“Grieving and lamenting the loss of the present prepares us for the arrival of the new.

Lamenting allows us to greet the arrival of the new as a gift, not a threat.”

~ Rev. Bryan Massingale

A life of faith is lived in joy and sorrow, praise and petition. Inspired by the Joy of the Gospel, we often focus on praising God. But this can leave us without avenues to bring our lament into faithful experience and expression. Our grief and sorrow wait unattended, not permitted in the presence of God, and we suffer more for it. Our lament, given voice, can lead us to a praise more profound than we knew before our sorrow, as the Psalms often remind us.

Come join us for a communal workshop where we can learn and experience ways of bringing our whole selves, including our lament, into our worship of God. Praise, lament, petition, and praise will all renew our faith and our living.

“There is a difference between lament and despair. This distinction is vital. You are so much more than your pain. And the world, for all its terror, is awake with tremendous beauty. We cannot allow sorrow to become anymore real to us than the glory of the night sky, the laughter around our kitchen tables. Lament should be an invitation, not an unwelcome guest.”

~ Cole Arthur Riley