In a church narthex in St. Paul, somebody set out a box with a sign on it that said: Laments Welcome. The instruction was to write your complaints to God, and to call God to account for not having fixed things already.
Katie had never seen anything like it. She didn’t know it was allowed. She didn’t put a lament in the box—she didn’t know what to do with the option—but she thought about it for weeks.
This solo episode covers the box in the narthex, what messages about avoiding anger do to us, a chapel sermon on forgiveness, why or whether Job’s questions went permanently unanswered, and a practice of lament you can do at your kitchen table.
Content note: this episode discusses sexual abuse at a church institution.
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Resources
- Katie Langston, How to Yell at God
- Faith After Faith, It’s Okay to Be Angry with God — Nikki Hendrix
- Faith After Faith, Am I Even Allowed to Think This? — Jana Riess
- Eugene H. Peterson, *Answering God: The Psalms as Tools for Prayer* (HarperOne, 1991)
Chapters
00:00 Introduction to the Practice of Lament
01:58 Biblical Roots and Examples of Lament
03:58 Cultural Conditioning Against Anger at God
06:02 The Story of Job and Honest Questioning
07:59 Lament in the Psalms and Its Significance
10:03 The Brutality and Honesty of Lament Psalms
12:08 Lament as a Path to Healing and Presence
13:54 The Cross and Jesus’ Lament
15:51 Practical Steps to Incorporate Lament in Your Faith
19:55 The Power of Praying Through Anger and Grief
30:00 Conclusion: Lament as a Journey to Praise
