Never have I regretted more how the cognitive function loss is affecting my ability to write, to communicate, for I have been profoundly comforted by this presentation on lamentation I discovered. And I most fervently wish I could clearly articulate just how vital the message of brokenness is needed in the church. I honestly cannot fathom why I have not learned of this passion and work before.
It is no secret that I love the Psalter and why. Sometimes, as in the past two days, I marvel at just how much I still fail to see the breadth and depth of understanding of the human condition laced throughout the collection of prayers God gave us. In the working on the reference blog I created to help others pray the Psalter, I noted just how many more "lamenting" labels there were in the individual psalms than joyous ones, albeit I did not have the language to classify them that way. I found that odd, for the prevailing thought I had before learning to pray the Psalter is that it was chock full of shouts of joy ... the Biblical version of praise bands.
And yet it is not.
The Psalter is full of cries for help, embattled pleas to be remembered, accusations of being abandoned, and frustrated observations that enemies/the wicked are all too commonly the victor/the prosperous. Doubt. Confusion. Fear. Frustration. Anger. Vengeance. Accusation. Loneliness. Longing. All of those laments and more are woven throughout the collection of prayers. Yes, there is faithful remembering and rejoicing in all that God has done for us, but the pattern is oft for that to be preceded by lament.
I never really thought of just how many times, thus, God drives home the message that what He longs from us is a broken and contrite spirit in the Psalter. Our weaknesses and wounds and failures are precious in His sight, far more valued than any act of good we would wish to claim and bring forward as an offering.
Anyway, I found this series of videos that are one of Michael Card's presentations on lamenting as worship. I have watched them several times and was pleased to hear the Gospel so beautifully presented and to be able to pick out points from the pure doctrine. Two things, I think, gave me a bit of pause, but both were not about the message. I believe there is much good to ponder in this presentation.
One of the sections I liked was a bit on the answers we expect in prayers. Lament teaches us that the things that we ask for in prayer are often not what we need. Yes, God provides for the needs of our body and wants us to approach Him for help, but He is also concerned with our spirit. Ultimately, what we need is Jesus, is Immanuel, God with us.
Also understand that His deepest desire is intimacy and being with us ... Lament teaches us this. And we'll see that in the laments, God showing up is the answer. Job doesn't get his children back in the end of the book of Job. He gets God back. Right? He pleads and screams and asks for answers as he laments all throughout the central section of the book, all through the wilderness section of the book of Job. But in the end, he gets God. God shows up. That's the answer. Himself.
God doesn't give us answers most of the time [in answer to our laments/prayer]. Jesus is not an answer man. I mean, if you look at the Gospels, people say he was a great teacher. Honestly, he wasn't a great teacher because He didn't like to answer questions. He usually answered questions with harder questions, which is just what God does in Job. Job asks all these questions. God shows up—perfect opportunity for God to explain Himself. And God just asks a bunch of more questions and they are way harder than Job's questions!
And the purpose of that is that once again is ... God wants to give us Himself. Does that mean He doesn't give us answers? No! Certainly He gives us answers in His Word. His Word is full of answers. Don't misunderstand me.
He, He himself, incarnationally, that was the answer. Jesus standing there in the flesh. I think that is why sometimes Jesus asks, Don't you see me? Show us the father and that will be enough. Excuse me? Hello? He's the answer, standing there flesh and bone.
A few interesting observations:
- The Law is good. It is a gift from our triune God and is therefore unequivocally good. But the Law is where we start, not where we end. For we are on a journey with God. From Genius to Revelation, the Bible is taking us somewhere ... taking us to reconciliation with God, to be joined with Him. Re-joined really, for the egregious perfidy of the fall is that we were severed from the presence of God. We are not left with the Torah, but are given Christ crucified for us.
- Mary's response to learning of her pregnancy, while not a lament, includes the formula of remembrance that is present in laments.
- The magnitude of Psalm 51:16 ...For You do not delight in sacrifice, otherwise I would give it; You are not pleased with burnt offering ... this from the man who sacrificed a bull every seven steps when moving the ark of the covenant into the place he had prepared for it!
- During the time in Jesus' life when He is most used by God, He is lamenting. My God, My God, why have You forsaken me?
- What's the very first lesson you learn? If I cry long enough, someone will show up. The first sound you hear is weeping. The first sound you make is weeping. The first lesson you learn is the outcome of weeping: unmerited love and comfort.
- The suffering of others often intimidates, even threatens people, because people want to be able to give answers, to have answers. Somehow, Jesus being the answer, the power and the presence of the Word, seems insufficient. And people also struggle to understand that there can be good in suffering, that suffering is a pleasing sacrifice, that suffering is welcome worship.
- We need the teaching of lament as worship in our churches, for what is preached in a church leads the thought life in a church.
- We need to take Job seriously. Otherwise, we do not take the cross seriously. For the truth is that God uses suffering to save the world.
Below are all the videos that comprise the presentation (I could not find a video that was all parts combined). There is a wee bit of overlap in each successive video clip as the one preceding it abruptly stops the presentation. As near as I can calculate, the presentation is approximately one hour ... ish.
Also are introductory notes that I made from watching the presentation in an attempt to help anyone who wishes to watch the presentation. I wanted so very much type up the entire presentation or at least to write up detailed notes. But, in the end, I decided that the one-pager is sufficient 1) since it is primarily what he writes on the white board and 2) since his challenge is not to merely believe him, but instead to read all the passages he references and the psalms he explores and to use his key points as a measuring stick against those laments.
No comments:
Post a Comment