Lament Stories

Look: Mary Magdalene, Giovanni Girolamo Savoldo - Source

Listen*: Cello Suite no.5, IV. Sarabande, J.S. Bach, Yo-Yo Ma - Spotify | YouTube

Read**: Lamentations 3:1-9, 19-24; Psalm 31:1-4, 15-16; 1 Peter 4:1-8; John 19:38-42

Pray: Book of Common Prayer, Collect for Holy Saturday

O God, Creator of heaven and earth: Grant that, as the crucified body of your dear Son was laid in the tomb and rested on this holy Sabbath, so we may await with him the coming of the third day, and rise with him to newness of life; who now lives and reigns with you and the Holy Spirit, one God, for ever and ever. Amen.

Do: Read Into Your Hands I Commit My Spirit by Kimberly McHugh.

Look: Relative Mourns Flight ET 302 Crash Victim, Mulugeta Ayene, Ethiopia, Associated Press. Nominee, World Press Photo of the Year. - Source

“A relative of a victim of the crash of Ethiopian Airlines Flight ET302 throws dirt in her face as she grieves at the crash site of Ethiopian Airlines Flight ET302, outside Addis Ababa, Ethiopia, on 14 March 2019.”

Listen*: Funeral Keening, Hate Forest - Spotify | YouTube

Read**: Isaiah 52:13-53:12; Psalm 22; Hebrews 4:14-16; 5:7-9; John 18:1-19:42

Pray: Book of Common Prayer, Collect for Good Friday

Almighty God, we pray you graciously to behold this your family, for whom our Lord Jesus Christ was willing to be betrayed, and given into the hands of sinners, and to suffer death upon the cross; who now lives and reigns with you and the Holy Spirit, one God, for ever and ever. Amen.

Do: Read It Is Finished by Marcie Walker.

Look: Tabernacle (detail), Denise Kufus Weyhrich - Source

Listen*: Drunkard's Prayer, Over the Rhine - Lyrics | Spotify | YouTube

Read**: Psalm 102; Lamentations 2:10-18; 1 Corinthians 10:14-17, 11:27-32; Mark 14:12-25

Excerpts:

Pray: Book of Common Prayer, Collect for Maundy Thursday

Almighty Father, whose dear Son, on the night before he suffered, instituted the Sacrament of his Body and Blood: Mercifully grant that we may receive it thankfully in remembrance of Jesus Christ our Lord, who in these holy mysteries gives us a pledge of eternal life; and who now lives and reigns with you and the Holy Spirit, one God, for ever and ever. Amen.

Do: Read two reflections on "I Thirst": Kirstin Dowsett (2019) and Brett Alan Dewing (2018).

Look: The Crucifixion(1991), Sadao Watanabe - Source

Listen*: My Mercy, Benedictines of Mary, Queen of Apostles - Lyrics | Spotify | YouTube

Read**: Psalm 6, 12; Lamentations 1:17-22; 2 Corinthians 1:8-22; Mark 11:27-33

Pray: Book of Common Prayer, Collect for Tuesday in Holy Week

O God, by the passion of your blessed Son you made an instrument of shameful death to be for us the means of life: Grant us so to glory in the cross of Christ, that we may gladly suffer shame and loss for the sake of your Son our Savior Jesus Christ; who lives and reigns with you and the Holy Spirit, one God, for ever and ever. Amen.

Do: Read Woman, behold your son. Son, behold your mother. (2019) by Drake Dowsett.

Look: Christ as the Man of Sorrows, Albrecht Durer- Source

Listen*: My God, My God (Psalm 22), Brian Moss - Spotify | YouTube

Read**: Psalm 55; Lamentations 2:1-9; 2 Corinthians 1:23-2:11; Mark 12:1-11

Pray: Book of Common Prayer, Collect for Wednesday in Holy Week

Lord God, whose blessed Son our Savior gave his body to be whipped and his face to be spit upon: Give us grace to accept joyfully the sufferings of the present time, confident of the glory that shall be revealed; through Jesus Christ your Son our Lord, who lives and reigns with you and the Holy Spirit, one God, for ever and ever. Amen.

Do: Read Why Have You Forsaken Me? by Eva Chou (2019).

Look: Good Thief, James B. Janknegt, Unity Hall, Community First! Village, Austin, Texas. - Source | H/T to Art & Theology

Listen*: Remember Me, Andrew Peterson - Lyrics | Spotify | YouTube

Read**: Psalm 51; Lamentations 1:1-2,6-12; 2 Corinthians 1:1-7; Mark 11:12-25

Pray: Book of Common Prayer, Collect for Monday in Holy Week

Almighty God, whose dear Son went not up to joy but first he suffered pain, and entered not into glory before he was crucified: Mercifully grant that we, walking in the way of the cross, may find it none other that the way of life and peace; through Jesus Christ your Son our Lord, who lives and reigns with you and the Holy Spirit, one God, for ever and ever. Amen.

Do: Read Today, You Will Be With Me In Paradise by Walter Wittwer (2019) and join us tonight (Monday) for a conversation about lament.

Look: Maranta Alba-Lineata, from Beautiful Leaved Plants, Edward J. Lowe - Source

Listen*: Hosanna (Be Lifted High), Israel Houghton - Lyrics | Spotify | YouTube

Read**: Psalm 118:1-2, 19-29; Matthew 21:1-11

Pray: Book of Common Prayer, Collect for Palm Sunday

Almighty and everliving God, in your tender love for the human race you sent your Son our Savior Jesus Christ to take upon him our nature, and to suffer death upon the cross, giving us the example of his great humility: Mercifully grant that we may walk in the way of his suffering, and also share in his resurrection; through Jesus Christ our Lord, who lives and reigns with you and the Holy Spirit, one God, for ever and ever. Amen.

Do: Read Father, Forgive Them For They Know Not What They Do by Brian Murphy (written in 2015) and join Brian and me Monday night for a conversation about lament.