A Liturgy of Grief: A Pastoral Commentary on LamentationsIn Lamentations, we read of the unbearable grief experienced by a group of believers. Leslie Allen suggests the book can be read as the script of a liturgy performed to help the people of God come to terms with the fall of Jerusalem and the national catastrophe it entailed. It reveals God's sometimes hidden support for those who grieve and for their caregivers. In this unique commentary on Lamentations, respected Old Testament scholar and volunteer hospital chaplain Leslie Allen appropriates this oft-neglected book of the Bible to deal with a universal issue. Incorporating stories of pastoral encounters with hospital patients, Allen integrates Scripture and pastoral care to present a biblical model for helping those coping with grief. The book includes a foreword by Nicholas Wolterstorff, author of Lament for a Son. |
Contents
Foreword by Nicholas Wolterstorff | 9 |
Grief Guilt and the Need | 43 |
Grief Guilt and the Need | 75 |
The Wounded Healer | 97 |
Grief and Guilt | 133 |
The Congregations Prayer | 157 |
Notes on the Translation | 183 |
Literature Cited | 192 |
| 203 | |
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Common terms and phrases
acrostic Albrektson 1963 anger appeal book of Lamentations book of Psalms bring C. S. Lewis catastrophe close community’s compassion complaint psalms confession congregation’s context day of anger Deuteronomy 28 dirge divine grace divine intervention earlier poems echoes Edom emotional enemies experience expression fifth poem flashbacks fourth poem God’s grace grief grievance grieving guilt hands heart Hebrew hope human consequences interpretation Isaiah Israel Jeremiah Jerusalem Joel Judah’s Lady Zion lament psalm line of stanza listening congregation liturgy Lord loss mentor metaphor mourning negative Nicholas Wolterstorff NJPS NRSV Old Testament pain people’s poem at stanza pray prayer preacher previous poems punishment reaction readers reference repentance reporter reporter’s response role second poem siege sinning sorrow spiritual stanza 12 stanza 9 story suffering temple testimony theological third poem tion tradition tragedy turning point verb versions voice woman-city words wrongdoing Yahweh Zion’s