Episode Lament--the Church in Crisis
How does the church respond to times of pain and suffering? Author and professor Soong-Chan Rah suggests that, according to Scripture, lament is the appropriate response to the reality of suffering in the world. Yet there seems to be an absence of lament in Western culture Christianity. We tend to want to jump out of grief and lament too quickly, so we can get back to happiness and joy. Explore with Dr. Rah and the Discover the Word group some passages in Jeremiah and Lamentations that can help us regain our sense of God’s justice and compassion.
Chapter 1
The Old Testament books of Jeremiah and Lamentations have a lot to teach us about lament. But with so much pain and suffering in the world, how is mourning an appropriate response for the church? In this chapter, you’ll reflect on lament and how the church should respond during a crisis.
Chapter 2
The Bible tells us to “weep with those who weep,” but it also tells us to “rejoice with those who rejoice.” So how do we balance joy and lament? In this chapter, you’ll learn about how biblical lament and true and lasting joy can co-exist.
Chapter 3
We are all broken people living in a broken world. So what is it exactly that sets Christians apart from everyone else? In this chapter, you’ll consider how sometimes the world needs to see us in our brokenness and lament so there’s no doubt where our hope comes from!
Chapter 4
The book of Lamentations is not necessarily a well-known book of the Bible, but it’s an important one! In this chapter, you’ll discover how the book of Lamentations teaches us about the ongoing work of lament in the church today.
Chapter 5
In America, grief is not something we want to linger on, and we try to move quickly past our difficulties. Is it possible for hope to be part of our lamenting? In this chapter, you’ll be reminded that when facing pain and injustice God gives us reason to hope, even as we lament.