For some occasions there are no words... There is pain beyond our imagining, and sometimes silence is our only adequate answer. Yet in the midst of terrible suffering we are challenged to respond, to be God's presence, servants of consolation and comfort.

There are some who have set out to collect and collate words of comfort, and liturgies to communicate our solidarity with all victims of pain and tragedy whether they are our intimate friends or our global neighbours. 

These books are a few seeds for those who seek to communicate compassion in troubled times.

This simple book of prayers finds strength in a breadth of sources. A deeply honest collection Christopher Herbert walks the final journey with the bereaved, approaching brave questions with great gentleness.

If the world was not changed by 9'11, perceptions of it certainly were. The Archbishop's reflections help us to meditate on and absorb the multiple reverberations.

A basic but vital guide for the novice, much of the advice Nick Watson offers may be reapplied to different circumstances of loss, finding the right words to bring consolation and hope to those left behind.

This is a book with several strong essays, but one -in our present situation- stands out: At the Intersection of Church and World. In times of collective grief, it is precisely here that we are called to stand, in the marketplace touching and embracing creation, and that may require a creative approach to worship.