Lament

Teachings

WHY DO WE LAMENT?

The Practice | Jonathan Martin and Father Michael Sparough

Jonathan powerfully preached an invitation for us all to consider lament, sharing that, “Lament is the unfiltered animal cry of our soul.” It is deep prayer that tries to articulate in the presence of God those painful, raw, animal emotions and experiences that catch in our throat and cause hot tears to well in our eyes. Lament is the hard practice of putting words to those parts of our lives in which words fail us, and in so doing we are drawn closer, and deeper to God, cracking open a door for resurrection to enter in.

In order to familiarize and connect ourselves to lament, our practice for the evening was a lectio divina of Psalm 6. It was our desire that after having heard this grand invitation and vision for the importance of lament, that holding one in your hands, hearing one read aloud in your ears, and stirring one in your heart might begin to show each of us the spaces in which we can find ourselves in these raw Bible passages. The remarkable Fr. Michael Sparough led us through the practice, reading the text over us three times, each time pausing in between to pay attention to the words, phrases, and emotions that stirred our hearts. If you have never spent time in lament before I commend this practice to you, that you might become familiar and acquainted with the Psalters cries as you begin to articulate and find permission for your own.

WHAT IS BIBLICAL LAMENT?

The Practice | Curtis Miller and Kellye Fabian

Curtis introduced and fleshed out the biblical framework of lament, pointing out that the Bible engages lament for both personal and communal reasons. He also shared deeply from his experience of needing this practice in order to respond to the problem of pain in his own life.

In response to this rich teaching, Kellye Fabian got up to lead us in a practice of lament with pictures. Kellye led us through three pictures of personal lament, and then three pictures of communal lament for Syria. In between each picture we engaged in a moment of silent lament using a body posture (bowed heads, covered faces, kneeling), before corporately praying a section of the Psalms together in response. You can follow along with this practice by listening to the Practice Podcast and by following along with the pictures using Kellye’s handout.

It is our hope, that through praying and lamenting over these pictures, you would begin to identify the categories that you may need to lament in your own life. Whether it be a personal or a corporate lament, as you go about your week, please remain curious and open to what areas of ache may need to be brought before God in lament.

HOW CAN I LAMENT?

The Practice | Jenna Perrine

Jenna walked us through a process of writing our own lament, using these nine steps modeled after the Psalms:

• Cry out to God (your address to God);

• Complaint (your anger, pain, heartache, or sadness);

• Affirmation of Trust (your remembrance of God’s presence in your past);

• Petition/Request (your deepest desire);

• Additional Argument (anything more, why God should intervene);

• Rage against Your Enemies (bringing your enemies before God);

• Assurance of Being Heard (what you need to feel heard);

• Promise to Offer Praise to God (the promise you can offer to God); and

• Assurance (the attribute of God you are thankful for in the moment).

We encourage you to follow along with Jenna’s handout as you listen and write.