Recovering the Practice of Lament
The church desperately needs to recover the practice of lament. But what exactly are we asking for?
The call for lament echoes throughout the pages of Scripture. This ever-present genre shaped the lives of ancient communities, and it should shape the practices of churches today. And yet contemporary Christian communities often don't know how to engage texts of lament in their contexts. In a world experiencing so much pain, a recovery of biblical lament is more necessary than ever.
In Walking with God Through the Valley, Old Testament scholar May Young offers a guide for readers to engage lament texts both in their church communities and in their personal lives.Drawing deeply from key passages in Scripture, including the Psalms, Habakkuk, and Lamentations, Young posits that true lament must come out of a deep understanding of the biblical text. Through practicing lament in our own lives, we can move through pain and suffering and experience God's renewed hope.
Table of Contents:
Acknowledgments
1. Introduction
Part 1: Helpful Context for Understanding Biblical Lament
2. The Genre of Lament
3. Biblical Lament in the Ancient Near Eastern World
4. The Purpose of Lament
Part 2:Practicing Lament for Various Situations
5. Lament and Sin/Repentance
6. Lament and Doubt/Questions
7. Lament and Injustice/Unfair Circumstances and Anger
8. Lament and Loneliness/Abandonment
9. Lament and Sickness/Physical Pain
10. Lament and Death/Loss
11. Conclusion
Scripture Index
About the Author :
May Young (PhD, Trinity Evangelical Divinity School) is associate professor of biblical studies and chairs the Department of Biblical Studies, Christian Ministries, Intercultural Studies, and Philosophy at Taylor University. She has contributed toseveral volumes focused on lament, including Reading the Psalms Theologically (Lexham) and World Christianity and COVID-19: Discourses and Perspective (Routledge). She is a member of the Evangelical Theological Society and the Society of Biblical Literature and serves on the board of directors of the Institute of Biblical Research, as well as the editorial board for Sacred Roots.
Review :
"Walking with God Through the Valley: Recovering the Purpose of Biblical Lament is a carefully woven tapestry centered on an undervalued but oh-so essential thread of life—lament. Dr. Young skillfully amplifies the promised healing and liberation revealed when we lean into personal and communal lament. Readers will see that recovering biblical lament avails us to the healing, humility, and hindsight our soul longs to posture."
Lori E. Banfield, lecturer of psychology and practical theology at Eastern University and author of Walking Worthy of My Calling: Journey Back to the Likeness of God
"A fantastic book! Not only do we learn more about lament, but we are propelled through personal examples to practice lament individually and communally. May this book help the church recover lament as a central part of life with God."
Andrew Abernethy, professor of Old Testament at Wheaton College
"With a distinctive combination of academic expertise and pastoral sensitivity, Dr. May Young offers the church a great gift: an invitation and guide to the practice of lament. This is a clear, readable, and compassionate book, and it will offer comfort to those who are grieving and wisdom for those who walk alongside them."
Aubrey E. Buster, associate professor of Old Testament at Wheaton College
"Dr. May Young has given us a rare book on lament in the Old Testament which is biblically grounded and pastorally wise. She writes not only as a scholar of the subject but also as a practitioner who shares movingly from her own experiences and those of fellow sufferers. Every spiritual leader should read this book to walk more closely with God in times of trouble!"
Jerry Hwang, associate professor of theology at Trinity Christian College
"This book is a captivating introduction to the concept of biblical lament. May Young achieves a brilliant feat in explaining to the reader—especially the reader unfamiliar with this concept—lament's nature, function, and purpose and the need for the practice of lament in the church today. Speaking from her heart, May shares snippets of her own experience and that of others in order to show how lament can bring people closer to God. Her pastoral concern and desire to help believers discover and embrace the power of lament in the midst of incomprehensible suffering is noticeable throughout the book."
Yacouba Sanon, assistant professor of Old Testament at Alliance Theological Seminary in Côte d'Ivoire in West Africa
"In this stimulating and accessible study, May Young explores the misunderstood and underused genre of lament in the Bible with an eye to making lament come to life for both individuals and the corporate church as a whole. Drawing on her own personal experiences of loss, frustration, and anger, she shows that laments are not merely about 'sadness,' but that they can be a rich resource in many different situations, including sin and repentance, doubt, anger, loneliness, sickness and pain, death and loss. Her title well captures the running thread that she traces through the laments: that God walks with us throughout, and we are not alone. I highly recommend this book!"
David M. Howard, Jr., professor of Old Testament at Bethlehem College and Seminary in Minneapolis, Minnesota
"May Young's book speaks to the heart, the head, and the hands. This book shows how lament addresses a profound need in the church and in our lives to share our deepest and hardest feelings with God. Young combines meaningful stories of pain, loss, and hope with solid biblical insights about the history and theology of lament, its place in the Bible, and its purpose in our lives today. By offering reflection questions and suggestions for individual and corporate lament practices, every reader is encouraged to participate. This book will be a valuable gift to students and congregations alike!"
Beth Stovell, professor of Old Testament and chair of general theological studies at Ambrose University in Alberta, Canada
"May Young's Walking with God Through the Valley makes a distinctive contribution to the literature on lament. Her sensitive, comprehensive look at the many faces of sorrow and suffering offers a fresh, accessible resource for dealing with times of anguish, both in our worshipping communities and in private devotions. Dr. Young's scholarship and depth of personal experience provide an insightful guide for dealing with the raw realities of life in a way that brings renewed understanding of God's goodness and steadfast love. Her book will benefit and encourage readers in both church and academy."
Dennis R. Magary, professor of Old Testament and Semitic languages at Trinity Evangelical Divinity School
"This is the book on lament that we've been waiting for and need. May Young merges her extensive study on biblical lament with profoundly personal applications for the individual and the community. The practice of lament is the missing link for many in healing from suffering, trauma, and pain. Young guides us through an understanding of biblical lament as a way forward, a guide to process with God the injustices and sorrows of life. Her work is timely, honest, and accessible."
Ingrid Faro, professor of Old Testament at Northern Seminary
