Lamenting the Loss of Lament
December 12, 2003
by Stacey Gleddie
P. Stevens / C. Ringma
Integration Paper
Introduction
Something about music moves us: physically, emotionally, and spiritually.
Pfatteicher asserts that: "In all the world there has apparently never
been a civilization without song". Music is attributed with creative,
healing, and transforming power, and is often seen as connected to emotion.
The church is cognizant of this emotional facet of music, yet in the music
of the modern Western church, the expression of lament is often ignored in
favour of more cheerful emotions. The church's neglect of the element of lament
in corporate worship music is a misrepresentation of the biblical use of lament
music which reaches praise through the mire of distress; this neglect of lament
can lead the church to communicate an unrealistic faith, to be limited in
its ability to provide emotional healing, and to be limited in its ability
to promote social justice.
The Emotionality
of Music
One facet of music is its ability to communicate emotion, and draw people
into that emotional communication. Donald Whittle states that: "Music
begins where words leave off". Music, while carrying words, is able to
move beyond the simple communication of words, to communicate, or even generate
emotion. Begbie hesitates to claim emotion as the only function of music,
but agrees that: "music does seem able to 'express' emotion in remarkably
powerful ways". Scripture records the writing and singing of songs at
times of great emotion, such as the deliverance of Israel at the Red Sea (Ex.
15:1-20), and Elizabeth's confirmation of Mary's pregnancy (Luke 1:39-56).
The largest book of songs in the Bible, the Psalms, are replete with the expression
of every kind of emotion: "the Psalms cover the whole gamut of human
experience from praise to penitence, from quietly confident faith to agonized
perplexity, from joy at the wonder of life in God's world to the struggle
to reach out to a God who seems remote or silent, from bowing humbly before
the mystery of life to bitter and urgent questioning". The communication
of emotion is a major facet of music, which the church cannot afford to ignore
as it continues to explore the meaning of music in worship.
The Need
for Lament in Corporate Worship Music
The modern church seems to have moved away from the expression of the full
gamut of emotions in communal worship. It is no wonder, then, that Sylva asserts:
"Christianity must reclaim the realm of the emotions as a sphere to which
its message has relevance". This reclaiming must take place in the realm
of corporate worship music, which allows the people of God a communal expression
of emotion in worship. "Emotions form an important avenue of expression
of praise and worship to the Creator. Human emotion cannot be neglected by
religion. God is passionate, so through Christ He seeks passionate man".
Humankind is also designed for community. The way we view the world is filtered
communally, and we can only be sure of our own senses by making our perceptions
known, and comparing them with the perceptions of others. Emotions, too, are
inherently communal; we decide how we feel about things through the way we
respond to, and are responded to, by others. If, as communal beings, the very
way we see the world, and the way we experience emotion is essentially communal,
the music we include in our corporate worship, and the emotionality of that
music, is of primary importance. Wohlgemuth asserts: "It is evident that
since man is a psychological being, and since music has this great potential
to influence emotions and thoughts, the Christian should think critically
about how he uses his music. It is an awesome responsibility to use this God-given
tool with care and discretion". Corporate worship music unites the individuals
of a congregation emotionally in a way that nothing else seems to, and when
the church has no communal expression of lament, there is an assumption that
emotions of suffering are inappropriate for the Christian individual. The
church, however, does not seem to be taking up this responsibility: "the
church in recent years has done a remarkably thorough job of ignoring the
psalms of lament". The church has developed a somewhat disturbing tendency
to ignore any emotions not seen as 'positive', especially in music: "few
of the songs of the contemporary renewal movement deal at any depth with such
themes as rebellion against God, anger, social injustice, alienation: the
implied message is frequently one of joy without tears". The neglect
of lament in corporate worship music has resulted in a perception of certain
emotions as unacceptable for the Christian individual.
The Need for
Lament in a Reality-Based Faith
The tendency to view positive emotions as the only acceptable emotions in
communal worship, can lead to a lack of honest, reality based faith. Jones
quips: "not every day is a wonderful day; we don't always enjoy plenty
of sunshine . . . nor are all our feelings wonderful". His statement
sounds obvious, yet it is a reality too frequently ignored by the corporate
worship of the church. McLemore and Brokaw assert: "The idea that emotions
are irrelevant to life, or that they are intrusions into the otherwise smooth
business of living, is perhaps the most tragically mistaken belief currently
alive within Christendom". The reality of life is not a smooth even path
that magically becomes perfect when one turns to Christ: "the experience
of being forgotten, rejected, or even attacked by God has been very real for
people, of all times". When the church ignores lament within public worship,
it essentially denies the harsher realities of life, and faith becomes dependant
on a mood, rather than grounded in reality. "In Christian community both
dimensions of our existence [optimism and honesty] must be in equilibrium
in our conversations together. That way we can identify with each other as
human beings who have needs and failings and desires and motivations, but
we can also see the training and effect of God's action in our lives".
The lack of lament in Christian worship indicates a denial of reality and
suggests a lack of honesty in worship.
The Need
for Lament in the Promotion of Emotional Healing
By denying of the emotional reality of people's lives through neglect of lament
in congregational singing, the church limits its ability to bring emotional
healing. Begbie suggests that the lack of lament in Christian worship implies
a message of "joy without tears". This perception of positive emotions
as the only valid Christian emotions results in a guilty faith and a false
sense of self. The individual cannot ignore the reality of his or her negative
emotions, but is made to feel that these emotions are invalid and even contrary
to a strong faith. Marva Dawn, an individual familiar with the reality of
suffering, discusses the danger of dismissing them: "We dare not be superficial
about this and say, 'Oh, yes, God loves you, so you ought to be happy.' When
others dump the gospel on us like that, not only are we not comforted, but
our guilt is compounded (falsely) that Christians should be able to answer
that ought by cranking up better feelings".
Music is one of the few ways in which emotion can be expressed as a community.
Although there may be very good programs within the church for hurting individuals,
and although there may be fantastic individuals and leaders that are willing
to take the time to listen and validate negative emotions, unless there is
public communal expression of lament in the music of the church, the church
will not be perceived as a place of emotional healing. Marva Dawn states:
"The child who cries in our presence wants us to share in her sadness".
The constant singing of happy songs is somewhat equivalent to laughing at
a child in tears: the reaction of the individual in both cases is one of anger.
The lack of communal musical expression of lament has caused an environment
of guilt and shame in the church by making such emotions seem unacceptable
for Christians, this limits the church's ability to administer emotional healing.
A Personal
Reflection on the Role of Corporate Lament in Healing
At one point in my life, I struggled with depression. Instead of turning to
the church for emotional healing, I stayed away as much as possible. My involvement
as a music leader in my church at that time caused me to closely examine my
reasons for not wanting to be in church. I discovered that, not able to keep
up my smile, the last thing I wanted to do was lead a congregation in singing
a plethora of happy songs that I could not sing with honesty. I struggled
with guilt, about my feelings of despair and anger, and also about whether
it was legitimate for me to be leading music in corporate worship while not
"feeling the joy" of my faith. I vividly recall a conversation with
a friend in which I stated: "If I have to tell one more Christian that
I'm 'fine' I think I will be physically ill". I knew that there were
individual members of my congregation that would be sympathetic of and sensitive
to my emotional state. However, the lack of lament in corporate worship music
drove me away by making me feel that all the worship I was able to offer was
simply unacceptable. I felt that it was unallowable for me to be anything
but "happy" during corporate worship, and as I could not portray
that image honestly, I chose to stay as far away as possible.
I began reading the psalms, and studying scripture portraying suffering. In
my private study, I came to the conclusion that lament is an essential musical
element of communal worship. I shared my thoughts with my pastor and, with
his support, began to implement lament in my leading. I have seen more individuals
touched through honest public lament than I have through exuberant expression
of praise. Almost every time someone has approached me to speak of how they
were ministered to by the music in a service, it has been because of songs
that expressed something other than joy, happiness and thanksgiving.
The Need
for Lament in Intercession on Behalf of the Oppressed
The lack of lament in congregational music not only limits the church's ability
to administer emotional healing, but also its ability to intercede for social
justice. Newbigin suggests: "A Christian congregation is defined by this
twofold relation: it is God's embassy in a specific place". This idea
of the church as an embassy indicates a congregational responsibility to the
surrounding community. The church's apparent denial of suffering, as expressed
by the neglect of lament in public worship, places her on decidedly shaky
ground with the outside world. "The gospel does not come as a disembodied
message, but as the message of a community which claims to live by it and
which invites others to adhere to it, the community's life must be so ordered
that it 'makes sense' to those who are invited . . . Those to whom it is addressed
must be able to say, 'yes, I see. This is true for me, for my situation' ".
If a congregation is unable or unwilling to recognise the reality of suffering
in their corporate worship, they will be unable minister to it. McCann states:
"In sociological terms, the laments represent the simple observation
that 'life isn't right,' thus raising the issue of justice and again avoiding
a passivity that simply accepts or reinforces the status quo". Through
songs of lament, the church acts as intercessor for the greater community,
especially for the oppressed. "The laments challenge us to locate our
pain, the pain of others, the pain of the world, and to make all this the
subject of our prayers". In his book: "Why, O Why, Lord?" Zephania
Kameeta, a pastor in Namibia, includes an Otjimbingu song of lament which
speaks of the pain of apartheid: "Why, O why, Lord? Why don't you answer
when we cry out to you? How long will you remain passive, looking silently
at our agony and our tears? The yoke has become unendurable". With vivid
and current images, this song goes on to map the pain of the people of Namibia
as the pastor and his congregation cry out to God on behalf of the oppressed.
In this profound calling out of the midst of darkness, there is a spur to
social justice that is not present in many Western churches today. The church
seems to have lost sight of the suffering of the world. This can be seen in
the lack of lament songs in worship, resulting in a crippling of the church's
ability to fight for social justice.
A Biblical
Precedent for Lament in Corporate Worship Music
The lack of lament in corporate worship does not follow biblical precedent.
Nowhere in scripture are Christians promised a life of happiness: "Worship
is not simply a panacea of "happy songs" to cure forever our being
downcast". In the book of Psalms, laments outnumber other types of psalms.
Psalm 88 is perhaps the most vivid in its description of despair: "Here
there is no certainty that the psalmist's prayers are answered, no evidence
that he finds healing shared with others in thanksgiving . . . we journey
here with the psalmist into the dark night of his soul, and the darkness is
deep". This psalm does not deny the harsh realities of the psalmist's
life, but in pouring them out into the ear of God "mirrors the experience
of countless men and women of faith across the centuries and highlights the
spiritual tension with which many people have to grapple today". It is
the only psalm that starts and finishes in bleak despair and Davidson states:
"We have no right to stand in condemnation of such darkness, nor to seek
to scatter it with glib theological answers . . . this is not sadness but
honesty. This is not the most tragic song, but one which is wrestling with
the discordant jarring notes that shatter the human melody and warning us
that for many the resolution is not yet". Emotions such as despair, grief,
anger are commonly expressed in the lament psalms, illustrating the strong
biblical precedent for musical lament in communal worship.
The Need for
Lament in Praise
The most common argument against the musical expression of negative emotions
in the corporate worship of the church is that Christians, having so much
to be thankful for, should be constantly full of praise. The honest expression
of sorrow and despair, however, does not take away from the spirit of praise,
but adds to it in greater measure. Brueggemann asserts that: "the proper
setting of praise is as lament resolved". The honest expression of suffering
does not feed depression, but can actually multiply praise. Thankfulness is
increased ten-fold when one knows from what they are being saved, and dependence
on God becomes greater when an individual is undergoing suffering. Anderson
understands the lament psalms as being characterized by confidence that God's
will can bring about change in the situation. Paradoxically, this reflects
a stronger faith than does the denial of suffering. Anderson goes on to draw
a difference between lament and lamentation. He defines lamentation as grief
over the unchangeable, and lament as a plea to change a desperate situation:
"they raise a cry out of the depths in the confidence that God has the
power to lift a person out of the 'miry bog' and set one's feet upon a rock".
Lament, then, need not leave a feeling of hopeless despair, but will (eventually
if not immediately) lead into praise of the one who is able to bring about
change. Even Psalm 88, which contains no obvious resolution, seems to hold
out some hope. Although there is no perceived answer, the psalmist is praying,
and praying to someone. McCann states: "To read Psalm 88 reminds us that
even when we stand in utter darkness, we do not stand alone. We stand with
the psalmist of old. We stand with Christ on the cross". Newbigin puts
it another way: "the gospel offers an understanding of the human situation
which makes it possible to be filled with a hope which is both eager and patient
even in the most hopeless situations". It is the sharing of these common
and real emotions in music that brings the people of God together in the hope
of change. "The composers of the psalms brought the difficulties which
they encountered and the anguish which they experienced into the light cast
by their religious traditions. They found in these correlations of tradition
and experience the means to live trustingly and confidently rather than giving
in to anxiety and despair". The more frequent inclusion of laments in
congregational singing would result not in despair on the part of the congregation,
but in a shared expression of real and common emotions, leading to a greater
understanding of praise and the hope to come.
Conclusion
The modern church, in spite of strong biblical precedent for lament, has neglected
lament in corporate worship music. This has resulted in a presentation of
faith that is distanced from the realities of life, a limiting of the potential
for emotional healing within the church, and a lack of intercession by the
church on the behalf of the oppressed. There is a weighty biblical precedent
for the public expression of lament which indicates that, while suffering
is a reality on earth, there is yet hope, and praise can flow naturally out
of the very expression of that suffering. The church needs to re-evaluate
the use of music in corporate worship, renewing the expressions of lament
that have been lost. Brueggemann states: "Both psychological inauthenticity
and social immobility may be derived from the loss of these texts. If we care
about authenticity and justice, the recovery of these texts is urgent".
The church of the future should be a place of hope, in which emotion can be
expressed freely, and communally in song that glorifies God in the expression
of both joy and sorrow.
CONTENTS
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Great Commission Worship & Arts Center