For those who trust in God, in the pain of sorrow there is consolation, in the face of despair there is hope, in the midst of death there is life. —Order of Christian Funerals

Those who struggle with the inability to conceive, those who know the pain of losing a child before birth, and those who have faced their infant's death at the time of birth know that this season of mourning is often held inside, hidden and unseen.

But God does not abandon us. Somehow, on the other side of loss an incredible story of resilience emerges. Bodies, though they are never the same again, heal. Couples try again, adopt, or reimagine. Those who mourn in isolation find not one, not two, but a community of others with whom they can identify. God's silence is not absence; it is the patient listening of a God who knows our grief first-hand, who weeps with us, who holds us as a mother holds her child. Death is never the whole story. The hope of new life surprises, confounds, persists.

Of Womb and Tomb: Prayer in Time of Infertility, Miscarriage, and Stillbirth is a resource for individuals, couples, and parish communities who wish to accompany those on their grief journey. Filled with stories, prayers, Scripture, poems, and rituals this book may serve as a guide in creating prayer opportunities in a variety of settings.

Together, let us bear witness to the Christian mystery—that new life is born of the womb and of the tomb.

This is the printed music collection, which corresponds to the selections found on the recording (CD-1061), offers some ideas for congregational use, but certainly does not exhaust the musical possibilities.