Where Have All the Laments Gone? Part 1
Mar 5th, 2009 by John
Many pastoral observers lament the loss of the ability to lament in our “with it,” contemporary, high-tech, juke and jive American (evangelical) worship services. Most Christians have no clue that a whole Bible book is titled “Lamentations.” Or, if they do, they have no clue about why it is in the Bible. If they read it, they probably conclude, “Bummer. What a downer. Can we sing another upbeat, feel good Hillsong song now?”
I am teaching some friends the Book of Habakkuk and facilitating discussion of the serious, almost tortuous questions that Habakkuk raises. Habakkuk, the book, has similarities with the lament psalms. This has prompted some personal musings about lament and its place in our life of faith together.
My observation, unscientific, yet extended is this: A latent controlling Calvinism, that is, a submerged determinism which leads ordinary folks to conclude that everything that happens is due to God’s “plan,” has eviserated the Church’s ability to lament. We have lost “bowels of mercies,” we have lost the guts to lament because why should we? Lament does no good and, besides, it appears to be an affront to the “plan” of God in which everything is good because ultimately everything is for his glory. Even when we’re told that God ordains the means as well as the ends, the thoughtful determinist senses the shell game with wordy, complex ideas.
I observed a pastor telling a distraught widow to stop crying for her dead husband because she was ruining her testimony and distracting others from Christian “hope.” In effect, God is working all things for good, so suck it up. No lament, no grief allowed.
Yet Habakkuk bumps up against the sovereign, if not alarming and confusing purposes of God and he still laments, “How long, O LORD…?”
If we hold any theology that robs our ability to have agonizing broken hearts pierced by the pains of the people on this rebellious and wrecked planet, then we cannot claim to follow the One who was a “man of sorrows and acquainted with grief.” If our identification with the unredeemed is intellectual and not visceral, we are handicapped agents of the kingdom of God.
When God is merely the all-seeing, unblinking cosmic Stare of classical determinism, our minds may be stimulated, but our hearts will be unbroken and unmoved. We can kiss lament good-bye.
I hope I am wrong.
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There was a time in my life when “all things work together for good for those who love God” sounded like a diabolical lie.
It was discovering the freedom to lament that allowed me to heal. Ecclesiastes 7:13-14 alidated my sorrow and and brought me back from the brink:
“Consider the work of God;
who can make straight what he has made crooked?
“On the day of prosperity be joyful, and on the day of adversity consider; God has made the one as well as the other, so that mortals may not find out anything that will come after them.”
Thanks for the post.
Thanks John for this reminder.
All scripture, not just some, is given to us for all we need in life in godliness, and we must wrestle with the non-encouraging realities scripture presents about post-fall life.
All this, however, to remember that we DO have hope, as is talked about in Lamentations 3:21-26!
The LORD is my portion, says my soul, Therefore I have hope in Him! (3:24)
I do think that lamenting is missing in much of evangelical Christianity, not just misguided Calvinism. For example, those who preach health and prosperity gospel do not lament. But there are many who are more Reformed in their thinking (myself included) that cannot help but lament because of the brokenness of humanity within our specific contexts. Yesterday, several of my inner-city students along with my wife and I mourned the loss of 17 year old David “Day-Day” Witherspoon, who was shot and killed on the streets of Grand Rapids back in September of 2008 (he would have turned 17 yesterday). Many of our students along with my wife and I are still grieving which led to all of us visiting his grave yesterday. In fact, I have lost over fifteen of my former students to killings on the streets of Grand Rapids. It has not been easy…. However, many within the African-American church have been very helpful to me by modeling how to embrace both God’s sovereignty and human pain.
Joel #3,
I’m sorry for the tragedies you’ve faced. Your comments give me hope. I have a friend who teaches at a Grand Rapids kids at risk school. She reports similar losses of students she’s come to love. God bless you.
I agree that the prosperity gospel a heinous distortion of the gospel of the kingdom of God.
I believe that Christ-followers NEED to understand and practice lamenting. Lamenting is taking your case to God. Just like conversing, debating, and collaborating with any true friend, you eventually come out to a place of understanding if you stick with it long enough. It seems like most Christians today profess “God’s will” when they are in their theological mindset, but the rest of the time they just bitch about the way things are … and the way things are going in this country (particularly in Michigan), I think we’re in for a lot more bitching. Why can’t we take our case to God for some serious lamenting? No doubt He has a few things to teach us yet.
Amen Brother Ken!
How little “Bible-believing” Christians really know, understand, or believe the Bible! We are blatant Docetists. The contemporary evangelical programmatic church, with its emphasis on separation from the real world and the creation of an artificial “kingdom” has caused many of us to forfeit authentic humanity in the name of a counterfeit spirituality.
John,
Rob Bell just gave an excellent message about the same topic, its worth the 40 minutes to listen to the podcast. I think you would track with alot of what he was saying. It was called “Learning to Lament in a Culture of Denial.” It was on March 1st.
On another note, I was wondering about our paper. I know we pick a missional theological topic, which in a way is an exegetical paper, but I was wondering if there was a section on application? I couldn’t remember if that was this paper or the next one…
Thanks
Jason
Joel is actually a great example of what I was just going to say – the gospel music that is brought out in the inner city culture (often African-American) is much better at lament and mourning, in my experience. They experience sorry as a community and it is reflected in their music. Joining a gospel choir (even as a white girl) was a freeing experience for me.
I noticed your comment on Jesus Creed today – My hubby is a fundy – MBI – DTS guy too, and I laughed at your comment. He is at DTS now, and I can’t help but wonder how his (and our) theology will continue to change over time.
To be honest I’m surprised at how un-fundamental DTS was when we moved here two years ago, especially after hearing so much about their conservative history.
How can we not lament, at least at home in our own private worlds? How sad that people learn to not go to God in those times and spill their sorrows out on him. How saddening that must be for God, also.
What a weird whack culture Christianity has created. Seriously distorted and dysfunctional. Still, there are lots of signs of life around about
Just this week I was on my face before God lamenting and wailing, repenting for some things and asking God for help. I had just reached the end of myself. I had no answers, felt so burdened and didn’t know if I was carrying the wrong burden or not. What a release this provided for me! Afterwards, I realized just how much I had been carrying. Do I have answers yet? No, but I do feel an emptiness in a good way. I’m devoid of self and that is very good indeed! Lamenting is counter to our society that wants to feel good about everything, but there are unexpected riches in the lament. PTL!
Interesting post. I agree that Christians shouldn’t be hesitant to bring our grief and sorrows to God. He did, after all, create us as living, breathing, feeling human beings, not emotionless robots. I also believe it’s possible to honor the sovereignty of God– to trust that He is in control of all that happens, and that He uses tough/sad circumstances for His ultimate glory– while still engaging in lamentation. I am not convinced that the two behaviors are mutually exclusive because I have done both.
- Christina
John, thank you for the stimulation to explore lament. Do you have more resources on this subject you can recommend? I put this quote from your blog into my journal: Lament is God’s gift to lead God’s people from anger to grief. I find myself still angry about an event in my life and I suspect that my “all things work together” theology has short-circuited an adequate lamentation and grief.
I would take issue with laying this at the feet of Calvinism/determinism (yes, you qualified it with some other descriptors). Far from being to blame for our lame lamentation, this Biblical theology gives us the proper person to direct our lament toward. Without that, of what value is our exercise of emotion? It certainly doesn’t build our personal relationship with our Creator/Completer, unless it is to reinforce a sense of His absence. But Scripture says He is close to the broken hearted.
In my own life some of major barriers to lament are these. 1. A social, economic lifestyle arrangement (read “the good life in the suburbs”) focused on removing suffering and the suffering from me; 2. A premature triumphalism (this is almost a uniquely American disease, and yes, relates to the “culture war;” 3. My constant resort (dare I say addiction?) to the defense mechanism of denial, in which rather than hurt, I will say, “sticks and stones….” All of these are simply a form of lying that stiff-arms a groaning creation and a groaning Christ.
Thanks again.