There are times in life marked by stillness, uncertainty, and waiting - moments when grief lingers, clarity is absent, and the future feels unknown. These pauses can follow personal loss, community trauma, or simply the quiet ache of transition. In such spaces, words may be hard to find, and the soul longs for gentle companionship. In The Sacred Pause is a collection of prayers and liturgies crafted for these in-between times. Drawing on trauma-informed pastoral care and shaped by a deep awareness of the human experience, this resource offers language and liturgical structure for creating safe, sensitive, and inclusive worship. Whether used in personal reflection or communal gatherings, it honours the complexity of each individual's journey and fosters an environment of compassion, presence, and hope. Flexible and adaptable, this collection includes a range of newly written and established texts to support every element of a service - from gathering to final blessing - offering guidance and grace in seasons when the way forward is not yet clear.

About the Author
Claire Brockelsby has a background in palliative care nursing, with further experience in bereavement support. She is now an ordained priest in the Church of England and serving in the diocese of Ely. Ian Henderson is a priest in the Church of England, serving in the Diocese of Ely. He has a background in management consultancy and a particular interest in trauma theology and liturgy. Dan Krawczyk is an ordained minister in the Church of England, serving in the Diocese of Norwich. Mary Kilikidi is an ordained minister in the Church of England, serving in the Diocese of Southwark. She has Orthodox and Lutheran backgrounds and is interested in trauma theology and pastoral care.

Reviews
"The Church has so often been inadequate in its responses to the truths and ruptures of trauma. This book, then, is a gift, an invitation, and a challenge. Its liturgies and prayers not only provide a tender architecture through which the people of God might speak into the wounds and absences of trauma, but dare us to dwell in its silences and terror. And yet more: to remember that even in the promise of Resurrection, the body keeps a score and Easter joy should never be a mask for the scars we hold. " -- Rachel Mann
"This creative and generous-hearted collection will be a very timely and helpful resource for many churches. It acknowledges to the full the pain and puzzlement that can be the experience of many in response to traumatising events, local or global, and offers words, and silences, that can form an important part of holding and blessing in those times." -- Christopher Southgate



Book Information
ISBN 9781786226860
Author Claire Brockelsby
Format Paperback
Page Count 96
Imprint Canterbury Press Norwich
Publisher Canterbury Press Norwich