In this Sunday School lesson, we explore the Christian understanding of death and dying—why modern culture tends to avoid the subject, how the Church has spoken about it historically across the centuries, and how Scripture and discipleship can equip us to face our mortality with faith. We also look briefly at cultural movements like the Enlightenment, the rise of individualism, and the emotional emphasis of later movements such as Romanticism, not as authorities in themselves, but as helpful background for understanding how attitudes toward death have shifted over time.
We spend time with the historic Christian idea of Ars moriendi—the “art of dying well”—and consider how Christians across the centuries have prepared for death with courage, prayer, faith, honesty, and trust in the Resurrection. Insights from pastoral care and Fr. Alex’s experience in the ministry of hospital chaplaincy help to contextualize and illuminate the very real challenges people experience today when confronting suffering, fear, and end-of-life decisions.
Throughout the discussion, we are encouraged to consider what it means to approach death as Christian disciples—grounded in our identity in Christ, supported by the Church, and sustained by the hope of new life. This is an invitation to think carefully and faithfully about a part of life that touches every one of us, and to do so with a shared trust in the promises of God.