God Can Handle It

Yesterday in my Speech class we had a discussion about Psalms of lament and our modern fear of "offending" God or other congregants in our churches when reading Psalms of lament aloud.  We are polite.  We are reserved.  We are (at least in mainline Presbyterian churches) the "frozen chosen."  We are concerned congregants will think emotional readings are prideful.  We are concerned congregants will think we are "doing too much."

First off: God can handle our anger.  What kind of God do we believe in if we think God CAN'T handle our anger?  The Psalmists words have endured for thousands of years because they resonate through time and space.  Life is hard.  Life is not fair.  I think that God gets that, and would really like our prayers and our worship life to be filled with honesty.

Secondly: I believe that not being genuine in lament drives people away from church when they think they are in "too dark" or "too sad" or "too angry" a place to come to church.  That is exactly when people need to be at church the most!  I had a Weight Watchers leader who used to joke about members not coming to meetings on days they felt "fat" or thought their weight would be "up" - - because obviously that moment is when you should come to the meeting for the support and ideas!

God can handle it.  So can we.  Lament friends.

Psalm 88 (NRSV)

Prayer for Help in Despondency

A Song. A Psalm of the Korahites. To the leader: according to Mahalath Leannoth. A Maskil of Heman the Ezrahite.

1 

O Lord, God of my salvation,

    when, at night, I cry out in your presence,

2 

let my prayer come before you;

    incline your ear to my cry.

3 

For my soul is full of troubles,

    and my life draws near to Sheol.

4 

I am counted among those who go down to the Pit;

    I am like those who have no help,

5 

like those forsaken among the dead,

    like the slain that lie in the grave,

like those whom you remember no more,

    for they are cut off from your hand.

6 

You have put me in the depths of the Pit,

    in the regions dark and deep.

7 

Your wrath lies heavy upon me,

    and you overwhelm me with all your waves.Selah

8 

You have caused my companions to shun me;

    you have made me a thing of horror to them.

I am shut in so that I cannot escape;

9 

    my eye grows dim through sorrow.

Every day I call on you, O Lord;

    I spread out my hands to you.

10 

Do you work wonders for the dead?

    Do the shades rise up to praise you?Selah

11 

Is your steadfast love declared in the grave,

    or your faithfulness in Abaddon?

12 

Are your wonders known in the darkness,

    or your saving help in the land of forgetfulness?

13 

But I, O Lord, cry out to you;

    in the morning my prayer comes before you.

14 

O Lord, why do you cast me off?

    Why do you hide your face from me?

15 

Wretched and close to death from my youth up,

    I suffer your terrors; I am desperate.

16 

Your wrath has swept over me;

    your dread assaults destroy me.

17 

They surround me like a flood all day long;

    from all sides they close in on me.

18 

You have caused friend and neighbor to shun me;

    my companions are in darkness.