Language of Lament -Can A Christian Sing The Blues?

The IMonk teaches us about the Biblical language of lament at Can A Christian Sing The Blues?

Lament is a form of language used THROUGHOUT THE BIBLE (excuse the shouting) when human beings respond to their experience of God seeming to not keep his covenant promises to them. Lament is “Where are you Lord? What are you doing? Why are you against me? How could you let this happen? I did what you commanded, and now this? My life is miserable. Where is God?” If you’re like most Christians, you know this stuff is in the Bible, but your pastor never gets near it at the risk of a deacons meeting to ask why he’s lost his faith.

Lament is a kind of mourning, and it’s a very legitimate and common Biblical form of prayer. It’s part of how the Bible teaches us to pray and worship. It sounds radical in the Bible, and it sounds downright dangerous in contemporary usage.

Read the whole thing- He has some great examples and paraphrases of Jeremiah's laments. Jeremiah, "the Weeping Prophet," knew how to lament!

For more on this topic read C.s. Lewis' book Reflections on the Psalms.