Performing the lamen
nt T e lament from the women’s
Bible study is more formal and refl ective about the problems of money in their lives and society. T e youths’ lament is short and bold. T e more formal lament from the Bible study class was presented at our Saturday night service and at our 9:30 traditional service. T e youths’ lament was performed at our contemporary service and our Sudanese service. Another young man also read his personal lament in the Sudanese service. We heard positive com- ments about the reader’s theater and the performers appreciated the group eff ort. Performing the reader’s
theater lament gave worshippers an opportunity to see and hear the frustrations and pain of life brought to God. I believe that the process of creating the laments together and the rich discussions about
praying honestly to God with our complaints and requests was as important as performing the lament in worship. Creating and perform- ing reader’s theatre laments dem- onstrates that authentic prayer and worship can honestly bring life’s agonies, as well as joys, before God.
NOTES 1 Don Saliers, “T e Psalms in Worship Over Time,” keynote address, and “T e Psalms as a ‘Double Journey’” Seminar, Inspiration 2013, July 17, 2013, Pittsburgh, PA.
2 See “‘My God, My God, Why?’ Understand- ing the Lament Psalms” by Stacey Gleddie- smith, Reformed Worship: June 2010, Number 96, 3-5. Her article is a helpful source for introducing the lament form to a Bible study for youth and/or adults.
3 “Five on the Fiſt h” is a monthly feature available from T e Fellowship at
www.UMFellowship.org.
4 “‘Lead Me to the Rock,’ Passion Service with Reader’s T eater” by Feddema; Sonya Vanderveen, Reformed Worship 98, December 2010, 6-8.
5 Walter Brueggemann calls these Psalms of Orientation, Psalms of Disorientation and Psalms of New Orientation (or Re- Orientation), but I fi nd the basic terms of praise, lament, and thanksgiving work well. See Spirituality of the Psalms by Walter Brueggemann, (Minneapolis: Fortress, 2002).
nual C
6 I used the article by Stacey Gleddiesmith as a resource for teaching about lament and the components of Psalm 22.
7 We have taught that it is alright to cry out for injustice and hunger, but our own personal complaints are seen as an act of unfaith.
8 We read Psalm 77 antiphonally from the hymnal as an opening devotion. T ese verses were from T e Message translation. T ey thought it sounded like a diff erent psalm.
9 You could add a step of editing the lament prior to presenting it in worship, but I wanted to include the direct, honest communication from their hearts and to demonstrate that their ideas were worthy to share in worship.
Fellowship member THERESA
m T
Annual Conference
MASON, Ph.D., is an elder in the Great Plains e of The United
M is th
Methodist Church. She serves as the senior pastor of Trinity United Methodist Church and is part of the Pastoral Leadership Team of the UM4GI Cooperative Parish in Grand Island, NE. She is chair of The Fellowship’s Drama Interest Area.
New for Lent and Easter
What Wondrous Love Is This Matthew Culloton SATB divisi, a cappella 50-3202 $1.85
Hosanna! The King Comes Today! Emily Lund SAB and Piano 50-3930 $1.70
O Sacred Head, Now Wounded Thomas Keesecker SATB and Piano 50-3086 $1.85
Drop, Drop, Slow Tears Philip W. J. Stopford SATB and Organ 50-3079 $1.70
Beneath the Cross of Jesus Mark Shepperd SATB and Piano 50-3465 $1.85
If You Love Me René Clausen SATB a cappella 50-3101
$1.70
Christ the Lord Is Risen Today Lynne K. Pickett SSATB or SAATB a cappella 50-4056 $1.85
Christ Is Risen! Alleluia! Michael D. Costello Unison Treble Voices, Oboe, Tambourine, Organ 50-4360 $1.70
Spring Bursts Today Alfred V. Fedak SATB and Organ 50-4802 $1.85
Christ Is Risen! Shout Hosanna! Jeremy J. Bankson SATB and Organ, opt. Congregation, Handbells, Brass, Timpani, Cymbals 60-4062 $1.70
View PDF pages and listen to complete audio recordings for each anthem at
www.morningstarmusic.com.
__________________________________________________________________________________________________ January-February 2014 • WorshipArts •
www.UMFellowship.org
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