Advent is a season of anticipation. It anticipates Christmas and the celebration of Christ’s birth. But it ultimately is a season in which we anticipate his coming again and restoring all things.
And it is a season in which we lament.
Why Lament in Advent?
In order for us to anticipate with longing the coming of Christ, we must recognize why it is we need him to come. That is what laments are-- opportunities for us to speak honestly of our need for a Savior. As long as we pretend everything is just fine we will never appreciate why, for instance, hosts of angels burst into song at his birth.
What is a lament?
Lament is an ancient practice. They riddle the psalms. Some are very dark. But ultimately they are not expressions of despair. Despair assumes that nothing can be done about the mess the world’s in. A lament differs in that it is addressed to God, the source of hope.
By and large, laments follow a basic formula: (1) they begin by
addressing God, (2) they present their complaint (i.e. they tell God
what’s wrong), (3) there is a confession of trust, the author remains
determined to believe in the faithfulness of God, (4) they make a
petition in which they declare what they would like God to do and/or
why God should do it, (5) this is followed by words of assurance,
reminders of God’s goodness and faithfulness, (6) finally they
typically close with a vow of praise. This praise indicates that the
process of lamenting can be healing and cathartic. Things fall back
into perspective.
This is why we are viewing our service as a whole as a lament. Over
the course of the service, we have moved through the formula, from
“addressing God” to vowing praise.
What are we lamenting?
In short, alienation. Humanity was created to live in loving,
life-giving relationship with God, ourselves, one another, and the creation. But we live in a world in which God is hidden, we are
fragmented, our relationships are often tenuous and shallow, and the
creation suffers exploitation.
On December 2 we will lament the alienation we experience from ourselves.
On December 9 we will lament our alienation from God.
On December 16 we will lament our alienation from one another.
On December 23 we will lament our alienation from creation. (This service will be held at Ann Arbor Christian Reformed Church.)
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