How long, O Lord? Will you forget me forever?
How long will you hide your face from me?
How long must I bear pain in my soul,
and have sorrow in my heart all day long?  

Psalm 13:1-2

We all experience seasons of grief and loss. We all know at some level the anguish and pain of the psalmist as he cries out “How long? How long must things remain like this?” At some level we all can identify with the feeling that God has forgotten us or that God’s face has been hidden from our sight. The pain we bear deep in our soul and the sorrow in our heart seem to last the whole day long. We have all felt something like this at some point in our lives.

When we cry out in anguish, name our losses and bring our grief before God we practice the biblical form of prayer known as lament. 

There are so many losses, large and small, to lament these days, both in our world and in our own lives. We are lamenting the loss of so much from this past year: the loss of “normal” life, the loss of opportunities for connection that keep us going, the loss of the illusion that we have control over our lives. We lament the loss of rituals such as funerals and weddings which help us mark the seasons of our lives. We lament the loss of our robust worship life here at Grace. And then there are the very particular losses of loved ones due to covid and other circumstances.

In our world there is much to lament as well, whether it be political polarization, the continued marginalization and pain experienced by people of color in our country, or the rising anxiety related to climate change. All these things and more cause us to cry out, “How long, O Lord?”

We need to lament. It is good for us bring our grief and pain before God and place all of our losses before our crucified and risen Savior who sees us and loves us completely. God finds us in our prayers of lament, not with quick fixes or easy answers, but in offering God’s own self with the promise that even here there is hope for a future that is held in this God’s hands—hands that hold us today and always. 

Pastor Troy Medlin

You are invited to bring your sorrows and losses to a Service of Lament and Prayer at Grace on Wednesday, May 5, at 7pm. We will sit in contemplation and prayer, hear Scripture, offer prayers, and light candles. There will also be an opportunity to be prayed for individually, if you choose. 

Join us in person (register here) or via livestream.