Wednesday, September 10, 2014
Lamentation
Awhile back @ Boars Head Tavern they had a discussion about the place of grief and lament in a church service.
I am reminded of one of the principles of AA:
This is, in fact, an appropriate use of time in the Sunday service.
Sunday services hitting bottom lament
It is basically a worship service where it’s ok to not be ok. I know they should all be like that and what not, but it is an opportunity through the liturgy to provide space for grief.That set me to thinking about how often in this modern age we ignore the bad news that makes us need the good news.
I am reminded of one of the principles of AA:
For those suffering from the disease of alcoholism it seems to be an almost universal truth that before things can get better, they have to get worse -- sometimes a lot worse.The church is in such a hurry to tell us the good news of Christ that we never take the time to explore our need for Christ. We are never allowed to "hit bottom." Christ is presented as the answer to what we perceive as our problem, but we never truly examine the actual problem nor its genuine consequences. Like the alcoholic that thinks his tough boss or cheating wife is the reason for his drinking, we are never confronted directly with our sinfulness - nor its consequences, grief being one of them. To truly find the right we need to come to lament the wrong in us. It needs to be examined.
They call it "hitting bottom"
This is, in fact, an appropriate use of time in the Sunday service.
Sunday services hitting bottom lament
