Lamenting Our Brokenness

Starting on June 22, Grace’s education time on Wednesday evenings after Vespers (7:30 – 9:30 pm) will be focusing on a most unusual book of the Bible – Lamentations. This book, for the few who are even aware of it, may be the single most challenging read in all of Scriptures, and is rarely studied, written about, or read in church. But Lamentations is a terribly important book, and should not be ignored or overlooked just because the story it tells is hard and uncompromising.

Newsflash: We are human, and therefore experience pain. Right? Life can be very difficult at times, and even having faith in a loving God does not prevent us from experiencing that pain. How can we not only survive these times, but actually find grace in them and grow through them? Lamentations has deep insights into these questions.

Lamentations tells the story of a people who suffered in unimaginable ways; who grieved with everything that was in them; who demanded answers of a God who was frustratingly silent; who eventually came to a place of spiritual maturity. Their story has an enormous amount to tell us today about what it means to suffer, how to grieve effectively, and how to remain spiritually focused through difficult times.

This series is actually an extended, interactive retreat, with each weekly class depending on the others for an understanding of the whole, so a commitment for the full 6-week period is encouraged.

“Lamenting Our Brokenness: Grace in the Book of Lamentations,” written by our own Laura Bourdo back in 2006, was first produced as a similar retreat at Grace over 4 years ago, with over 20 enthusiastic participants. We look forward to producing it again, and reaching even more people. There is no charge for the materials provided, including the full text of Laura’s book, but we need to know how many people to expect, so a sign-up sheet is available in the fellowship hall after services, or you can email Laura at LauraBourdo@comcast.net to register.

If you have experienced pain and loss, have struggled with faith during these times, or still suffer from confusion, anger, or depression about even old pain in your life, this study series might be just what you need. Join us on June 22, and for the next 5 Wednesdays until July 27, and find the luminous grace in perhaps the darkest story of the Bible. If we can find God’s grace there, we must believe that is can be found anywhere – even in our own darkest places.