Wayfinding

February 19th & 20th

Lamenting

 Dear Wayfinders,

It will be wonderful to be back together this month, and this is an invitation for anyone who would like to join for the topic this month of Wayfinding in February, even if you are joining for the first time. For the months of March, April, and May we will use the book the Inner Work of Age: Shifting from Role Soul by Connie Zweig. This month we dive into the spiritual and scriptural practice of lamenting, by will write our own laments in our Wayfinding small groups.

To write our own laments, we “cry out” to God, we express our deepest pain, concerns, and frustrations, while still maintaining a thread of trust and hope, often following a structure of addressing God, detailing our complaint, and concluding with a plea for help or intervention, similar to many Psalms in the Bible. Lamenting is a way to honestly voice our struggles without holding back, acknowledging our vulnerability while still believing in God’s loving presence.

Lamenting is a wise spiritual practice, and if you are curious about the format and want to do this on your own or begin thinking about it before our time together, here are the key elements of a lament:

Address:

Begin by directly addressing God with attributes about God. 

Complaint:

Clearly articulate your pain, concerns, and frustrations, expressing the full weight of your situation or a situation in the world without sugarcoating. Be specific. Reflect on a significant challenge or hardship you are facing, something that is causing you deep pain or uncertainty.

Affirmation of trust:

Despite your pain, acknowledge your faith in God’s goodness, presence, power, etc. even if you are questioning God’s presence, action or inaction.

Petition/Request:

Clearly state what you are asking for, the specific help or intervention you desire.

Praise:

Conclude by offering praise or thanksgiving for past blessings, even amidst your current struggles.

I look forward to being in community with you! We gather at 9:30 am tomorrow (Wednesday) in Friendship Hall for refreshments and at 9:45 am the program begins, concluding at 11:15 am. Virtually, we gather 4:00 pm-5:00 pm on Thursday (see below for Zoom log-in information).

Blessings,

Pastor Julia

Topic: Wayfinding

Time: February 20, 2025 04:00 PM Central Time (US and Canada)

Join Zoom Meeting

https://us02web.zoom.us/j/84845886041?pwd=4PhfBp176E1pCJZ7U1NAanhC9P8F3h.1

Meeting ID: 848 4588 6041

Passcode: 115289

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