Congregants who’ve heard the sermons — often accompanied by workshops and step-by-step guides — say they are verbal permission slips to discuss a topic few want to talk about. Slightly more than a third of the general public — 37 percent — say they have given a great deal of or some thought to their end-of-life wishes, according to Pew Research.
A Conversation Project survey found that while 90 percent of people say it’s important to talk to loved ones about those wishes, only 27 percent have actually done that.
The Rev. Rosemary Lloyd, the adviser to faith communities for the project, said clergy and doctors often end up being caught in family discussions that might have been prevented if an ill relative’s preferences had been known.
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