Wow! I cannot believe that it has been almost 4 months since I published a blog post. In the last 5 months I have finished my first year of seminary, studied for the Bible Content Exam (I take the exam on September 1st), preached twice, gotten married, and started intensive biblical Greek class.
On May 15th, which was Mother's Day, I preached for my first time. I preached on Ruth 1:15-22 at St. Andrew Presbyterian Church in Denton, TX. I became fascinated with the story of Ruth and Naomi in Fall 2022 during a class called Women in the Biblical World. I never knew how many different ways we could interpret the classic story of Ruth and Naomi. I felt called to preach from the book of Ruth in May because it was Mother's Day and also because I felt a strong connection to Ruth and Naomi's intercultural family as I prepared to join my husband in the covenant of marriage, which would mark the beginning of our intercultural family. While the sermon did not end up going where I thought it would, I am very proud of this sermon and the message that it shares. It was a gift to preach on Mother's Day, to have my family in the congregation, and to have the support of St. Andrew folks in-person and St. Andrew folks + so many others online. One of my professors studies wisdom literature with a special focus on the book of Ruth. She challenged me to "be bold because Naomi and Ruth would want me to be." It was with that encouragement that I felt called to focus my sermon on lament and how God calls us to lament in order to work towards change in ourselves and in our world.
Linked below is a recording of St. Andrew Presbyterian Church's worship service where I co-led worship with my father (the Senior Pastor there), engaged with children in the Time for Young Disciples, and preached a sermon on Ruth 1:15-22. Click here for the recording.
On July 2nd, I was the guest preacher at Gregory Memorial Presbyterian Church in Prince George, VA, which is about 45 minutes south of Richmond. I connected with their Clerk of Session in the Spring when a friend and colleague guest preached there. This was the second sermon I've preached and I preached on a lectionary text. I preached on Psalm 13, a lament psalm, which worked well since my first sermon was focused on lament. I worked hard to be intentional and preach to the more rural, smaller congregation context. Not only did I preach, but I also led the full worship service. The church uses a liturgy from Presbyterian Outlook. So while I did not put together the liturgy, I guided us through the service. It was an incredible experience and my sermon was well-received. After the service, many folks asked when I'd be back to preach! Unfortunately, I won't be able to preach there again until next year since I am interning this school year. But it was wonderful to make a connection with Gregory Memorial and I am excited to remain connected with them. While the sermon was not recorded, my sermon text is pasted below.
“How Long Must We Lament?”
Caitlin Culp
July 2nd, 2023, Gregory Memorial Presbyterian Church
We turn now to our scripture readings this morning beginning with Matthew chapter 10 verses 40-42 reading from the New Revised Standard Version Updated Edition. Listen for the word of the Lord.
40 “Whoever welcomes you welcomes me, and whoever welcomes me welcomes the one who sent me. 41 Whoever welcomes a prophet in the name of a prophet will receive a prophet’s reward, and whoever welcomes a righteous person in the name of a righteous person will receive the reward of the righteous, 42 and whoever gives even a cup of cold water to one of these little ones in the name of a disciple—truly I tell you, none of these will lose their reward.”
Hear now Psalm 13 verses 1-6. Listen again for the Word of the Lord.
To the leader. A Psalm of David. 1 How long, O Lord? Will you forget me forever? How long will you hide your face from me? 2 How long must I bear pain in my soul and have sorrow in my heart all day long? How long shall my enemy be exalted over me? 3 Consider and answer me, O Lord my God! Give light to my eyes, or I will sleep the sleep of death, 4 and my enemy will say, “I have prevailed”; my foes will rejoice because I am shaken. 5 But I trusted in your steadfast love; my heart shall rejoice in your salvation. 6 I will sing to the Lord because he has dealt bountifully with me.
Leader: The word of the Lord.
Introduction:
Two weeks ago, our nation celebrated Juneteenth, which commemorates the day that slavery officially ended in the USA because the people who were enslaved in Galveston, TX finally heard the news of the Emancipation Proclamation. In two days, our nation will celebrate our independence day. Summer is a time when families gather, folks travel, students and teachers take a break, we eat sweet corn on the cob and fresh watermelon from the farms around us, there are barbecue celebrations, baseball games, and lots of time in and around pools, lakes, rivers, and the ocean. Summer can also be a time when church communities experience low attendance on Sundays, when folks who feel lonely regularly feel even lonelier, and when the relief of one school year or fiscal year leads straight into anxiety about the upcoming one. As we celebrated the end of slavery in our nation and as we prepare to celebrate our country’s independence, we are reminded of the brokenness and the unity that simultaneously exist in our country. Within this dichotomy we find ourselves called to lament. For how long we may need to lament, we don’t know. But we know that God calls us to be transparent and vulnerable with ourselves and with God.
Lament as a liturgical tool
Perhaps I am the only person who did not know this, but I was surprised when I learned that the Psalms were typically written in order to be sung. The singing of Psalms was integral to the ancient Israelites’ church and community life. The book of Psalms comprises over eight types of psalms…psalms on behalf of communities, nations, and individuals, psalms of praise and thanksgiving, psalms of creation and wisdom, and psalms of lament. The Psalms of lament, which we’re focusing on today, use address, petition, and complaint to honestly and radically articulate the human experiences in a liberative manner. Lament is in the tradition of Abraham and Moses who were not afraid to bargain with God, as Dr. Gail O’Day points out. Lament Psalms comprise ⅓ of the book of Psalms but are often surprising to modern Christians. While some churches sing a Psalter each week, we can still find it difficult to imagine being angry with God AND expressively singing or praying about that in the middle of worship.
Psalm 13, a psalm of individual lament, reminded the Israelite people that they were not alone; that their grief, anger, fear of death, and sorrow was valid and that they could share it with members of their community and go to God with those big feelings. God could handle their lament. For modern day Christians like ourselves, Psalm 13 challenges us to thoughtfully, intentionally, and radically wrestle with God. Today I read Psalm 13 aloud and earlier we shared our joys and concerns aloud. After the offertory, we will pray the Prayers of the People. So let’s use our imagination for a moment --- what if, when we shared our joys and concerns with our fellow congregants, we sang our sorrows instead? What if we screamed when we named our worries? What if we wept when we shared our grief? What if we found ways to empathize with those who grieve differently from us? What if we were to use lament as a liturgical tool like our ancient Israelite ancestors did?
Theologian and blogger Marg Mowczko details some of the ways that lament was used as a liturgical tool for the ancient Israelites --- when tragedy occurred, women of the church, called wailing women, would sing dirges and lead the people in laments and public expressions of grief. The liturgical practice of lamenting together, aloud or silently, was a way for the church and community to foster, what Mowczko, names as solidarity, empathy, and healing. The ancient Israelites model for us how to live into the wrestling with God that allows us to live in unity with each other in a world that feels broken.
Lament outside of the Psalms
When we reflect on examples of lament in the Bible, we find numerous examples of bold, faithful lament. In the book of Job, we experience Job’s anger with God and his vulnerability in sharing his deepest thoughts and biggest fears. In the book of Ruth, Naomi laments as she travels to her homeland with Ruth after the death of Naoi’s husband and two sons. The unnamed Canaanite woman in Matthew 15, whose story is just a few chapters after the scripture we read today, she laments and questions Jesus’ responses, which pushes him to new possibilities.
Despite the countless examples of lament in the Bible, lament is often avoided, ignored, or looked down upon in our modern world and especially as modern Christians. When we are in a group of folks who are unhappy or feeling sorrow, we’re often pushed to look on the bright side or to find the positive in the situation. But, this is a practice of avoidance that enables us to not really feel or process our emotions. The practice of lament calls us to be in prayer and conversation about our grief, sorrow, despair, and unhappiness. In Psalm 13, the Psalmist asks the question “How Long?” four times. The Psalmist is trying to understand how God would let their suffering continue for so long. Psalm 13 begins with the psalmists’ crisis. They go to God with their complaint through uncensored emotional candor. Then their complaint shifts to their plea. They plead for the Lord to take meaningful action. Finally, the psalmist concludes with praise to the Lord. They show gratitude to the Lord God for a vision of deliverance, even before it arrives. As the theologian P.C. Craigie writes, “Lament is pointless unless it culminates in prayer.” The Psalmist demonstrates lament and calls us to be in prayer through our lament to God.
Psalm 13’s connection to our world today
The COVID-19 pandemic has left so many of us grieving --- grieving the loss of our friends and family, grieving the job we once held, grieving the life we are now unable to live, grieving the money we’ve lost…and our religious communities grieve, too. Many of our churches find themselves wondering where God is amidst all of this suffering. Ministers, deacons, elders, and others are called upon to provide comfort during extreme pain and devastation when they are not sure how long we must lament or how long we must suffer either.
On this first Sunday in July, we are quick to share “happy 4th of July'' wishes with our friends and family. But the 4th of July is not always a happy day for folks. The Psalmist gives permission and support to the families and friends of those who have died while serving our country. The Psalmist gives permission and support to farmers and local business owners who battle climate change and the changing economy each day. The Psalmist gives permission and support to those in our community who are aging and who face big transitions in their lives. The Psalmist gives permission and support to the families of the victims of our country’s almost 300 mass shootings in 2023, with one of those being just last month in Richmond after a high school graduation. The Psalmist gives permission and support to the veterans and servicepeople who experience post-traumatic stress disorder upon their return home. The Psalmists’ lament is for all people and through their lament, we are reminded that even if we want to avoid lament, it is vital to our lives as God’s people.
A Final Note
Siblings in Christ, we are all God’s people and we are all called to lament. Like the Psalmist asked repeatedly, “How long?,” we ask “How long will this devastation last? How long will we feel depressed? How long will we have to live on both ends of the extreme? How long until war ceases to exist? How long, God, must we lament?” And God’s answer to our question comes to us through Jesus. The destruction of the innocents leads to lament at Jesus’ birth. Jesus laments when he expresses grief as he weeps over Jerusalem. The daughters of Jerusalem lament when Jesus is crucified. Out of lament, God’s people are pushed to a place of hope through Jesus’ resurrection. Jesus comes to us out of lament and helps God meet us where we are --- where we are as we celebrate the end of slavery in our nation while we simultaneously grieve the unjust deaths of Black folks --- where we are as we celebrate our nation’s independence day at the same time that Americans lose jobs and veterans are unable to have their needs met --- where we are as we support our aging loved ones while simultaneously battling our own health conditions --- God meets us where we are --- even and most especially in our lament.
Like the Psalmist in Psalm 13, we might not understand why God’s people are suffering. But, we know that confusion, devastation, anger, and injustice in our world is not the final word. As God’s people, we know that God promises God’s people a new heaven and a new earth, free from injustice and prejudice. But until then, God challenges us to sit in this uncomfortable space --- the space of grief, anger, confusion, hurt, learning, and unlearning. God calls us to lament. Because what would our world be if we did not lament grief, sorrow, and despair? How would wrongs be righted and injustices made just?
So God, how long must we lament? For now, God answer, with the promise of God’s everlasting love and forgiveness for us always. Thanks be to God. Amen.
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