Some of us remember the previous “green” hymnal in our pews. It was organized like our current “cranberry” one with liturgies in the early pages, then psalms, and then hymns. The psalm section in the green hymnal, however, was abbreviated. Certain psalms were left out – many of them were the ones we often refer to as “lament” psalms.
The lament psalms cry out to God in times of turmoil and despair.
“My God, my God, why have you forsaken me?” (Psalm 22:1);
“My Lord, why do you cast me off? Why do you hide your face from me?” (Psalm 88:14);
“My soul is in deep anguish. How long, Lord, how long?” (Psalm 6:3).
The cranberry hymnal brought the lament psalms back into the hymnal. And how important that is in times like these.
Last week I attended a preaching conference called the Festival of Homiletics. Every year the festival hosts a group of superb preachers from around the US and for five days, preachers listen and learn from the best. This year the festival theme was “After the Storm: Preaching and Trauma.”
Friends, we have collectively been through some trauma these past several years. We have been through some trauma these past several days.
One of our festival teachers, the Rev. Dr. Kimberly Wagner of the Lutheran Theological Seminary at Chicago whose research is in the area of trauma and preaching, spoke about the language of lament. She said that lament doesn’t require that we have all the right words – trauma often steals language. Lament allows us to express ourselves honestly to God. It invites us to ask our questions and share our griefs, all the while trusting that our cries do not go unheard. We do not lament into a void.
And therein lies the hope: God receives our lament.
While we await the fruition of God’s promise that evil will not have the final say, we lament and God listens.
And then, after we’ve acknowledged the pain, we listen back for how God would have us respond.
In Christ,
Pastor Jen