Discussion Prompt: How Should We Then Suffer?
The Hebrew name for the book of Psalms is Tehillim, or “Praises.” Perhaps this is what we might expect from a book that concludes its very final chapter, “Let everything that has breath praise the LORD! Praise the LORD!!” (Ps 150:6, English Standard Version). It often strikes modern readers as shocking when they find out the single most prolific genre in the Psalter is “lament.” A lament is basically an expression of woe, a realistic examination of the writer’s tough situation, and a raw depiction of the author’s desperation. And get this: This is the liturgical book of Israel! They sang these songs, often in corporate worship!
With this in mind, answer the following questions:
- Why do you suppose there are more laments than anything else in a book titled “Praises”?
- How do the expressions of lament in the Psalms differ from modern expressions of laments, even from your own laments?
- Think about your life experience. First, has your background encouraged or discouraged lamenting in your life? Why?
- What do you think would be the impact of regularly incorporating lament into your life? What would it look like? What might be some challenges?
