We Lament Together

In a darkened room, a child with light brown skin and short straight black hair sits at a window that is splattered with raindrops. The child is wearing a red garment of some sort, and is holding their hand out near the window with their right index finger extended. Outside the window, all we can see is a green blur suggesting plants or trees.

Introduction

This is an interactive Time for All Ages originally shared during a worship service focused on the psalms of lament. Materials needed:

  • a large piece of newsprint stuck on the wall
  • 5 colored markers
  • 1 volunteer to write

Script

This morning we’re reflecting on lament… can anyone tell me what it means to lament?
[Wait for responses from kids, then adults. Summarize and clarify their answers as:]

To passionately express grief or sorrow.

Through the ancient Hebrew scriptures, we learn that the people of Israel expressed their laments in communal worship to the God of their understanding. This tradition was an affirmation that God could handle receiving their praise and gratitude and love, and also their anger, hurt, sorrow, and questioning. They didn’t have to hide the hard feelings.

While in UU churches we don’t ALL pray, or pray to a God, or use the word “God” to describe that which we feel connected to beyond ourselves, I still think there’s a deep wisdom in the tradition of the psalms… of expressing the deepest hurts and longings of our hearts, even if we’re not sure of the “whom” in to whom it may concern.

The different types of psalms (lament, thanksgiving, and praise) have different structures. The structure of a lament often includes 4 parts in this order:

  1. Turning… to the Divine as you understand it, with the hard things you have to say…
  2. Complaining… (that one’s pretty straight forward!)…
  3. Asking… for help, to feel the presence of Love, for justice… and
  4. Trusting… making the choice to have faith that you will be held in Love no matter what you are going through.

Using a modification of this structure—turn, complain, ask, trust—we’re going to write a lament together that reflects the struggles and needs of our own gathered community this morning.

I’ll read each element, and I’d like you to share your responses aloud, which I’ll repeat for those on Zoom to hear, and [name of volunteer] will write them down on the poster board. [Have the volunteer use a different color for each of the 5 parts.]

  • Part 1: Some things that are going on in the world or our lives that are hard… [Volunteer writes shares on poster]
  • Part 2: This makes me feel… [Volunteer writes shares on poster]
  • Part 3: And yet, this I know to be true about love… [Volunteer writes shares on poster]
  • Part 4: Because of that, I will… [Volunteer writes shares on poster]
  • Part 5: Spirit of Life/God/Great Mystery/Love please… ([Volunteer writes shares on poster]

Now I’m going to read out our shared lament:

  • This is what’s going on in the world and in our lives… [Read from poster]
  • It makes us feel… [Read from poster]
  • And YET, we know these things to be true… [Read from poster]
  • And so, we will… [Read from poster]
  • Divine love, please help us to… [Read from poster]
  • Amen.

May we remember that all of our feelings—even the anger, hurt, grief, longing, and sorrow—are held in care by the love that surpasses our understanding and by this beloved community. And may we rest in the knowledge that all of how we feel and all of who we are is holy.

[Transition / invite kids & youth to RE session]