The Episcopal Church

Welcomes You

Evangelism

The Good News of Lament

1 How long, O LORD?
will you forget me for ever?
    how long will you hide your face from me?
2 How long shall I have perplexity in my mind,
and grief in my heart, day after day?
    how long shall my enemy triumph over me?
3 Look upon me and answer me, O LORD my God;
    give light to my eyes, lest I sleep in death;
4 Lest my enemy say, “I have prevailed over him,”
    and my foes rejoice that I have fallen.
5 But I put my trust in your mercy;
    my heart is joyful because of your saving help.
6 I will sing to the LORD, for he has dealt with me richly;
    I will praise the Name of the Lord Most High.

Lament is an underused practice. To lament, as the psalmist demonstrates, is to cry out to God, acknowledging the trouble that besets us on all side. It is to acknowledge the pain, the heartbreak, the anger, the confusion, and the frustration that we feel – those feelings and reasons that we can explain and those we cannot. It is often a cathartic experience, expressing aloud those things that God already knows are living in our hearts. 

Indeed, it is good and holy to lament. And moreover, there is Good News in the action when we express it and move through it toward hope and love. On this page, you will find resources to help you, your small group, and your congregation move fully into honest lamentations and through toward hope.

Read a blogpost explaining the Good News of Lament from Jerusalem Greer here.

Resources

Advent and Christmas

Pray with Us – An Episcopal Migration Ministries Advent Vigil
Episcopal Migration Ministries, in partnership with the EMM Asylum Ministry Network and EMM Immigration Detention Ministry Network, will host a virtual Advent vigil on Sunday, December 13, 7:00 – 8:00 pm EST. The Advent vigil, available via Zoom webinar and Facebook Live, will offer a time of prayer and reflection in a world being transformed by forced migration. Registration is required and is available here. The vigil will be available on-demand following the event. In addition, Episcopal Migration Ministries offers a downloadable vigil order of service for local adaptation and use. It is available here.

Blue Christmas – An online service from Washington National Cathedral
In the midst of a difficult year in which so many are experiencing grief, loss, and hardship, this service of prayer, music, and reflection invites us into hope and healing. Join us Wednesday, December 13, 2022, at 7:00pm. The Rev. Patrick Keyser, Priest Associate, delivers the homily. All are welcome.

On Being – Honest Speech and Transformative Potential: An Interview with Walter Brueggemann
An interview with Walter Brueggemann about the place of protest and prophecy in people’s faith.

Sojourners – The American Church’s Absence of Lament
A reflection by author Soong-Chan Rah on the lack of lament in Christian spaces.

Reformed Worship – Time to Weep: Liturgical Lament in Times of Crisis
An article by John D. Witvliet postulating that how we handle lament on one Sunday may say as much about the gospel as a year’s worth of sermons.

Doctrine of Discovery Lament Offering 1: Acknowledge & Lament the Past and Present
One of six offerings in a lament over the Doctrine of Discovery.

Trauma Informed Priorities for Adult Christian Formation
Tools for helping adults grow even during traumatic times.

Compline as Pastoral Care
In a time when so many are feeling grief, anxiety, or fear, the orderly, regular personableness of the daily office offers reassurance and structure in an easily accessible way

Living through Uncertain Times
A collection of video, words, and audio to help navigate pandemic living.

The Costly Loss of Lament, from The Psalms of Faith
A case for the recovery for the authenticity and justice given to us in the Psalms.