive change or become the worst time of one’s life. Grief can be individual or shared. Grief can be intense. The foundation sections for this project included five areas: a personal foundation documenting my journey and struggle in grief; a biblical discussion of John 11 and theological summary of suffering; a historical context focused on the church’s response to suffering during a time of great upheaval, the Civil Rights Movement of the 50s and 60s; and lastly a contemporary view of methods and interventions caregivers used to assist those suffering pain from loss. Personal Foundation I was a child born into confusion and struggling with feelings of rejection and abandonment. My father and mother were not with me but away from me. My grandmother was my mother in every sense of the word. My first response to what was happening in my life was to ignore my pain. I had no notion of grief, no understanding of its existence or purpose. Living with my grandmother became confusing once I realized what was happening. I saw my mother and father, periodically, but did not understand why I was not with them. My family did not provide answers to my questions. My beginnings seemed to be a secret. The status of my current living situation was a topic to be avoided. The responses from the adults in my life taught me to ignore what I was feeling. They did not want to talk about it, so I was taught not to talk about it. The feelings I had were not worth talking about, and therefore they were ignored. I did not realize how much pain was growing inside of me. 3 Ignoring my feelings did not resolve them. I became a reservoir of anxiety and insecurity. On the outside, I appeared to be handling all things well. On the inside, I was anxious, reaching out in many ways to find the love and acceptance I needed. My journey toward healing came first in the form of my faith in God. My grandmother believed in church attendance and participation. She taught me to go to church, listen, and to understand the role of God in my life. I formally accepted Jesus Christ as Savior when I was twelve years old. I expressed my faith in God through attendance, participation, and service. I read my Bible, attended Sunday School, and learned I had a desire to teach. The focus of my narrative began to change. I was beginning to understand that my relationship with God changed the direction of my life.