Since the beginning of 2020, I’ve written increasingly about the role lament should play in the life of a Christian. These have coincided with a small group study I led on the book of Lamentations. I’ve collected all of my lament posts on this page; general posts about lament are listed first, then my six posts of exposition on Lamentations.
Posts on Lament
Learning to Lament — an introduction to lament through a review of the book Dark Clouds, Deep Mercy.
The Myth of the Always-Happy Christian — Lament is a way to process our sadness and grief, and this processing is something western Christians have not traditionally done well. We’ve thought that Jesus brought us joy, period, and when that joy was not constant, we didn’t know what to do.
Let the Guilty Lament — While the Psalmist often offers a lament from a position of blamelessness, the book of Lamentations teaches us that God wants the guilty to cry out to him as well.
God Seeing As a Theme in Lamentations — This is related to my post on Lamentations 1 (below). Here I trace out all the ways the author of Lamentations cries out for God to see him/what is happening.
Learning to Embrace Tension — One of the lessons God has taught me through my study of lament is that tension in our lives and our prayers is okay. It helps us long for the future.
The Absence of Joy is a Tragedy — A look at this lament shows us how central God means joy to be in our lives.
Solid Bible Promises for Times of Suffering — This pairs with my post (below) on Lamentations 4. I’ve collected promises on which we can stand firm.
Lamenting Like a Christian — How can Christians make sure that they are lamenting specifically as befits followers of Jesus?
Complaint and the Christian — Many Christians have absorbed the teaching that Christians are not to complain about anything. How does lament fit into this understanding?
Six Things Lament is Not — Lament is new for many people, including me, and this short post is intended to clear up confusion and reduce unhelpful caricatures.
Lament as an Evangelistic Tool — Lamenters are sympathetic, and God may just use them to introduce unbelievers to Jesus.
Lament in the Background of Romans 8 — We might view the soaring statements at the end of Romans 8 as the fruit of lament in Paul’s life.
Posts on Lamentations
Look and See, O Lord! — My meditation on Lamentations 1. The repeated request of the author in Lamentations 1 has a lot to teach us about suffering and loneliness.
The Lord Has Become Like an Enemy — My meditation on Lamentations 2. The cries to God in this chapter acknowledge God’s hand in their suffering. How could the Lord turn against his people like this?
How to Find Hope When Hope Has Perished — My meditation on the first half of Lamentations 3. The steadfast love of the Lord is the grounds of all true biblical hope.
Banking on God’s Justice — My meditation on the second half of Lamentations 3. Like the author of Lamentations, our hope lies in the justice of God.
When the Promises of God Are All You Have — My meditation on Lamentations 4. When everything is stripped away and all we have is sorrow, we need to cling to God’s promises.
Restore Us to Yourself That We May Be Restored — My meditation on Lamentations 5. Beneath every desire for our lives to be restored to what they were is a need for our restoration to the Lord.
A Small Work 