Psalm 77 and psalm by confi rmation class


Reader A: I yell out to my God, Reader B: I yell with all my might, Reader C: I yell at the top of my lungs. (v. 1)


Reader 1: Dear Lord, God Almighty Reader 2: People are homeless. Reader 3: Children have no food. Reader 1: We have to pay taxes. Reader 2: We struggle with debt. Reader 3: People fi ght over money.


Reader A: I found myself in trouble and went looking for my Lord; (v. 2)


Reader B: I remember God – and shake my head. Reader C: I bow my head – then wring my hands. (v. 3)


All 3:


I’m awake all night – not a wink of sleep. (v. 4)


Psalm 77.8


Reader 1: Help us get rid of debt. Reader 2: Help us get a job. Reader 3: Help us take care of children. Reader 1: Help us fi nd good men out there.


Reader A: You’re the God who makes things happen; Reader B: You showed everyone what you can do. (v. 14)


Reader C: You pulled your people out of the worst kind of trouble. (v. 15)


Reader 2: God, I know you can provide for me in my need.


Reader 3: You give help. Readers 1, 2, 3: We can trust that you will make every- thing better.


All 6: I yell out to my God; I yell with all my might; I yell at the top of my lungs. (v. 1)


I had a dozen copies


of their lament printed, which we read antiphonally. I asked permis- sion to use their lament in the Sat- urday night and Sunday traditional services and they agreed.9 I also teach a confi rmation


Andona Kumondan shares his lament in worship


pathos and humor, connected with struggles common to most of us. T ese three off erings led to a profound discussion about prayer and whether or not we should only pray for others like corpo- rate laments; and if it is selfi sh to express our personal needs and complaints. T en I led the group through


the readers and put them in black ___________________________________________________________________________________________________ folders for presentation. 24


a process to create a lament. I typed their off erings into a format framed with selected verses from


youth from many cultures under- stand complaint. Additionally, al- though many of these youth were born in the United States, their families have endured the hor- rors of war in Sudan; their parents know fi rst-hand what it means to trust God through ordeals in Sudan, and as refugees in the United States and other countries. Not one of them questioned taking personal complaints and requests to God. I asked, “What are issues


class to middle school and high school youth whose families are refugees from Sudan. I followed the same basic pattern teaching them about lament psalms. T e youth are used to breaking up into small groups for Bible study and individual work; they completed the psalm study quickly and each wrote a personal lament. Middle and high school


that we could write about in a complaint psalm that you could share in worship?” T ey picked three: world hunger, child abuse and money; and settled on money. T ey weren’t afraid to complain and their requests are bold and honest. “Help us get rid of debt; help us fi nd good men out there.”


Preparing and rehearsing the lament for worship


One member of the


women’s psalm class agreed to be part of a reader’s theater group for our Saturday night service and two more agreed to be readers at the 9:30 traditional service. I didn’t want to make them attend a re- hearsal outside of class or worship time, so I divided up the lament, and gave them parts that did not require rehearsal. I recruited ad- ditional adult and youth readers, assigned parts needing rehearsal to them, and we rehearsed. I also rehearsed with the youth from the confi rmation class. I highlighted the lines for


January-February 2014 • WorshipArts • www.UMFellowship.org


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