When Lamenting, Sing!

Written by Ryan Foglesong | Pastor of Corporate Worship

As a freshman in college, I remember sitting in History of American Music, a remedial survey class, surrounded by fellow aspiring music majors chatting and getting to know one another as we anticipated the bell to initiate our first session. As class began and without warning, the instructor entered, hushed us, fired up the speakers, and turned down the lights. After a moment of scratchy static, we were immersed in the metallic sliding and plucking of an acoustic guitar accompanying the melancholy vocals of Robert Johnson. With the remaining time, we explored the ins and outs of the musical genre we came to know as the blues. 

The blues originated in the Deep South following the Civil War, a creative musical invention of the African-American community incorporating elements from traditional spirituals, work songs, responsive chants, and narrative ballads. Before these songs were called the blues, they served as a way for the community to come together and commiserate over their shared struggles and persecution while holding onto the hope of a better future, often referencing the biblical story of Israel’s exodus from Egypt.

As the genre evolved and gained popularity in the early 20th century, so did the lyrics. The blues began to reference painful circumstances that anyone could face, yet tempered with hope in overcoming those challenges and looking forward to victory over adversity. Many passionate proponents assert that the blues stand as the unparalleled wellspring from which the mighty currents of popular American music have flowed. 

Although the blues constitute a relatively recent genre, tailored to express both lament and hope, the exercise of singing to elevate our emotions and fix our eyes on a hopeful future during a season of sorrow is far from novel. This practice is woven throughout scripture, finding a poignant expression, especially in the Psalms, where the Israelite songwriters, like King David, pour out their most profound fears and frustrations.

“Yet, amid their emotional turmoil, they resolutely invoke the steadfast love and faithfulness of their Creator, Almighty God, who stands as their guardian, offering solace and comfort in the face of adversity from within and without.”

The format for numerous Psalms centered on suffering consists of an honest articulation of lament intertwined with theological hope. Consider Psalm 42 and see the pattern:

Lament:

[3] My tears have been my food day and night, while they say to me all the day long, "Where is your God?"

Hope:

[4] These things I remember, as I pour out my soul: how I would go with the throng and lead them in procession to the house of God with glad shouts and songs of praise, a multitude keeping festival. 

Lament: 

[5a] Why are you cast down, O my soul, and why are you in turmoil within me?

Hope: 

[5b] Hope in God; for I shall again praise him, my salvation [6] and my God.

Lament: 

[7] Deep calls to deep at the roar of your waterfalls; all your breakers and your waves have gone over me.

Hope: 

[8] By day the LORD commands his steadfast love, and at night his song is with me, a prayer to the God of my life.

Lament: 

[11a] Why are you cast down, O my soul, and why are you in turmoil within me?

Hope:

[11b]Hope in God; for I shall again praise him, my salvation and my God. 

As a Christ-follower, expressing grief leads to the strengthening of hope. The song of lament that lays bare its sorrow before God's gracious throne serves as a potent workout for the muscles of living hope (1 Thes. 4:13). However, those muscles must be tethered to strong bones, foundations rooted in the belief that our all-powerful and compassionate God has saved our souls, will deliver us from evil, and restore us to a state of unbridled praise. Without that theological core, however, expressing pain might be emotionally cathartic, but misses the point that God is listening and is seeking to transform our sorrow into joy (Psalm 30:11; John 16:20). 

Reflect upon the posture of our hearts that finds favor in the eyes of the Lord, as revealed in Psalm 51:17: "The sacrifices of God are a broken spirit; a broken and contrite heart, O God, you will not despise." Furthermore, consider the promise he extends to those who come before him with such an attitude, as stated in Psalm 147:3: "He heals the brokenhearted and binds up their wounds." Therefore, our singing must mirror the truth that God not only holds authority over our hardships, but also stands alongside us within them. 

So when it comes to the venue to express our highest praise and deepest pain, the gathering of God's people on a Sunday provides the perfect environment. It's the beginning of a new week; your church family surrounds you - all in different states of sanctification, stages of life, and areas of struggle. Here, God means for you, with your particular story and burdens, to find your voice among the "choir" and feel at home. After all, your pain is a part of you.

“It seems odd to pretend we can escape the troubles we've been bearing all week, but it's entirely appropriate to bring them before our God in the presence of his people and worship genuinely with all the baggage that may be weighing on us.”

As one who helps organize our order of service on Sundays, I am responsible for providing language and a musical pathway for both lament and celebration! The church needs songs that contain gravity and gladness, pain and praise, as composed and outlined so well in the Israelite's songbook, the Psalms. A well-balanced service will earn and reach the celebrative peaks of joy only once we have spent time remembering the profound depths of spiritual suffering from which we have been rescued in Christ. 

My encouragement to you is to belt out the blues when you come into our gathering. If your spiritual tank is empty, sing with all that you have left and experience the Lord filling your cup with hope. If you have been asking the Lord, "How come?" all week, let your tearful singing remind your soul of the sure and glorious reality of Heaven that transforms your question into "How long, O Lord?". If you have felt isolated in your pain, listen to the ragged melody of a suffering brother or sister next to you and be reminded that you are not alone. 

 And after you have suffered a little while, the God of all grace, who has called you to his eternal glory in Christ, will himself restore, confirm, strengthen, and establish you. To him be the dominion forever and ever. Amen. (1 Peter 5:10–11 ESV)