Introduction! Seasons$of$orientation$don’t$last$forever.$Moments$of$loss$can$shatter$our$sense$of$ well$being$and$stability,$leaving$us$feeling$dislocated,$discouraged,$and$disheartened.$ These$seasons$of$disorientation$can$be$brought$about$by$the$death$of$a$loved$one,$a$ new$diagnosis,$a$failed$marriage,$financial$hardship,$a$friendship$lost,$stress,$ experiences$of$injustice,$and$a$host$of$other$events$that$drive$us$to$the$edge$and$
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V.!The!Costly!Loss!of!Lament! ! $
bring$us$faceTtoTface$with$the$precariousness$of$life.$In$these$moments,$it$can$feel$ like$God$is$absent$or$indifferent$to$our$pain.$$
As$highlighted$in$week$1$of$this$series,$lament$psalms$are$very$rarely$utilized$in$ Christian$hymnbooks$and$the$Revised$Common$Lectionary,$not$to$mention$other$ aspects$of$Christian$life.$The$implicit$(and$occasionally$explicit)$message$is$that$ there’s$no$place$in$the$church$for$the$sort$of$unfiltered$agony$and$honest$grief$that$ the$psalmist$dares$to$express.$Walter$Brueggemann$names$several$“costly$losses”$ that$result$from$doing$away$with$the$language$of$lament$in$Christian$circles:$$
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(1) persons$are$not$fully$present$in$situations$of$disorientation$until$those$ situations$and$emotions$have$been$brought$to$speech;$ (2) until$there$is$an$honest$embrace$of$helplessness,$the$true$Gospel$cannot$$$$ be$heard$ (3) when$lament$is$silenced,$questions$of$injustice$cannot$be$raised;$
In$moments$of$disorientation,$the$psalmist$dares$to$speak$in$free$and$honest$ways$to$ God.$Rather$than$tidying$up$his$feelings$or$denying$his$pain,$the$psalmist$presents$ unfiltered$agony$and$anger$to$God.$The$characteristic$form$of$these$expressions$is$ known$as$the$lament$psalm.$These$psalms$account$for$61$out$of$150$total$psalms,$ making$them$the$most$frequently$occurring$psalm$in$the$whole$Psalter.$While$often$ excluded$from$Christian$liturgy,$music,$and$prayers,$lament$psalms$can$be$vital$tools$ in$helping$us$honestly$deal$with$our$grief$and$relate$to$God$in$more$authentic$ways$ during$difficult$times.$This$lesson$will$examine$a$number$of$features$of$lament$ psalms$and$their$role$in$Christian$faith$and$practice.$
$ Which$of$the$above$three$losses$resonates$most$with$you?$Why?$What$ would$you$add$to$this$list?$ $ $ What$are$some$ways$in$which$you$or$your$church$might$incorporate$psalms$ of$disorientation$into$its$Sunday$worship$or$other$ministries?$What$ difference$would$it$make$to$have$a$faith$that$permitted$and$sanctified$the$ use$of$such$prayers?$$
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Lesson!at!a!glance! $ !
I.!!!!Anatomy!of!a!Lament! II.!!!Questioning!God!
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III.!!A!Lament!Without!Limits! IV.!!Lamenting!Injustice! V.!!!The!Costly!Loss!of!Lament!
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Conversation!Starter! Consider$a$time$when$you$experienced$a$season$of$disorientation.$Were$there$places$ at$church$where$you$could$share$your$feelings$honestly?$Did$you$ever$feel$that$anger$ or$agony$weren’t$appropriate$things$to$express$to$God$or$fellow$believers?!
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Praying!the!Psalms!of!Disorientation!this!Week ! Monday$–$Psalm$3$ Tuesday$–$Psalm$17$ Wednesday$–$Psalm$143$ Thursday$–$Psalm$44$ Friday$–$Psalm$120$ Saturday$–$Psalm$77$ $