As promised in last week’s newsletter, we continue this week by learning another Spiritual Practice. Today, I would like to offer you the practice of Psalm writing. Psalms in scripture are a wonderful articulation of humanity’s relationship with God, in good times and bad. They speak into life’s disorienting moments and laments; they name pain and suffering for what it is. They also speak into life’s joys, and into our faith in the best and worst of times.
In this week’s practice, we will be writing our own lament psalms. Laments are prayers that connect our lived experience to God. Laments are personal and contextual, as well as communal and universal. To do this spiritual practice, follow the instructions line by line. Your phrases for each line may be as short as a few words or as long as a few sentences.
I find that this practice often helps me to articulate the parts of my faith life that otherwise remain subconscious. It is a good, quick practice to do multiple times in a day (morning, noon, night) or daily for a few days to see how things change. However, you choose to do it, I hope you get as much out of this practice as I do.
Here are the instructions:
PHRASE 1: Write a statement about God.
PHRASE 2: Write a statement about your life.
PHRASE 3: Write a statement about how you feel.
PHRASE 4: Write a statement of praise.
PHRASE 5: Rewrite phrase 2.
PHRASE 6: Write a statement about what you need.
PHRASE 7: Rewrite phrase 4.
PHRASE 8: Write a statement about what you long for.
PHRASE 9: Rewrite phrase 4.
PHRASE 10: Write something new about God.
PHRASE 11: Rewrite phrase 5.
PHRASE 12: End with a statement about God.
Joyful Life Lutheran Church 