The Bible is a Book of Lament
Christopher Wright:
"In the Bible, which we believe is God's Word, such that what we find in it is what God wished to be there, there is plenty of lament, protest, anger, and baffled questions. The point we should notice (possibly to our surprise) is that it is all hurled at God, not by his enemies but by those who loved and trusted him most. It seems, indeed, that it is precisely those who have the closest relationship with God who feel most at liberty to pour out their pain and protest to God--without fear of reproach. Lament is not only allowed in the Bible; it is modeled for us in abundance...
It surely cannot be accidental that in the divinely inspired book of Psalms there are more psalms of lament and anguish than of joy and thanksgiving...
I feel that the language of lament is seriously neglected in the church. Many Christians seem to fell that somehow it can't be right to complain to God in the context of corporate worship when we should all feel happy. There is an implicit pressure to stifle our real feelings because we are urged, by pious merchants of emotional denial, that we ought to have 'faith' (as if the moaning psalmists didn't). So we end up giving external voice to pretended emotions we do not really feel, while hiding the real emotions we are struggling with deep inside...
But our suffering friends in the Bible didn't choose that way. They simply cry out in pain and protest against God--precisely because they know God. Their protest is born out of the jarring contrast between what they know and what they see...
Lament is the voice of that pain, whether for oneself, for one's people, or simply for the mountain of suffering of humanity and creation itself. Lament is the voice of faith struggling to live with unanswered questions and unexplained suffering." The God I Don't Understand, 50-53
3 comments:
YES! Awesome bro, I struggle with that very thing in the church, specifically corporate worship. I think that is why church\gatherings\worship can sometimes seem so sterile, because we end up faking our joy in Christ!!! Be it far from me to ever do that again, but I have done it in the past, and can expect to in the future. You nailed it, pain, sorrow, despair,lament at God, is not generally dwelled upon in church, and is hardly ever represented in our musical expression to God. I dig groups like Red Letter from Mars Hill that really go there... But here in humboldt? Besides the hymns that come out every once in a while, our lament is hardly ever expressed corporately. Thanks for the word, it was encouraging to me and my journey to truly, creatively express myself and the Gospel through the avenue of music.
Thanks for the comment Aaron.
You probably know this, but want to give credit where credit is due, that is all Christopher Wright.
I totally agree with what you said, and am glad you are encouraged by Dr. Wright.
i'm a lamenter & a worshipper...lately i've spent much time lamenting...i'm so thankful that the LORD hears my cries and in his own timing responds...He's been telling me to "WAIT"...that was not the word i wanted to hear but so be it even tho i don't want to WAIT i WAIT...mom :-)
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