Lament
I sat in on one of our classes last night at St. Peter’s. Never have I heard anything on the need for lament in the lives of Christians. It was a deeply personal and tender class and I really am still processing this whole idea.
Using Psalm 62, Gordon Bals walked us through what lament looks like and how it differs from grumbling or complaining. It was probably to first time I allowed myself to express some grief in front of other people in a classroom, and though it was a bit strange, I was more than willing just so that I could experience what was being taught.
According to Gordon, lament is:
“not grumbling. A grumbler is indifferent or hard towards God and has built a defensive fortress around his heart by ignoring pain, doubt and resentment instead of moving through them with the Lord’s help.”
Sounds a lot like me. I think I have built my life around grumbling more often than I am willing to lament. Maybe it is a fear of being close to a Holy God, but I run away as much as I press into that relationship. I realized last night that I don’t really like that about myself, and I think that I am ready to try somethings differently.
This is just what I remember from last night. Hopefully I will be able to post more as the weeks progress.
