This sermon focuses on Psalms of Lament with Psalm 90 as an example of communal lament. It is important to learn to pray laments (prayers of despair and anguish that capture the depth of human emotion, ask for God's intervention, and trust in His action). There are two types of lament (personal and corporate). When we don't lament, things back up and overflow into other parts of our lives making us angry. Proper and regular lament leads to spiritual and mental health. These types of prayers let us cry out to God instead of directing our negative emotions towards others. How do we pray these prayers? Pastor Grant gives us four parts/steps... 1) Address God. 2) Describe the reality, experience, or complaint to God. Give voice to it. 3) Make a request of God. By doing so you begin to name and own part of the solution. Be specific about the help you need. 4) An expression of trust in God to act. Communal laments are important because they connect us to our neighbours (those we see as other). We can cry out to God for the brokenness we see in our world, ask Him to intervene, and trust that He will. Corporate laments can be an antidote to a culture of anger and rage.
