Near to the Brokenhearted

Books of funeral sermon outlines are plentiful. This is perhaps not too surprising, given that most people have some sort of funeral service, which typically includes a sermon. But funeral sermon outlines created by and for preachers within the Churches of Christ are much harder to come by. This collection of outlines, originally compiled by the respected preacher, teacher, author, and administrator Jack Wilhelm prior to his death in 2016, helps fill that space on the bookshelf by bringing together over fifty outlines from Churches of Christ ministers throughout the United States. Many of these outlines contain widely applicable thoughts and scriptural passages, while others are tailored for use in specific circumstances, such as the death of a young church member or of a congregation's elder. The style, length, and formatting of the outlines vary from entry to entry, reflecting the differing approaches of the contributors themselves.

Editors Rickey Collum and John Young have supplemented these outlines with several additional essays. These include an introduction giving a brief biography of Jack Wilhelm and the story behind the collection; a short overview of the history of funeral sermons within Churches of Christ; and the full text of the message Rickey delivered at Jack's funeral service. A prologue, also written by Jack Wilhelm, gives further insight regarding his work in compiling the outlines and biographical details of the nearly two dozen contributors whose sermons fill the book's pages. Along with its relevance to preachers facing one of their most challenging tasks, this collection will also be of interest to scholars of homiletics, historians of the Churches of Christ and the broader Restoration Movement heritage, and those with a passion for pastoral care.